Yorkshire couple surprise family at their son's christening - by getting married at the same time

Reece and Brittanie Simpson, both 27, had to cancel their big day three times due to the pandemic and Brittanie becoming pregnant. The couple also lost out on £5,500 in cancelled deposits. With the world seemingly putting barriers in the way of their wedding ever happening, Brittanie had the idea to have it on the same day as their son's Otis' christening.

Brittanie, of Keighley, said: "I was in the middle of booking my son's christening when I just had this idea: why don't we have a surprise wedding? Me and Reece told both our brothers so we had two people that could help us and we ran it exactly like a normal christening."

On the day of the christening, Brittanie had come up with an excuse so she could leave the church to then walk down the aisle as a bride.

She said: "I said that I left something in the car and then my brother came out and gave me my bouquet and my veil. He then went and got my dad, who is really emotional, and that just tipped him over the edge.

"I even had to lie and say the photographer was there because I already paid the deposit before I cancelled the wedding before."

The shocked faces around the church were a picture as people started to realise what was actually going on when Brittanie entered the church with her father.

She said: "My mum and my in-laws were in tears as they started to clock on to what was going on. Nobody could believe it. Everyone was so emotional. My grandad actually didn't get it though. He asked my uncle why I was making such a big deal over my sons christening!"

Some families may have taken issue with the surprise, untraditional wedding, but Brittanie and Reece's families had no problem at all.

She said: "Me and Reece had been through a lot. We'd been together 10 years and engaged for four of them. Both of our families are super close and it got to the point where everyone just wanted to see us get married - it wasn't really about the 'wedding'. Everyone said it was the happiest day ever."