A frantic bride, who booked a £40,000 dream wedding on a Greek island, faces the prospect of it being cancelled after officials banned all foreign marriage’s because of one British couple’s sex act photo.
Suzanne Sparkles, 33, from Chorley in Lancashire, planned to get married to fiance Steve Arnold, 38, at St Paul’s chapel in Rhodes next May.
The couple, who have been together for three-and-a-half years, booked their big day on the Greek Isle two years ago.
But their dreams have been shattered after British couple Matthew and Carly Lunn’s photo, appearing to perform a sex act at the sacred Greek monestary, went viral – sparking a ban on all foreign marriages on the island.
And travel firm regional sales manager, Miss Sparkles, slammed the Lunns after being told her wedding may have to be called off.
Suzanne Sparkles, 33, from Chorley in Lancashire, planned to get married to fiance Steve Arnold, 38, at St Paul’s chapel in Rhodes next May
The couple, who have been together for three-and-a-half years, booked their big day on the Greek Isle two years ago. Pictured is the chapel of St Paul
But their dreams have been shattered after British couple Matthew and Carly Lunn’s photo, appearing to perform a sex act at the sacred Greek monestary, went viral – sparking a ban on all foreign marriages on the island
The mother-of-two told MailOnline: ‘I’m absolutely devastated that these idiots have spoilt my dream wedding. We have 52 guests coming from the UK for it and have booked to stay for a week.
‘We have spent around £40,000 on this wedding. It was booked two years ago, when we got engaged two-and-a-half years ago.
‘We were originally thinking of getting married in Cyprus but then when I saw the chapel I knew I wanted it there. I’ve been to Rhodes a few times so I know how nice it is there.’
The mayor of Rhodes is due to make a final decision on the ban in the next couple of weeks.
And Miss Sparkles said she and her guests are anxiously waiting for the ban to be overturned and pleaded with the authorities to not tar everyone with the same brush.
She added: ‘Our wedding planner has told us that the mayor is going to make a final decision in seven to 10 days.
The mother-of-two told MailOnline: ‘I’m absolutely devastated that these idiots have spoilt my dream wedding’
‘It’s such an anxious wait for us because I don’t want to have to get married on a beach. We can’t change the location because we have spent so much money on it already.
‘I just recently picked my dress for the occasion and that cost £2,000.
‘My message to the mayor would be that the British are not all like this couple.
‘We want to come for a quaint and quiet celebration with our friends and family.
‘I can’t believe what the couple did.
‘I hope that he can see that we are not all like that.’
Suzanne Sparkles and fiance Steve Arnold who face having their wedding in Rhodes cancelled due to the ban
Matthew, 27, and 34-year-old Carly, from Birmingham, said they posed for the cheeky snap to show their unique sense of humour.
Near the harbour, the bride kneeled in front of her new husband and appeared to perform a sex act on him in her wedding dress, while he had his trousers and boxers down to his ankles – punching the air.
The picture, which was taken by one of Matthew’s family members, was posted on Facebook and immediately went viral.
But the island’s top bishop, Kyrillos of Rhodes, has decided to ban all foreign weddings at the monastery of St Paul – forcing hundreds of British couples to cancel their dream days.
Gas engineer Daniel Gaynor, 32, and his partner vet nurse, Mandy Jackson, 30, from Rotherham also hit out at the Lunns for ruining their wedding plans in Rhodes.
Mr Gaynor told MailOnline: ‘Me and my fiancée are affected by these two low lives.
‘We have been planning our wedding for two-and-a-half years.
‘We are due to get married at St Paul’s bay in August 2018 but that won’t be happening now.
‘My partner was in tears all last night all because of this stupid immature disrespectful couple.
‘It doesn’t matter to them they have had their wedding, but for many couples like us our dream wedding that we have been saving years and planning years has been ruined.
‘I will be going to see a solicitor to see if any action can be taken against them. They are scum.’
Gas engineer Daniel Gaynor (left), 32, and his partner vet nurse, Mandy Jackson (right), 30, from Rotherham also hit out at the Lunns for ruining their wedding plans in Rhodes
Account manager Natalie Farrell, 32, from Coventry is also due to get married to Paul Veasey, at St Paul’s in Rhodes.
She added: ‘Altogether the wedding going to cost around £10,000. I’ve given in to the fact that the ban is going to remain in place.
‘I am trying to get my wedding planner to sort out another venue.
‘When I first saw the picture I just thought it was so trashy and disrespectful – especially in a Catholic country.’
Matthew Lunn, 27, and his wife Carly, 34, from Birmingham, got married in one of the holiest sites in Greece, on the island of Rhodes
Following their wedding on September 25, Carly said they had always planned to do the photo
Giorgos Eleftheriou, president of the local Lindos community in Rhodes, told The Times: ‘We are Greek and we cherish our traditions and the sanctity of our religious sites. We cannot allow this disgusting behaviour to prevail.’
‘I have hundreds of soon-to-be brides from Britain and all over the world calling me today in tears because of this decision.
‘Shame on those two for the damage they have done. Would they have done the same in their homeland; in front of a British chapel, a Jewish temple, a Muslim mosque? They would have been beheaded by Muslims!’
The island’s top bishop, Kyrillos of Rhodes, has decided to ban all foreign weddings at the monastery of St Paul – forcing hundreds of British couples to cancel their dream days
Following their wedding on September 25, Carly said they had always planned to do the photo.
After it went it viral, she said: ‘It was something we said we’d do for a joke.
‘We expected a lot of laughs and jokes from people but didn’t expect it to be as popular as it was.
‘People back in England were commenting on it, the whole thing went mad.’
Have you been affected by the ban? Email iain.burns@mailonline.co.uk