Ever since she was a little girl, Cassandra Baker dreamed of having a fairytale wedding.
But the 46-year-old has not only been lucky enough to meet her Mr Right – she has married him three times.
A series of disasters and mix-ups meant Cassandra and her dream man Danny ended up having three separate ceremonies.
But the self-confessed wedding addict did not mind at all.
Cassandra said: “After waiting my whole life to get married, it felt amazing to be a bride three times and wear four fabulous dresses, inspired my love of Barbies, ballerinas and princesses.”
Mum-of-two Cassandra met Danny, 43, on an internet dating site after drawing up a wish list for her husband.
She recalled: “He needed to be handsome with dark hair and dark eyes, down-to-earth and very kind, dress well, do DIY, intelligent and love to travel.”
The couple spent months chatting to each other during lockdown – and a year after they first met in person, Danny proposed by putting a ring in a Jägermeister shot glass.
Cassandra, who is mum to Saffron, 10, and nine-year-old George, knew just where she wanted to get married.
She and Danny put down a £10,000 deposit for Leeds Castle in Maidstone, Kent – billed as “the loveliest castle in the world” – and she started designing a wedding dress fit for a princess.
“It had to feature pink lace with hand-stitched Swarovski crystals and a big pink lace bow because pink is my favourite colour,” she said.
“It had rows of pink pearls at the back and an elegant fishtail.”
Cassandra had three hen parties – a girls’ weekend in Edinburgh, a meal out for 30 people and visit to Nobu and The Dorchester in London. But a week before the wedding, disaster struck.
“Danny had been married before and the divorce papers hadn’t come through so we couldn’t actually get married,” Cassandra said.
“He’d signed them months earlier and we could see online that a Decree Nisi had been granted but the court hadn’t processed the paperwork.
“We hired a solicitor and even paid extra for it to be fast-tracked, but it was no use. I was so gutted.
“We couldn’t get the deposit back and I didn’t want to lose the money or upset the guests, but the venue explained we could have a blessing, which would look exactly the same as an ‘official’ wedding.”
So on August 13 last year, the couple’s first ‘big day’ went ahead. Cassandra’s son George walked her down the aisle and she exchanged rings and vows with Danny in front of their friends and family.
“It was the wedding I had dreamed of,” said Cassandra. But the couple were keen to make things official so booked another wedding, on a river boat called the Kentish Lady, for October 17.
Beauty salon owner Cassandra and her beau were assured that Danny’s divorce paperwork would come through in time – but it didn’t.
“I couldn’t believe it had happened for a second time,’ said Cassandra. “Again, we thought about cancelling but we didn’t want to disappoint the guests or lose out financially.
“The kids said, ‘But you already got married’. They didn’t understand.”
But nevertheless, Cassandra organised another hen do and the pair invited 50 guests to their wedding on the water.
This time around, Cassandra wore a knee-length white satin dress with a tulle princess skirt, white sash and white bow, topped off with a silver tiara.
But it would go on to become a case of third time lucky for the couple, who booked a final ceremony at the Archbishop’s Palace in Maidstone, Kent, for January 22 this year, once Danny’s divorce had finally come through.
“I certainly had a case of déjà vu but it felt amazing to finally do it,’ said Cassandra, who donned a fitted white dress decorated with Japanese lace and pearls for her third ceremony.
"All in all, the couple, from Bromley, South East London, spent more than £40,000 on their weddings, with Danny taking on extra jobs and working seven days a week to pay for it all.
But Cassandra has no regrets. She said: “I love being the centre of attention. I’m so pleased to have had the best day of my life not once, but three times!”
