Bride and gloom at wedding ‘shambles’

Heather Haigh: wedding “shambles”

A SHOCKED bride who was told during her wedding reception to return her marriage certificate because it had been issued for the wrong date has received an apology and refund from the organisers.

Heather Taylor was told of the error by telephone as she shared the champagne breakfast with 10 guests at a swish Manchester restaurant.

The bizarre alert came two hours after Heather had married her terminally-ill husband - colourful Saddleworth pub landlord Geoff Haigh - at Manchester Register Office. The mix-up was the “final blunder” at a wedding ceremony that started 20 minutes late and included her choice of bridal music, “Wonderful Life”, being played over 10 times.

The devoted couple, partners for 26 years with three children, decided to finally tie the knot after Mr Haigh (61) was diagnosed with cancer and told he had only months to live. Mr Haigh died on January 4, 45 days after the wedding.

Heather (54) has now received an apology from the council and accepted a £137 refund for the cost after accusing register office staff of making the wedding a shambles.

Speaking at the family-owned landmark Rams Head at Denshaw, she said: “It was a miserable amount, but as Geoff had died, I didn’t feel I could prolong the argument and their complaints procedure was too onerous.”

She added: “The reception was just a dull plain room, no greeting, no acknowledgement whatsoever, no staff. We went into the suite and waited. The music played on and on — the same song over and over.”

Later she received a call asking her to check the date written on the marriage certificate.

“I thought it was a wind-up from a friend, but it was from the register office. The date was wrong. I’m deeply upset. This has left scarred memories.

A Manchester City Council spokesman offered “sincere apologies” to Mrs Taylor.

“It is the most important day of a couple’s life and our staff would never knowingly do anything to spoil or delay a wedding.”