Start Your Own Wedding Blog Now »

sapphire2009's Green wedding

10/26/2008

Nikki helps her into the car driven by her partner Russell minutes before the wedding ceremony was due to start

Bride Nikki rubs Gina's back, left, as she has contractions

her sister finally realises it's time to go to the hospital

Nikki helps her into the car driven by her partner Russell minutes before the wedding ceremony was due to start

Father and son: Pictures of baby Harley and Russell were sent to the wedding party via mobile phone

Bride Nikki rubs Gina's back, left, as she has contractions

her sister finally realises it's time to go to the hospital

Father and son: Pictures of baby Harley and Russell were sent to the wedding party via mobile phone

Get me to the birth on time:

Pregnant bridesmaid has to leave her sister at the altar

"On her sister Nikki's wedding day, Gina Weeks was determined that nothing would stop her being a bridesmaid.

But an uninvited 7lb 8oz guest had different ideas.

Hours before the ceremony, 22-year-old Gina went into labour. By the time pre-service pictures were being taken, she was having contractions every two minutes and clinging to the bride for support.

Finally, with only five minutes to go before the ceremony at a country house hotel, Nikki scooped up her train in her arms and helped her panting sister down the stairs from the bridal suite, carefully avoiding being seen by her fiance Tim Hewston.

Gina's partner Russell Cox drove her to the maternity hospital 20 minutes away and their son, Harley, was born four hours later - in time for his arrival to be announced by the DJ at the wedding reception.

'Just as the speeches were finishing, our mum got the call to say that Gina had had a healthy baby boy,' said Nikki, 37, a sales executive from Cowes, on the Isle of Wight.

'We all crowded round her mobile phone to see the photos of Harley. He was gorgeous.

'We had been given the best wedding present ever.

'I was wiping tears from my face - I couldn't believe my baby sister had made it to the hotel and had waddled all the way up the stairs just to be by my side for my wedding when she knew she was about to give birth.'

It was a dramatic end to a rollercoaster week for the sisters.

Three days before the wedding their stepfather Jimmy died of lung cancer. Nikki had considered postponing the ceremony but tearfully agreed to his dying wish that she went ahead with the event at the Farringford Hotel in Freshwater.

On the morning of the wedding, shop assistant Gina, an old school friend of the 23-year-old bridegroom, entered the early stages of labour and went to hospital, where she was told that she still had hours to wait.

'Nothing could have stopped me from going to the wedding,' she said.

'I wanted to be there for Nikki - no matter how much pain I was in.'

As the 4.30pm ceremony approached, said Nikki, her sister's contractions were 'coming thick and fast'.

She added: 'She still insisted she was fine, and wanted to pose for photographs. She was grimacing in pain and hung off my arm trying to look her best for the camera.

'My heart swelled that my sister was going through so much just to stand by my side.

'I was rubbing her back to ease the pain, but in the end I called to my mum, "There's no way she can last. She can't stay - we may need an ambulance".'

After the ceremony, the bride and groom had to leave for their honeymoon in Dubai.

But Nikki was sent more pictures of the baby on her phone and the couple's first duty on their return was to visit their new nephew."

What a sweet & touching story! I can't imagine what an emotional roller coaster that must've been for the family- a death, a wedding and a birth, all within 3 days! I have to admit, I'm slightly jealous though... I've never had that kind of a bond with my sister & I never will. :(

(taken from dailymail.co.uk)