I'm UK's most desperate bride-to-be – I have planned my wedding, have a £2K dress but there's one thing missing…a groom
TAKING a sip of prosecco Theresa Mahon listens intently as her date chats about his love of football and music.
As with all first dates Ads, 30, has plenty of questions for Theresa too, including the inevitable 'tell me a fun fact about yourself.'
Advertisement
8
Theresa Mahon has planned her whole wedding despite not having a groom
Credit: David Cummings - The Sun
8
She has spent £2,000 on a dress but says it isn't bonkers it's organised
Credit: Supplied
8
When she met toyboy partner Ads, 15 years her junior, he wasn't deterred by her organisation
Credit: Supplied
Theresa, 45, takes a deep breath and prepares to share the secret that sends most men running for the hills.
'I told my new man he was my first date in 13 years,' she says.
'I then dropped a bigger bombshell.
'I had already planned our wedding including everything from the castle venue, the purple colour scheme and his suit.
Advertisement
Read More on Real Lives
'I've even spent £2k on the
Sitting in silence, Theresa waited for her date to make his excuses, but she was in for a surprise.
'Despite being 15 years younger than me, my
'He looked a little shocked but took it all in his stride.
Advertisement
Most read in Fabulous
'He did splutter a bit when I also revealed I'd already bought my wedding lingerie, but I was more shocked than he was.
'I'd met a man who appreciates that I'm not crazy, I'm just well organised.'
'This is gorgeous', says fashion fan over gorgeous new €35 matching co-ord set perfect for weddings
Events supervisor Theresa, 45, lives in
'I don't think it weird to have planned my wedding without a man,' she says.
Advertisement
'It is a big job, so being prepared and planning everything down to the wedding dance and reception menu is just plain sensible.'
Despite having planned her entire wedding day, until nine months ago Theresa was single — and had not dated for 13 years.
But seven years ago Theresa decided to take the plunge - not to accept a wedding proposal or a date - but to buy her dream wedding gown.
Theresa says: 'I've been trying on wedding dresses since I was 19.
Advertisement
'For me, a day out shopping was never complete without visiting a bridal shop and trying on the latest dresses.
'Standing on the pedestal with a shop assistant helping me into the latest on trend wedding dress was an amazing high that was better than sex.'
8
Theresa has been trying on wedding dresses since she was 19
Credit: David Cummings-The Sun
8
She keeps a scrapbook filled with her future plans including bridesmaid dresses and groomsmen suits
Credit: THE SUN
Advertisement
8
She hopes to arrive at her wedding in a horse-drawn fairytale carriage
Credit: supplied
In 2019 Theresa was out shopping and spotted her dream dress.
'It was a strapless dress with a crystal bodice and a huge skirt, like Cinderella.,' she says.
'When I put it on and twirled, I knew it was 'the dress'... I loved the feel of fabric and how special it made me feel.
Advertisement
'I told the assistant I didn't yet have a groom, she was shocked but I was not ashamed.'
Theresa paid £1,000 for her dream dress and another £120 on a veil. To complete the look, In January 2019 she ordered crystal-encrusted shoes from America for £250.
Since then, she's bought wedding lingerie and a special wedding bag taking her total spend to £2000.
'I've been saving for my wedding for a year and used credit cards to pay for the dress, so I was £700 in debt but have now paid that off,' she says.
Advertisement
'Every time I open my wardrobe and see the white dress I'll get married in, I get a flash of excitement,' she says.
'I'm convinced it won't be long till I will be walking down the aisle.'
Growing up Thersa admits as a child she loved to dress up in big white bedsheets and pretend she was Cinderella.
At school, Theresa had boyfriends, then when she began work at her local Tesco aged 19 she fell in love for the first time.
Advertisement
She says: 'I met Greg* and we fell for each other.
'We had been dating for a year when I was pregnant. I thought Greg would then propose — but instead he left me.'
I became 'married to the plan' not married to the man until I could find a fella who understood me
Theresa Mahon
Theresa brought up their son now 24, as a single mum, crushed that her dream of becoming a bride hadN'T been realised.
When she was 22, she then began dating Tom*, 38. The couple went on to have two boys, aged 18 and 14.
Advertisement
She says: 'He knew I wanted a big wedding; I talked about it non-stop, but he didn't want to rush into it.
'It caused arguments, and we ended up breaking up after six years in December 2010.'
Since then, Theresa admits she's been trying to find a real man, mature enough to settle down.
She says: 'I was so angry with my past two men for leaving me, I decided I wasn't going to wait any more and I would just go ahead and plan my wedding.'
Advertisement
'I became 'married to the plan' not married to the man until I could find a fella who understood me and wasn't scared of commitment.'
While Theresa's approach might seem unusual she is not alone.
A Interflora survey found six in ten or 60% single women have already planned aspects of their wedding – including choosing the dress they will wear and the flowers they will carry on their big day.
The study found millions of women – who are still looking for Mr Right – have researched elements such as churches, flowers, reception venues, bridesmaid's dresses and the car which will take them to the church.
Advertisement
The rise of social media has only encouraged the trend of single women being married to the plan.
According to Mashable and
Wedding site Zola includes a section specifically for people not yet proposed to so they can start browsing and creating plans without being engaged.
Other sites like
Advertisement
Theresa says: 'I know I am addicted to weddings, but I know other women secretly share my obsession.
'I have Pinterest boards but for me scrapbooks offer a real keepsake of my love of weddings and commitment to my big day.
'I started small, filling scrapbooks with fabric swatches, dress designs and sample menus. I upgraded to a spreadsheet to record lists and budgets.
'I couldn't s
top. I sometimes spend
up to four hours a day doing various things for my wedding day.'
Advertisement
It isn't just the dress that Theresa has settled on, but the venue too.
'I knew I needed to know my venue. I spent hours scouring the internet for venues that looked like Cinderella's castle,' she says.
'That's when I found Lough Eske Castle, near Donegal. I booked a tour in May 2016 and fell in love with it.
Wedding Guest Outfit Etiquette
If you're struggling to decided on a dress to see you through wedding season, here's a few rules on what not to wear so you don't get in trouble.
Folklore says that wearing red at a wedding means you slept with the groom.
Casual attire like jeans and flip flops should always be avoided.
Any colour that could be picked up as white or cream - even if it's not.
Most would agree that your cleavage needs to be covered.
Wearing white is a massive no-no if you're not the bride.
'I have chosen the wedding package I want and even had meetings with the castle's staff about my plans. I go there every few months.
Advertisement
'Then I started viewing glass carriages for transport and found a horse-drawn one I'm going to book.'
Theresa's wedding colours are white-and-purple theme, and she has started shopping for bridesmaids' dresses.
'I found one I loved, so I bought one and took it to a seamstress who is going to make more of them when I set a date,' she says.
'I've planned white tulips, and carnations with a single pink rose in the centre for the bouquets and have bought lots of purple ribbon to tie around the chairs.'
Advertisement
The mum of three also has a menu planned and says its top notch.
'It includes carrot and coriander soup to start, turkey and roasted veg for the main course and profiteroles for dessert,' she says.
Extreme planner Theres has picked out the first song -A Thousand Years, the lullaby by Christina Perri which features in Twilight.
'And yes, I have planned the honeymoon - it will be in Disneyland,' admits the Cinderella obsessed bride.
Advertisement
"I will always listen to my grooms input. He will get a chance to change something as long as he makes a good argument for it."
The budget so far is £25,000 but with the cost of living Theresa admits it will have to go up.
She also hopes her eventual groom will contribute towards the total.
Theresa has even got her wedding party on board.
Advertisement
I won't tempt fate, but he may be a keeper
Theresa Mahon
In 2016 Theresea picked her three bridesmaids, all good friends, so they could help her plan.
'At first, they were shocked, thinking I'd found a secret fiance, but when I said I didn't have one they just rolled their eyes but agreed,' Theresa says.
Theresa's mum and dad were not convinced, however.
'My parents are less supportive,' she admits.
Advertisement
'They worry I'll miss a potential husband because I'm too busy planning a wedding. They think I'll scare men off.'
However, a year ago, Theresa's 'dating intuition' paid off when Ads, 30 who she met at an events conference, asked her out.
'I'm 45 and he's 15 years younger than me. He became a great friend, and we'd always have a laugh,' she says.
'Then in October last year he asked me out for a coffee at a local cafe.
Advertisement
'After 13 years of not dating it was terrifying. I thought I'd come off as a cougar.
'But we clicked and have been dating ever since. He's even talking about taking me to meet his parents overseas.
'He didn't laugh at my extreme wedding planning, his take is refreshing, and I won't tempt fate, but he may be a keeper.'
8
Theresa hopes that Ads might be the one to finally pop the question
Credit: Supplied
Advertisement
8
Before meeting Ads Theresa took a 13 year break from dating
Credit: supplied
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Tommy Fury spotted on ‘wild night out' after getting back with Molly Mae following booze battle
TOMMY Fury was spotted on a wild night out this week, without Molly Mae. The boxer, who recently reunited with his partner 5 Tommy Fury was spotted on a night out with pal until the early hours Credit: Getty 5 Molly has previously spoken about how much she dislikes Tommy going out Credit: mancpicss66 5 Molly and Tommy were seen out with Bambi yesterday Credit: mancpicss66/Aaron Parfitt They later headed over to The Symposium night club and danced until 2am, where according to The club is well known in the area and is owned by Hollyoaks hunk Ashley Taylor Dawson, who plays Darren Osborne on the show. Mum-of-one Molly shocked fans last year when she announced her split from Tommy. Read More on Tommy Fury He was later accused of cheating on her with a 'blonde stranger' on a lads' holiday to Macedonia - something Tommy has repeatedly denied. The former Love Island star admitted yesterday that alcohol and partying was behind his split from the star, saying: 'We broke up because I had a problem with alcohol and I couldn't be the partner that I wanted to be anymore. "It kills me to say it, but I couldn't. I loved a pint of beer, loved to drink.' She later Most read in Celebrity In heartbreaking scenes in her warts-and-all Prime Video documentary, she said: 'At my sister's wedding I literally begged him, I pleaded with him to not drink. Molly Mae admits she 'begged and pleaded' with Tommy Fury not to drink at her sister's wedding "And … it's just really sad … I don't know why I'm crying now. It's just so sad. It just affected me.' She added: 'He wanted to have a family life but also have the life of a 25 year old boy with no responsibilities and the two don't go hand in hand. 'He's never had an alcohol problem, it's just that alcohol caused problems for us. "It got to a point where I wasn't really looking forward to anything because alcohol affected it so much.' However the pair managed to work past their problems and have since reconciled. They were spotted yesterday looking happier than ever on a family day out. Molly's rep declined to comment. Tommy's rep has been contacted. 5 Molly broke down in tears on her documentary about Tommy's boozing 5 Tommy was seen chatting to brother Roman's girlfriend Credit: Getty Timeline of Molly-Mae and Tommy Fury's split After five years together, Molly-Mae and Tommy Fury split up in August 2024. At around 4pm on Wednesday, August 14, Molly-Mae and Tommy suffer an explosive showdown and An hour later Tommy shares a The real reason they split emerges and on Thursday, August 15 On Saturday , August 17, The Sun reveals how Exactly one week after the split a Danish woman accused of getting close to Tommy speaks to The Sun. On Wednesday, August 21, she
The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Noisy sex sparks 100 complaints from miffed neighbours – and one randy town had the most culprits
NOISY nookie next door sparked at least 100 complaints from neighbours in a year. Loud love-making with moaning, groaning, headboard banging and squeaky bedsprings stopped others getting a good night's kip. Advertisement And in some cases, council officials gave those complaining noise diaries or recording equipment to monitor sound levels. Randy Rotherham had the highest number of recorded complaints about the racket made during romps, with 15. One irate caller in Islington, North London, told the council the neighbours 'were making sex noises through the night and the bed was making creaking and banging noises as well'. A resident blamed for a sexual din in Bradford was sent a council warning letter. Advertisement READ MORE ON NOISE COMPLAINTS When that did not work, a council worker planted a recording device in the home of the neighbour who had complained. A noise officer then listened to the recording, and deemed the racket 'unreasonable'. A resident of Telford, Shrops, complained the neighbours' headboard kept banging against the wall. And in Kingston, South West London, a local said the couple next door were 'having the loudest sex imaginable'. Advertisement Most read in The Sun The survey of councils under Freedom of Information rules found 30 recorded 98 such complaints. But the true total will be much higher as the majority could not give a number. Culprits could be fined £110 or even face court action. This Morning's Holly and Phil in shock as they listen to noisy sex session of couple slammed by their neighbours 1 Noisy nookie next door sparked at least 100 complaints from neighbours in a year Credit: Getty
The Irish Sun
3 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
I had 14 miscarriages before finding a couple who promised to change my life, but it fell apart after my baby was born
A WOMAN has bravely shared how her dream of becoming a mother after losing 14 babies was brutally snatched away. Kirby Hood, 36, said she was blindsided when the woman she trusted to be her Advertisement 2 Kirby Hood, 36, has bravely opened up about her heartbreak after a surrogate couple turned her life upside down Credit: INSTAGRAM/diary_of_kirby 2 The photographer had battled infertility for more than a decade, enduring 14 miscarriages Credit: INSTAGRAM/diary_of_kirby Kirby, a photographer from Queensland, Australia, had battled ''I trusted her, and she kept my baby after leading me on for nine months believing that the baby would be coming home with me,'' the devastated 36-year-old told ''My baby was born in February and I'm only just coming up for air. ''I have everything in writing - the card she gave me offering to be my surrogate, the paperwork from the lawyers, and all the texts.'' Advertisement read more on parenting Kirby attended doctors' appointments regarding the pregnancy, and viewed Excited for the new chapter ahead, she threw a The birth mother even attended the gender reveal party and met all of Kirby's close friends and family who ''wanted to touch her Kirby, a newborn photographer, first met the surrogate, who lived in her local area, in 2019. Advertisement Most read in Fabulous She was told that this would be the surrogate's "third and final child". In September 2021, the woman rebooked for some family photos, and in 2022 Kirby was booked again as the woman was entering her first surrogacy journey, and Kirby was hired as her photographer to capture the special moment. Katie Price reveals she's secured LOOKALIKE egg donors and American sperm donor in bid to have baby number six The Gold Coast photographer said that having witnessed the woman faithfully fulfil her surrogate role for someone else, she trusted her to do the same again. Meanwhile, Kirby continued with her own quest to become a mother and underwent an embryo transfer. Advertisement Unfortunately, after meeting a family through an IVF group, she suffered a Uber Eats order that changed everything ''During the early days of my loss I made an Uber Eats order and the surrogate's sister was the Uber Eats driver. ''She said to her sister, 'Hey it's Kirby, your photographer friend - jump in the car and come for a run to drop this order off'.'' After opening the door, Kirby met the birth mum who had a package with chocolates, magazines, flowers and a card - and they hugged, as Kirby burst into tears. Advertisement The card said: "When the time comes, you know I'm good for it. Love to be your surrogate.'' The two kept in touch about a potential surrogacy, but Kirby eventually came to the conclusion that she did not want to risk more potential heartbreak. However, a call out of the blue changed everything. Whilst at work, the photographer received a Facetime call from the surrogate - who announced she was having a baby. Advertisement Confused, Kirby asked if the woman had transferred eggs without her knowing. She explained she had accidentally fallen ''At first I was cautious - how does this work? How does this happen? I'm pretty sure you can't just cook a baby for someone and just hand it over. ''Aren't there laws? I only knew of the laws of surrogacy [not adoption].'' Advertisement In a state of shock, Kirby handed the phone to her mum who was at the photography studio at the time. ''Mum said: 'What does this mean?', and the surrogate said: 'It means Kirby is going to be a mama,' and I just bawled.'' What is surrogacy? Surrogacy is the name given for a type of pregnancy where a woman carries and gives birth to another person's baby. The surrogate mother is then expected to give up the baby at birth, so it can be raised by the couple who originally wanted the baby. Surrogacy is often an option for those unable to have children themselves, or for same sex couples. According to surrogacy charity Traditional surrogacy: When the surrogate uses her own egg fertilised with the intended father's sperm. Gestational surrogacy: The surrogate carries the intended parent's genetic child conceived through How are surrogate babies conceived? In traditional surrogacy procedures, the egg is artificially inseminated using a syringe. Gestational surrogacy is carried out through IVF. During this in vitro fertilisation process, the egg is removed from the woman's ovaries and fertilised with sperm in a laboratory. The embryo is then planted in the surrogate's womb to grow and develop. This procedure must be carried out by specialist doctors and the biological mother is required to still have working ovaries. The birth mother showed Kirby the living children on Facebook that she still followed and the families that were successful from her donations. However, given the situation had changed from a standard surrogacy to an agreement to hand over a baby that was both conceived and carried by the birthing mother, Kirby sought legal advice. Advertisement Here, she was told that if the parents didn't want to keep the baby, the newborn had to go to foster care and would be assessed a fair order and placed with a registered family. Kirby then contacted the woman to pass on that disappointing news - but she already had an alternative plan. ''She told me that was rubbish and that I can be on the As part of that, you can legally name [the baby] before birth so it's in the paperwork. Advertisement Kirby decided to name her daughter-to-be Xanthe and the pair agreed she was going to be at the birth. Left all alone Then came another shock. Throughout the long process of trying to become a mum, Kirby's husband had been by her side, but just when it appeared imminent, he suddenly moved out. Up until then, he had been to the scans and even had the ultrasound photo made into a keyring he carried around. Advertisement But he walked out the weekend after Father's Day. ''I have lost 14 babies and it was too much for him. ''He told me two IVF rounds before that he was done, but I didn't want to listen, I just wanted one more chance to try.'' Heartbroken Kirby called the surrogate and her partner to tell them her husband had left, but they said they had no issues with her being a Advertisement Needing to generate enough money as a sole income earner to be able to support herself and a baby, Kirby threw herself into work. Things felt off Kirby Hood 36 However, after she missed one of the scans as a birth shoot took 10 hours and overlapped with the appointment, the birth mother sent her a text questioning Kirby's priorities. Although she was feeling ''there were red flags'', Kirby ''didn't want to believe anything may be wrong''. A few weeks prior to the birth, Kirby was asked to meet the couple in a nearby park, where they told her that they no longer wanted her at the birth, explaining it was for minor medical reasons. Advertisement It was at this point that she started to have serious doubts, wondering whether the couple had had a change of heart about handing the daughter over. On the birth day, she received a message that told her the baby had arrived, and she drove to the hospital - although, totally unsure what to expect when she got there. ''Things felt off, and I knew it wasn't happening,'' she admitted. Kirby asked for a social worker to be present, but was instead asked to leave. Advertisement As if she ''was a danger'', the hospital went into lockdown and Kirby left before bawling in her car. Two days later, the birth mother called Kirby to notify her that Child Services were involved now and there's nothing she could do about it. Kirby spent long hours contacting authorities, trying to track the baby down so she could be considered as a legal parent. But it wasn't until weeks later that she found out the couple had not given the child up - and had instead made the decision to keep the little girl after all. Advertisement ''Someone sent me a screenshot of the surrogate's Facebook where she had announced the birth of her little girl. ''I wasn't angry, just hurt. If they changed their minds, why didn't they just tell me? ''Of course, I would have been upset, but I would have understood. I know how hard it is to lose a baby. I would have understood.'' Kirby has not heard from the couple since March, and they have refused her requests that they refund the thousands of dollars she had forked out on medical costs and baby equipment. Advertisement They said they they will her in court, Kirby told the publication. ''But I want people to know about it, about what happened and for legislation to be changed. ''I just don't want anyone else to ever feel like this.''
