Chard couple whose big day was saved from Storm Emma

Sharon Parsons and Richard Quigley watched in disbelief as their immaculate wedding day plans were buried by a thick blanket of snow brought in by the ‘Beast from the East’ and it appeared everything could be ruined.

However, volunteers from across the town, including many strangers, came to their aid to make sure their wedding day was one the couple will never forget.

Sharon said: “It started the evening before. We went to the Eagle Tavern to get the reception ready, and had to be towed home twice.

“Then we woke up and the snow was even deeper. We were both gobsmacked.”

Then cancellations came, including guests, the organist and the reception, and her son Shane was stranded at the Eagle Tavern.

Sharon went online, begging people to save her day.

“The Facebook post got more than 50 shares, and then it got to the News and I just started getting bombarded with people wanting to help,” she said.

“We were just waiting on the call from the registrar and thinking it wasn’t going to happen.”

Amazingly, local celebrity Michael Pattemore, widower of Loose Women’s Lynda Bellingham, came to the couple’s aid with trips to and from church, but Shane was still stranded on A303.

This really hurt Sharon as she had asked her eldest son to walk her down the aisle.

She added: “My heart just sank. He called me in the morning and asked if we could change the day. I said we can’t, it is happening today, so he said ‘I will walk there if I have to, crawl if I must’.”

Then, volunteer Elliott Ashley, who had also helped tow the Quigleys home on Thursday night, became Shane’s saviour through the snow.

Sharon said: “Then I thought, it is actually going to happen now, and it started piecing together.

“We got together music on our iPods because we didn’t have an organist, and we heard that the registrar had got there.

“It was so nice and we couldn’t have done it without everybody’s help. I would not change it at all. It was quite quiet and peaceful.”

However, the newly-weds were still stuck without a reception, and after a few drinks in the church coffee hall they were going to head home, until they discovered the Cerdic had opened.

The wedding party set off with the bride pairing her white dress with less traditional pink wellington boots.

“We got in and everyone knew who we were and it was amazing,” said Sharon.

“People we didn’t know came up and said congratulations and they cheered us on the whole night through.

“We got our reception. This is why I wouldn’t change a thing. This was so much closer to the heart, it couldn’t have been predicted.

“Thank you to everyone at the church and to Father Dominic. Thank you to my manager Becks Durham and her sister for digging out the whole road, and everyone who helped dig.

“It was just spontaneous and special.”