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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Alivia Smith & Lorraine King

Thomas Cook wedding planner flies out to save couple's wedding after losing job

A Thomas Cook worker flew to Greece to help a couple who lost their dream wedding despite losing her own job when the travel firm collapsed.

The wedding planner, called Hattie, came to the rescue of Hollie and Gordon Gumbley who were due to get married in Greece on September 25, just days after the firm folded.

The couple were already on the island of Rhodes for their fortnight trip after flying out on September 14, and their 12 guests joined them a week later.

They had booked their big day with Thomas Cook in July 2018 and paid more than £6,000.

Hattie flew out to Grecee to help the couple (Stoke Sentinel / BPM Media)

Following the firm’s collapse, Hollie’s mum Dawn Johnson paid out again for the wedding package to ensure her daughter’s big day went ahead.

She is now waiting for Thomas Cook to refund the original cost after filling in claim forms.

Hollie, 23, from Stafford, said: “I was gutted, 15 months of planning and all that money put in to having a perfect day and it was left hanging in the balance.

“It was shocking when Thomas Cook went into administration.

The couple booked their £6,000 wedding with Thomas Cook in July last year (Stoke Sentinel / BPM Media)

“We had no reps on site but we called our wedding planner Hattie and she couldn’t tell us anything, except at that moment in time, there would be no wedding.

"Lindos Princess Beach Hotel said they would do all in their power to help, and then 24 hours later Hattie called back and said as our documentation was at the town hall so the wedding could go ahead and it was all back on.

“Hattie still flew to Greece and arranged the wedding even though she had lost her job.

“She turned up in her Thomas Cook outfit, worked without being paid and did us proud."

The collapse of the travel firm cost 9,000 jobs (Phil Harris/Daily Mirror)

The collapse of the 178-year-old travel firm left 9,000 workers without jobs and 165,000 Brits stranded abroad.

The UK government flew home the stranded workers and holidaymakers in the biggest ever peacetime repatriation.

Staff were also not paid their outstanding wages.

Hollie added: “We are so grateful to Hattie for doing this, she must have been going through all sorts of emotions and we cannot thank her enough – we did give her a big bonus!

“We went from stress to tears of joy as we placed the rings on each other’s hands – it was so emotional and an amazing day."

“The relief was overwhelming and we shed tears of joy!”

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