A Benidorm-mad couple tied the knot in a £5,000 themed wedding featuring sun loungers, cheap jug cocktails and zooming to their reception on mobility scooters. When Emily Chatfield-Lewis and Nigel Lewis decided to say 'I do' they plumped for a Benidorm theme as the pair are huge fans of the ITV hit show and enjoy breaks to the brash beach town.
Instead of a 'boring' traditional affair, the couple made sure they threw 'one big party' that all their friends and family could enjoy. The 39-year-old donned a yellow dress and walked down the aisle to the Benidorm theme tune before she and her 55-year-old new hubby hopped onto mobility scooters and whizzed to their reception a mile away.
There, a sun lounger table plan directed guests to their Benidorm bar-themed tables featuring bucket and spade centrepieces adorned with Lay's crisps, Milka chocolate and Spanish sweets. Instead of sitting through long, boring speeches, guests sipped on cocktails served in personalised glasses while enjoying entertainment from a drag queen.
They also enjoyed a wedding cake featuring a raunchy topper - based on an infamous live Star Wars-themed sex show on segways that takes place in the holiday destination. After tying the knot on October 11, the loved-up theatre production manager and actor and Nigel then enjoyed a 'mini moon' in Benidorm earlier this month.
Emily, from Swansea, Wales, said: "I don't think anyone in the wedding was at all surprised that it was as quirky as it was. "We've both been married before and we just took all the best bits of a wedding and slammed it together - our wedding was one big party.
"The theme was the location and the TV show, we love both. Benidorm has such happy vibes. We always joke 'if you don't like Benidorm there's something wrong with you'. There's something for everyone to like in Benidorm."
The couple met at an early-morning gym class in 2018 and went on their first trip to Benidorm six months later that 'solidified' their relationship. The mum-of-two then said her retired factory production reporting lead who was a massive fan of the hit show, got her into it and they now watch it every night before going to bed.
Emily said: "Our first holiday together was in Benidorm and that really solidified our relationship. The five-day break made me feel he was someone I could see with being long term instead of just casually dating. Benidorm was just perfect.
"Nigel was a big fan of the show and he then got me into it.
"It's the sort of show we watch every night before we go to sleep. If we fall asleep we already know what's coming next so it doesn't matter. I even went to Benidorm on my hen do, I dressed up as Madge."
In-keeping with the quirky theme, Emily wore a yellow dress and clutched a DIY bouquet made of artificial flowers, shot glasses, and cocktail mixers from Home Bargains. The dad-of-two shunned a traditional darker suit and instead sported a lilac one from Boohoo Man.
Emily said: "I picked a yellow dress as yellow is my absolute favourite colour. Nigel wore a lilac suit as he wanted something a little bit different.
"We went from the wedding venue to the part on mobility scooters with everyone following behind us. Madge uses one [in the show] plus the mobility scooters are famous in Benidorm because so many people use them.
"It was a mile-long walk, we had loads of beeps [from passing cars], we had a lovely response. It was great. It was the best day ever. I still get people now who say to me 'it's the best wedding we've ever been to'.
"We stripped away all the boring parts of a wedding and just put in all the good, fun bits. We had a drag act as well for our entertainment, fabulous, very Benidorm.
"We don't take ourselves too seriously, it's all about having fun. It was cheap and cheerful and really personal to us, we had a great day. We spent £5,000 on the wedding.
"We had everything we wanted and more, it's better than what we could have anticipated."
