I planned my wedding in 6 weeks so my dying dad could be there
WHEN Abbie Bailey said “yes” to her partner Jake Smith, her engagement was filled with both excitement and sadness.
For the 25-year-old nurse had been devastated to learn her dad Stewart had terminal brain cancer and only a few months to live.
She knew that if her dream of being walked down the aisle by her dad was to happen, she needed to act fast.
So she and Jake, 25, made it their mission to plan, design and organise the wedding in just SIX weeks so Stewart could be there.
And on April 5 last year Abbie put on her white bridal gown, rallied her bridesmaids and walked down the aisle with her proud dad by her side.
Just five days later, Stewart died.
Abbie, from Telford, Shropshire, says: “It was a real whirlwind of emotions — excitement and rushing around to plan it, incredible joy on the day and unbelievable sadness when we lost Dad five days later.
“I have the happiest memories of the day, and knowing one of Dad’s final days was spent watching me get married, surrounded by our family and friends, is just amazing.
“Planning an entire wedding in six weeks, on a budget, was not an easy task, but we pulled it off and it was the best day of my life.”
Abbie first met Jake, a building site manager, when they were at school and they had been dating for ten years when she discovered her dad was seriously unwell, in June 2018.
She recalls: “We were crushed. I decided to temporarily move out of the house I lived in with Jake and move back into the family home to help look after Dad.
“I took extended leave from work and every day I spent with Dad I knew was special, as he was getting weaker and weaker every day.
“We didn’t have a timeline for how long he had left, but we knew he wasn’t strong enough to make it through the next year.
“After Christmas 2018 he lost the vision in one eye and his speech became confused.
“In the new year, Jake agreed that if we got engaged then, we could plan a wedding in under two months and get married so my dad could be there.
“Dad was over the moon when we told him.
“He’d resigned himself to never making it to see me getting married, but now he’d get to walk me down the aisle.
“We didn’t have much time to waste so we immediately started planning.”
Stunning gown
With the help of her mum Brenda, 58, a teaching assistant, and sisters Morgan, 20, and Kelly, 39, Abbie got to work on planning the big day.
She says: “We always loved the idea of an outdoor wedding so we booked a yurt for the ceremony followed by a hog roast and party in a tipi.
“Once we had the date and venue, we needed to tell our guests. When all 150 of them came back saying they could attend, last-minute, we were blown away. They all knew what we were going through and wanted to make our day extra special.
“Instead of months searching for the perfect dress, I went to a local boutique with just four weeks to go and found a stunning gown covered in glitter and bought it there and then.
“A local company created a pale pink veil for me and I ordered a beautiful bouquet of wild flowers and pheasant feathers from a local florist.
“My five best friends were bridesmaids and, after I decided on my colour scheme of cream, we found beautiful dresses for them online.
“Decorations were shipped in, speeches were written days before and on the day of the wedding, I couldn’t believe we’d pulled it off.
“Dad was weak with his illness but when I saw him dressed in his suit smiling back at me, my heart felt full.
“When he saw me in my dress for the first time he was tearful and overwhelmed. He choked up and was completely lost for words.
“He’s left the biggest hole in our lives but I truly believe he may have let go sooner if he wasn’t so excited to make it to our wedding day.”
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