Bride Kelly Warnell loved her movie-themed wedding day so much, she wished she could do it all over again.
So she made a deal with new husband Jon that every five years they would either divorce or renew their vows.
But the pact took on new meaning when doctors discovered she had a brain tumour that could erase her memories.
The mum underwent a risky nine-hour operation where surgeons sliced open her skull to remove the growth sitting on her brain stem.
And this summer, Kelly and Jon celebrated her survival with a spectacular Las Vegas ceremony.
Kelly, 43, says: “I’d marry Jon every day if I could, but that just isn’t practical.
“The renewal idea started as a bit of fun – but since the tumour diagnosis I’ve devoted my life to making as many memories as possible, for me and for my family.”
Kelly married Jon, 45, in June 2016. She says: “We’re chalk and cheese. I’m outgoing and colourful, Jon is reserved.
“But when we met we hit it off straight away. My son and his three children also clicked, we were really lucky.”
The couple decided to have an Alice in Wonderland theme to their big day – a nod to Kelly’s film obsession and her career in the movie industry, including running an agency for stunt people.
She says: “I’m a bit eccentric and like to do things slightly differently, which Jon embraces even though he’s much more level-headed.
“I also wanted the guests to have as memorable a day as us and take them ‘down the rabbit hole’.
“Organising events is my bread and butter, so I planned every detail – from flamingo crochet to the bridesmaids dressed as mini Alices.
“We had a Mad Hatter’s tea party and thousands of tea cups everywhere.”
Straight after the lavish do, the newlyweds, of Sevenoaks, Kent, flew out to Hawaii with nine of their closest family and friends for an intimate blessing themed around Jurassic Park.
Kelly says: “It was my favourite film growing up and we went to the location in Hawaii where they were made. We had a sand ceremony followed by a luau (feast). When the royal priest married us, he pressed our noses together and said, ‘Make sure you say you love each other every day’. It really stuck with me.”
The couple were settling into married life – and thinking ahead to their next wedding – when Kelly got the news that would turn her world upside down.
Taking up a charity challenge in 2017 to visit the cinema every day, she started vomiting every time she watched a film.
She suspected it was an eyesight problem, but a scan found a 4cm tumour on her brain stem, pressing on her pineal gland – known as the “third eye” because it responds to light and darkness.
Kelly says: “It was benign but I was told that, without surgery, I could be left blind or worse.
“The odds of surviving such a delicate operation weren’t great.
“There was also a chance I’d be left permanently disabled or lose my long and short-term memory.
“I thought, ‘What if I’m unable to remember my wedding days?’”
Jon says his heart broke when he was told his wife had a 50/50 chance of surviving surgery.
He says: “Thankfully the surgeon knew his stuff and set my mind at ease.”
In September 2017, Kelly had a nine-hour op to remove as much of the growth as possible. It involved removing the back of her skull and cutting her brain in two to extract it.
She says: “I was utterly convinced I wasn’t going to make it through, so I’d made my peace with the world and said my goodbyes to Jon and the kids.
“When I came round, the relief that I’d lived was indescribable – and that my memory was still intact.”
But Kelly still had a long road to recovery, both physically and mentally.
She says: “I’d suffered a permanent visual impairment to my right eye, which means having to wear a patch some days. I call it my Bond villain or Pirates of the Caribbean look.
“I also had to use a walking stick for 18 months. Touching the scar on my head took weeks, I was scared of what I might feel. My hair is a big part of my personality, I like to dye it bright colours. Luckily my surgeon had plaited it.
“But I’d made it – I wasn’t going to waste a second of the time I had left.
“I love my job but, away from work, I made it my mission to make as many memories as I could with the people dearest to me.
“Every chance to celebrate, to enjoy a nice meal, to take a holiday – I was going to do it.
“The thought of reaffirming my love with my husband was a big motivation as I built up my strength and tried to come to terms with things.
“The doctors were honest and I knew there was a chance the tumour would grow back.”
For their five-year renewal, Kelly and Jon chose her favourite city of Las Vegas for the destination – and the theme of Beetlejuice, the 1988 gothic classic.
Kelly says: “I embraced the dark side and all I had gone through, dubbing the wedding ‘to the grave and beyond’. The pandemic meant postponing it a year but it was worth the wait. We had a total blast, with a week of hen and stag dos.
“Then on June 4, 2022 – six years to the day since we first said our vows – we had a Beetlejuice wedding experience at the Viva Las Vegas Chapel.
“It included an officiant dressed as the Michael Keaton character, who emerged from a grave, and I had a black and white striped dress based on his suit, plus a crown of skulls.
“We even had shrunken heads made, which we took to famous Las Vegas locations for photos.”
Jon, a maintenance manager, says: “Kelly doesn’t do boring or vanilla, that’s what I love about her… She seems to be trying to one-up herself for every wedding idea, so I can’t wait for our next one.”
The memories are especially important because, 18 months ago, the couple were told Kelly’s tumour had come back. She says: “At the moment it’s too small to cause a problem.
“There’s a chance it will stay that way but, should it grow, I’ll face future surgery with strength and positivity.
“I have many more memories still to make with Jon and my family.
“We have such a deep love. He still gives me butterflies when he walks into the room and I feel incredibly lucky.”
Jon says: “We definitely cherish each and every day with each other even more since Kelly’s diagnosis.
“I wake up thankful that I get to see Kel’s face every day.”
The couple are already thinking ahead to their 10th anniversary ceremony in 2026.
Kelly says: “We want to go to New York and have a Ghostbusters theme.
“I’m determined to have Bill Murray as the officiant. People say that I’m brave for the way I deal with my tumour, and that’s very nice to hear.
“But I tell them that really I have no choice.
“If you have a family and a business, you have to keep going.
“Nor do I wish for things to be different – I have a unique perspective now. This tumour has given me an incredible zest for life and a drive to make memories each and every day.
“It’s not just about those big moments either. Every glass of wine, every sunny day, every time I kiss Jon, it hits me in a stark way that it could be the last.
“I don’t know what the future holds but I do know I’ll make the most of it.”
