Couple get married on Zoom leaving friends and family in tears after their dream wedding was cancelled

A COUPLE have left their family and friends in tears by tying the knot on Zoom - after coronavirus cancelled their wedding.

Childhood sweethearts Ben Jackson and Sophie Austin, from Croydon, London, got engaged in August 2018 and were due to get married last Saturday, in front of 200 guests.

But when lockdown made that impossible, they gathered their loved ones on the video chatting app to watch the makeshift ceremony.

Sophie, who's been with Ben for eight-and-a-half years since meeting in Sixth Form, said: "It was absolutely amazing.

"I think it really drew back the sparkliness and extra stuff of a wedding and made it really obvious what was important: the two of us saying the vows to each other.

"Even though we didn't have everyone here, it made it more intimate and special."

The singer-actress couldn't even get her planned wedding dress as the shop closed at the last minute under lockdown.

However, despite having to rearrange their big wedding - which has been moved to September - she said the Zoom ceremony was incredibly special.

She added: "We still wanted to make the date significant to us because we had such a build-up.

"Also it was so nice for everyone else as well to have an online party and see a lot of faces. It shows how good Zoom is in this time."

The couple said their vows and declared their love for each other in their living room before sharing some cake.

They were eagerly watched by up to 300 people over the internet, all safely socially distancing in their homes.

Ben, 25, who works at the University of Sussex, said the ceremony featured a "real mix" of attendees... in terms of what they were wearing.

Although most people were in suits or dresses, Ben admitted: "I know a couple of my mates were wearing their suits but underneath they had their football shorts on."

The idea for Zoom originally came from their pastor, who was not sure if the couple would go for it.

Ben said: "We just kind of sat there and thought 'oh that's a really good idea'."

Describing the ceremony, he said: "It's still real. In that moment we didn't really notice it, we were focused on what we were saying."

The soon-to-be Mr and Mrs Jackson still need to complete the legal process of tying the knot once lockdown lifts.

Luckily, lots of their wedding vendors agreed to change the date at no extra cost.

We recently revealed how a First Dates couple who captured hearts with their mum’s devastating brain tumour battle were also forced to cancel their wedding.

While a devastated bride whose £30k wedding was cancelled with 18 hours’ notice over coronavirus got ‘married’ at Burger King.