A woman in the United Kingdom had plans to marry the love of her life, only to find out her now-ex-fiancé had no intention of actually marrying her. He never showed up to the wedding, but she didn't let the heartbreaking experience put a damper on her spirits. The bride carried on with the party, surrounded by her closest family and friends.
Kayley Stead, 27, of Swansea, Wales, said that she knew something was off with her fiancé. She and her partner, Kallum Norton, shared four years together and she knew she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. But she had a feeling that she wasn't going to walk down the aisle and exchange vows with him, the New York Post reported.
“I saw the groom at around 4 p.m. the day before the wedding and I haven’t heard from him since,” Stead told SWNS, a British media group, according to the Post.
The bride continued with her party even though the groom was absent.
Planning a wedding is a stressful process for couples embarking on their new lives together. Typically, thousands of dollars are spent to ensure the bride and groom's day goes as smoothly as possible. Even after she realized she had been jilted, Stead was determined to make the most of the day after spending nearly $12,000 on the wedding.
According to the Post, the event was held at the Oxwich Bay Hotel in Swansea, where the bride shared her special day with several of her bridesmaids, maid of honor, and her beloved family and friends. She upheld the wedding traditions she had planned for by having an entrance, speeches, and taking professional photos.
Stead's bridesmaids, dressed in pastel blue gowns, were also spotted dancing and singing to Lizzo's "Good as Hell." The bride's closest family and friends wanted to ensure she enjoyed her special day, despite the groom's absence.
Stead has spoken publicly about the events leading up to the wedding.
The night before the wedding, Stead recalled staying in an Airbnb with her bridesmaids and maid of honor while Norton and several of his groomsmen stayed in a camping trailer near the venue, per the Post. She also stated that the two made a pact not to speak to each other the evening before the wedding.
But she said she “didn’t know what was happening on his end and didn’t have a clue.” The following morning, Stead, her bridesmaids, and maid of honor, were getting their hair done when a groomsmen told them that Norton had suddenly disappeared.
Stead suggested Norton's family knew he was planning not to marry her and said that “they wanted to make sure he was definitely gone before panicking me."
Norton had a history of disappearing for hours before returning home.
Stead explained to the outlet that her ex would sometimes go for a walk or drive for hours before returning home. While some brides and grooms feel anxious at the thought of getting married, so Stead thought Norton was just overwhelmed with emotions hours before their nuptials. “I honestly believed, hand on heart, that he was going to be there,” Stead recalled.
The former couple started dating in December 2018, and got engaged in August 2020. After being together so long, Stead says she hoped for closure via an explanation from Norton about why he decided to leave her stranded at the altar.
Norton reportedly offered no apology to his ex-fiancée.
“I wish there were [signs this would happen] because then I would have a reason to back up this decision, but there wasn’t,” Stead said on the British talk show This Morning. “To be honest with you, it was really heartbreaking, but I thought, ‘If I start crumbling now …’ No relationship is perfect, but I honestly did think we were each other’s person."
Norton, a rookie cop with Glent police, didn't appear remorseful for his actions during an interview with The Sun. When asked if he was sorry for leaving Stead on their wedding day, he replied, "I don’t want to talk about the article.”
