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Day the earth really did move on couple's wedding day

HAPPY COUPLE: Katie Jones and Paul Laker. Picture: CASSIE HART
HAPPY COUPLE: Katie Jones and Paul Laker. Picture: CASSIE HART

I want to tell you about a special couple's wedding that just happened to be on the day the earthquake hit our area.

They are Katie Jones and Paul Laker (now Mr and Mrs Laker) of Walton Gardens, Folkestone.

Wedding Day April 28, 2007. Place: Lympne Castle.

Here's what happened.

The bride was just settling down to have her hair styled. She panicked because she had just seen one magpie in her back garden because it is supposed to be a symbol of bad luck.

That was when the earthquake shook the house (not the sort of bad luck you expect from a magpie)!

Everyone was feeling quite shaken, but no one really thought of the other problems this earthquake would bring to a wedding.

With the phones out of service, there was no way to contact Lypmne Castle to find out if there were problems there.

Then, of course, there was no electricity! The bride and four bridesmaids had hair to do - with no hair dryers and no straighteners! It was all a bride's worse nightmare.

When it looked like they were going to have to improvise, Oaks hairdressers in Hythe kindly offered Katie, the bridesmaids and her hairdresser their premises, which had electricity.

But then the man who had swept Katie off her feet, saved the day. Paul, the groom, brought a portable generator to the house and everything got back on track.

The bride gave a smile. It was unconditional thoughtfulness such as that who made him the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.

The rest of the day went without any hitches and the happy couple married as planned at 2pm.

The earth really did move for them on their special day!

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