Ruth Ridyard, 35, and now-husband Martin, 38, messaged 24 of their closest friends and family on WhatsApp just after midnight to tell them about their ‘big surprise’ later that day
A quirky couple stunned their friends and family with a 12.03am message on WhatsApp.
Ruth Ridyard, 35, and husband Martin, 38, had secretly contacted family member’s bosses three weeks earlier to ensure they had the day off work for a ‘big surprise’. Then, with everything set to go, the couple messaged their 24 guests just after midnight on on February 22, 2024 to tell them they would be getting married later the same day. Ruth and Martin went to bed and didn’t answer any of their frantic phone calls, leaving them only with the time and location to see them at the wedding later on.
The couple explained that they wanted a “chill” wedding day that didn’t stress out their guests. Ruth, a construction estimator, from Manchester, who met her husband through dating app Bumble, said: “We’ve both been married before, and we wanted it to be casual and chill.
“We were chatting in the kitchen and thought of the idea, and we didn’t ask each other; we just went along with it. We knew we wanted to do it and would make a day of it. However, we have more important things to pay for.
“The good thing was that the people we invited didn’t speak to anyone, so that was kept secret, and we could keep the surprise. I texted everyone at midnight. People took it well, and it was a good response. I got a load of funny reactions from people saying they would do their fake tan at 1am, but they were all fine with it.”
The wedding was held on February 22 2024 two years to the day from their first date. To make sure all of her friends were free, she told them well in advance was taking them off for a spa day, or drinks.
She meanwhile told her four children they were going to a trampoline park – and jokingly admitted they were a bit disappointed to hearing they were actually going to a wedding Ruth and Martin bought them scratch cards to reveal the secret.
On the morning of the wedding, Ruth enjoyed a few glasses of champagne, and said she found it “relaxing” as she got ready. She said their phones were “going mental” as the hours ticked away, but both of them refused to answer.
The couple got married at a registry office, before having their reception at a pizza restaurant with “shed loads” of booze. It was followed by karaoke at a pub, where Ruth sang Islands in the Stream by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers. Ruth said: “We wanted the day to be like any other night but equally something we’d all remember. We had the best day and so did our guests. I might be biased, but it’s the best wedding I’ve ever been to.”
