A couple who had their wedding bands stolen the night before their big day defiantly went ahead and tied the knot – using jelly ring SWEETS instead.
David and Natalie Norris were left devastated after they had their home in Kingsley, Northants., raided by burglars on Saturday.
Their £1,000 wedding rings were stolen as well as jewellery belonging to David’s late mother, who only passed away in February.
But determined to push ahead with their wedding day the couple decided to find a unique alternative to replace their expensive rings.
And on Sunday they tied the knot at The Manor Hotel in Meriden, West Mids., where they used two Haribo sweets to place on each others fingers.
They then went to nearby St. Laurence’s Church, where the jelly rings – from a bag of 99p sweets – were even blessed by vicar.
The happy couple then celebrated with 170 guests back at hotel for their wedding reception where they ATE their new wedding rings.
Yesterday the nightclub owners told how they were determined not to let the callous burglars ruin their special day.
Natalie, 39, said: “ I was absolutely devastated, I was crying all day.
“It was one thing to know someone had been in your house, but the things they took were so personal.
“We went out to have a look for new rings around a lot of jewellery shop on Saturday thinking we could just get a cheap band each.
“But we had taken so much time to chose those rings and then waited for them to be delivered.
“They meant something to us, I didn’t just want to get a new one like that.
“So I just said I would rather use those jelly Haribo rings.
“It was obvious they were wedding rings, they were on a table of wedding stuff – how anybody could stoop so low, I don’t know.
“We wanted to make light of it – but we also wanted to show them that they couldn’t ruin our big day.
“Despite a fire alarm going off the day went without a major hitch and we are now looking forward to our new life together.”
The couple, who have been together for 19 years, had left a front door unlocked for their son Hayden, 21, to come in from work from a restaurant.
All the items had been left in the kitchen in preparation for their wedding and the usual intruder deterrents – the couple’s two 40-kilo crossbreed dogs – had been taken into kennels.
Natalie and David are now appealing to pawn shop owners and secondhand dealers to look out for the stolen rings and jewellery.
A laptop, a Pandora bracelet and Ted Baker and Calvin Klein bags were also take in the raid.
David, 43, added: “We weren’t just going to lie down and let them spoil our wedding day
“We were determined to have fun regardless and we had a fantastic time in the end.
“It was a nice touch to get the rings blessed but we ate them in the end – they were getting very sticky.
“They are the lowest of the low but you just have to get on with things. I just hope they get caught now.”
The couple are still planning to go on their honeymoon to Thailand for 10 days on Saturday.
