A BRADFORD couple’s dream wedding hangs in the balance and they fear they could lose tens of thousands of pounds amid ongoing uncertainty caused by the coronavirus crisis.

Jessica Armstrong, 28, a nurse at the Bradford Royal Infirmary, has spoken of her devastation at the nightmare situation she and her fiancé Chris Beattie, 29, find themselves in - along with countless others across the UK. 

Bradford Telegraph and Argus:

The couple, who live in Idle and have been together for nine years, have been planning their big day at Harrogate’s Rudding Park on May 28 for the past year.

They have already postponed it to July, but fear it could still be under threat and say the insurance will not pay out. 

They’ve also been told by the Register Office that it cannot take bookings until after September 1 due to government restrictions, so are unable to do the legal paperwork until then. 

The couple have now opted to hold out to see if things change during the 21-day reviews, but they also have the added stress of potentially losing their honeymoon to Borneo and the £4,500 they have paid. 

Miss Armstrong said: “We have been offered to rebook, within six months only, but we do not know when the travel ban will be lifted so are very concerned about rebooking. 

“This all has an emotional toll on us. It’s our big day and one we have looked forward to for a long time. We have saved our wages and paid all deposits and now find ourselves set to lose around £15,000 as it stands and we still have the rest of the balances to pay.”

She described the situation as being in “limbo” and added: “Financially, we have put a lot of savings into the wedding, family have contributed as well, it’s just devastating this potentially might not go ahead.”

In a time which should be filled with excitement for the future, the couple are trying to deal with the prospect of their dream day being in tatters. 

“I have been following Facebook wedding groups -  everyday there are brides in a frenzy about their wedding day about the potential loss of thousands of pounds,” she said.

“Their homes are full of personalised merchandise in preparation and now are having to amend them. All the uncertainty and unanswered questions from the government is affecting our lives.”

As a nurse, Miss Armstrong, who is currently in isolation, has also seen first-hand the impact coronavirus has wrought on people.

“It’s just dreadful,” she said. “I want to go and do my bit.”

The impact of the crisis is being felt across every aspect of people’s lives as tough measures to halt the spread of the virus bed in.