My £45,000 Greek wedding was ruined when my fiancé almost killed himself with drunken stunt
A groom almost died when he fell down a 100ft cliff in Greece two days before his destination wedding - and was forced to cancel the £45,000 nuptials.
Jake Elliot, 41, was walking back to his hotel in Santorini, Greece, after a meal with his friends when he jumped onto the coastal wall to avoid some passers-by.
The father-of-two lost his footing and tumbled down the 30 metre drop.
He was quickly rushed to Santorini Hospital with a broken back and legs and seven broken ribs, leaving his bride, Robyn Stanley, 39, from Folkestone, Kent terrified she was going to lose Jake.
The senior construction manager's injuries were so severe that he had to be airlifted to the bigger Athens hospital the following day.
Jake had a surgery to drain fluid from his lungs before being flown to the UK in an air ambulance two weeks later.
He then spent a further nine days at William Harvey Hospital, in Kent, before he was allowed to return home.
The couple, who have been together for 18 years, were unable to wed as intended in May 2023, in Santorini - surrounded by the 52 guests who had flown out to attend.
Fortunately, they managed to tie the knot a year - and £60,000 - later in Greece and say it was an 'incredible' and 'emotional' day.
Robyn, a full time content creator, said: 'He was a few feet from getting home [to the hotel].
'There was a small wall and over the wall was a sheer drop. We'd all made jokes about how dangerous we thought it was.
'It's a single path. They were walking back and people were walking towards them.
'He jumped on the wall and slipped off. I didn't think he'd be alive.'
Jake added: 'I remember falling and trying to grab the cliff on the way down.
'I could hear one of my groomsmen shouting Jake. I remember trying to shout back but I couldn't. When I fell it collapsed my lung.
'Once I realised the wedding wasn't going to happen the guilt kicked in.
'I was blessed I hadn't died but I had ruined the wedding.'
Jake and Robyn were in Santorini for their destination wedding with all their family and friends in May 2023.
The couple, whose children Cannon, 11, and Cass, eight, were also in Greece, had spent £45,000 on their big day.
Jake was on his way back to the hotel on May 25, 2023 when he slipped. His friends rushed back to the hotel and told Robyn the news.
She said: 'It was an out of body experience - I just started screaming.'
Jake was taken to Santorini Hospital and Robyn had to wait outside for several hours before she could see him.
She said: 'The police had turned up - I thought he was dead.
'When I saw him he was talking. He'd broken his back and didn't know if he could walk.
'I remember being gutted [that we couldn't get married].'
But when Jake's spleen ruptured he had to be rushed to a hospital in Athens to be treated. He was airlifted on May 26, 2025.
Robyn said: 'When that happened I thought "I don't care about that stupid wedding now - I don't want him to die."'
Robyn was desperate to get Jake home to the UK for treatment but they were waiting for their insurance and he wasn't fit to fly.
Jake had too much fluid on his lungs so doctors in Athens had to operate and put lung drains on him.
He was also treated for a broken left leg, back and broken ribs.
He was in hospital for two weeks before flying home when he was stable on June 11, 2023.
Jake was in William Harvey Hospital in the UK for nine days - where doctors discovered he had also shattered his right ankle.
He had bolts put in and came home to his family on June 20, 2023.
He spent the next year regaining strength - and still has physiotherapy now - but was back to work after three months.
Luckily the couple were able to move their wedding to another date - but had to fork out a further £15,000 for suppliers.
They finally tied the knot just over a year later on June, 5 2024.
Robyn said: 'Me and Jake went back on our own for four days in October.
'We didn't want the first time we went back to be the wedding.
'We put the demons to rest. Our wedding was incredible. It was a journey to get there for sure.'
Jake added: 'Pretty much everyone who came the year before was there. It was very emotional. The day was magical.
'The whole thing gives you a new perspective on life.'
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