My £45k Greek wedding was ruined when my husband did the most silly thing on night out – I didn't think he would survive
GIGGLING with her bridesmaids two days before her wedding, Robyn Stanley's head whipped round as she heard her fiancé's groomsmen arriving back at the hotel from their meal and drinks.
But when the 39-year-old saw their grave faces she realised something was seriously wrong.
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And when Robyn was told her husband-to-be, Jake Elliot, 41, had slipped and fallen down a 100ft cliff in the pitch black she let out a scream.
The couple had spent £45k on their dream Santorini wedding - and now Robyn didn't even know if her groom was alive.
Robyn a full time content creator, from Folkestone, Kent, said: "It was an out of body experience - I just started screaming.
"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 had only had a couple of drinks after an evening out with his groomsmen when he leaped onto the wall to avoid some passers-by on May 25, 2023.
The senior construction manager, said: "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."
Jake was taken to Santorini Hospital and Robyn was left waiting outside for several hours to 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].
"It was the silliest thing to happen before our wedding day."
Initially the couple still hoped they could go ahead with their day - even if Jake had to come down the aisle in a wheelchair - as 52 guests had flown out to celebrate with them.
But when the hospital told them there was no way he was leaving as Jake's spleen had ruptured they knew they had to cancel their do.
Robyn said: "When that happened I thought 'I don't care about that stupid wedding now - I don't want him to die'."
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While her partner of 18 years fought for his life Robyn had to tearily tell the venue what had happened and was relieved when they told her she could postpone the wedding to another date.
Their family and friends flew back to the UK - taking their children Cannon, 11, and Cass, eight - with them.
'BLESSED'
Jake said: "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."
Robyn stayed with Jake, going with him when he was flown to Athens hospital on May 26, 2023.
There he had an operation to put lung drains on him as he had too much fluid on his lungs.
He was also treated for a broken left leg, back and broken ribs.
Robyn was desperate to get Jake back to the UK but they had to wait for their insurance and for him to be fit to fly.
Finally after two weeks in hospital he was able to fly home when he was stable on June 11.
Jake was in William Harvey Hospital in Ashford, Kent, 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.
'DEMONS TO REST'
He spent the next year regaining strength - and still has physiotherapy now - but was back to work after three months.
In October that year, the couple flew back out to where it all happened.
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."
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Luckily the couple were able to move the date of their wedding to June, 5 2024 but had to fork out a further £15k for venders.
Most of their family and friends were able to fly out again to join them so they could finally see the couple wed.
Robyn said: "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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