'We got married in Rhodes during wildfires - and spent the night on a mattress'

02 August 2023 , 17:48

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Emily and Alan's wedding party celebrate the couple who tied the knot in Rhodes, Greece (Image: Jemma Evans / SWNS)

A British couple who got married in Rhodes during the wildfires last week had to sleep on mattresses on the floor the night before their big day.

Emily and Alan Martin, though, stress the fires "didn't ruin their big day" and were delighted to tie the knot in front of friends and family on the island. The wedding was in jeopardy as wildfires spread across Rhodes following a devastating heatwave across Southern Europe.

And the situation looked bleak when Emily, 31, and 37-year-old Alan were evacuated from their hotel and they, with other guests, were sent to a school for safety. Then, their photographer couldn't make the ceremony because of the fires in his village.

Emily and Alan got married despite devastating wildfires threatening to cancel the ceremony (Jemma Evans / SWNS)

But Emily, a salon owner, said: "We found out at 8am the wedding would be going ahead, which was amazing as we really didn't think it would happen. "All the guests clubbed together and took photos of the day. During the ceremony, a fire actually did break out in our hotel and when we were signing documents, one of them flew into the sea - you couldn't write it, but it was the most special day to us ever."

Emily and Alan, of Eccles, Kent, arrived on the island days before their wedding on July 20. On their first day they could see smoke from their pool, but didn't realise how serious the situation was.

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Smoke rises from blazing wildfires near the couple's original hotel (Emily Martin / SWNS)

Emily said: "One evening, close to midnight, there was thick bits of ash landing on our skin, the floor everywhere. All of a sudden we all got the government alert on our phones and were told to get our passports and leave the hotel as soon as possible.

"I got onto a coach with my husband and we were separated from my family who were staying at the hotel next to us. At around 2.30am we were dropped off in the middle of nowhere at a school and given a mattress and told that’s where we were sleeping that night.

"After hours of worry, panic and trying to call easyJet we met two lovely ladies who explained the emergency accommodation was nothing to do with them and it was set up by locals."

The bride and groom spent the night before their wedding on the floor of a school (Emily Martin / SWNS)

After managing to get some sleep, Emily, Alan and some of their friends who were later relocated to the school decided to try and find a way back to their hotel. Luckily, they found a taxi driver who had navigated the roads and damage and was willing to take them.

The following morning, the day of the wedding, there were still question marks about whether or not it could all go ahead. Emily, though, was assured by her wedding planner they would march on and deliver her special day with all 38 of their guests. Emily added: “It was amazing really we managed to get the wedding done and all our guests and family were with us to celebrate. It's something myself and husband will never forget."

Emily and Alan tied the knot in front of 38 friends and family (Jemma Evans / SWNS)

The couple, who are from Kent, say the fires 'didn't ruin their big day' (Jemma Evans / SWNS)

The blushing bride is now planning on starting a fundraiser to give something back to the island and it's people. She said: "The locals got us food and anything we needed.

"They were unbelievably kind. I’ve not experienced anything like it in circumstances where they weren't sure what was going on. It's their island, they have their families and their own concerns about their safety but they helped us.

“We clubbed together to give them some money but they wouldn't accept it from us. We never ever expect to go through something like this while booking a holiday with a 38-strong wedding party.

“The devastation it’s caused the locals is crazy. There are no words to describe how all of us felt or the emotions we went through. We were scared and had no idea what was going to happen. Our wedding will always be a day to remember and we will never forget the generosity and selflessness shown by the locals."

Bradley Jolly