Nicola Snowden-Hermitage’s wedding dress was soiled by her young son
A bride’s big day was hit by disaster when her young son soiled her wedding dress when she rushed him to the toilet seconds before she was due to walk down the aisle.
Nicola Snowden-Hermitage’s five-year-old son Mason, who has Down’s Syndrome, desperately needed the toilet just as the music was being queued up for her to enter the venue.
Thinking he just needed to urinate, Mrs Snowden-Hermitage, 36, popped outside the venue and pulled down her son’s trousers so he could relieve himself.
However, things went wrong and he left a large, brown stain on the front of her white dress.
Despite the offensive mark, the mother-of-one says it was still the happiest day of her life.
Mrs Snowden-Hermitage, from Cambridge, explained: ‘When I saw that Mason has pooed on my dress, my heart sank and I just stared at it in horror.
‘Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that something like that would happen on my wedding day!’
Nicola met her now husband Michael Hermitage, 45, a lorry driver, on dating site Plenty of Fish in 2014.
The couple got engaged in November 2015 and Nicola spent over a year and a half planning their big day.
Nicola, who works in accounts, said: ‘I felt like the world’s most organised bride.
Nicola Snowden-Hermitage, 36, with her five-year-old boy, Mason, and husband, Michael Hermitage, 45
Thinking Mason wanted a wee, Nicola, popped outside the wedding ceremony and whipped down her son’s trousers so he could relieve himself, but he instead left a brown stain on her gown
‘I tried on over 20 dresses before I decided on my dream satin gown.
‘I was instantly in love with it and knew it was what I wanted to be married in – even though it was over my budget!
‘Walking towards our barn venue on the perfect summer’s day, I felt like a million dollars.’
The bride planned for her father, 63-year-old Philip Snowden, to walk her down the aisle along with her son Mason, from a previous relationship.
She said: ‘As the music was about to play I took a deep breath and was about to take my first steps when Mason suddenly tugged at my arm, telling me he needed a wee.
‘I quickly pulled my dress up between my legs and lifted Mason up to take him to wee outside of the barn – away from guests’ eyes.
‘I thought he was done when he suddenly said, ‘mummy bum bum’.
‘My heart sank as my dress fell to the floor and I saw him poo on my beautiful gown!’
Mortified, Nicola rushed back to her waiting dad to tell him the bad news, and a staff member from the venue offered her a tissue.
The bride and groom have confetti thrown over them as they exit (left) and pictured by a marquee once she had changed, right)
Nicola met her now-husband, Michael, a lorry driver, on dating website Plenty of Fish in 2014
She says: ‘My dress was satin so a tissue was no use.
‘I quickly got my dad to fetch my mum from her seat to watch Mason whilst I hurried off to our room to use some baby wipes.’
Nicola’s mother, 64-year-old Yvonne Snowden, tried to calm her down.
Nicola said: ‘My dad saw the panic on my face and told me not to cry so I didn’t ruin my makeup.
‘As mum watched Mason for me, I rushed back to our room and frantically found a packet of baby wipes.
‘I scrubbed at the stain for 20 minutes.
‘I used dozens of wipes but you could still see the brow stain.’
Not wanting to be late for the ceremony, Nicola hurried back to the venue.
She said: ‘It was such a hot day and I began smelling the poo on my dress.
Despite the offensive stain, the mother-of-one says it was still the happiest day of her life
‘But when I saw Mason waiting to walk me down the aisle, I instantly stopped caring about the stain.
‘I grabbed his hand and me, him and dad began walking down to Michael.
‘It turns out that when Michael saw the commotion, he thought I had cold feet and was doing a runner.
‘He’d panicked but was reassured to hear what had actually happened – and a little surprised!
‘As I reached Michael at the end of the aisle, I had begun to see the funny side as I whispered to him, ‘I’ve got poo on me!’
‘He said, ‘I know, but you still look beautiful.’
Michael and Nicola exchanged vows and joked about her dress with their guests.
Nicola said: ‘We all had such a great laugh about it all.
‘I was so glad to be marrying such an amazing man and father to my son that a little poo didn’t bother me in the end.
‘Luckily my photographer managed to Photoshop the stain out of all of our wedding snaps.
‘I was so relieved, I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to have them on display in my home if you could see the big brown stain.
‘But now we can enjoy them all and the fun, happy memories of our special day.
‘Every time Mason sees pictures of our wedding he shouts ‘mummy pooed!’
‘I may have had poo on me but our wedding was the happiest day of my life.
‘Turns out it’s lucky to have something old, something new, something borrowed and something poo.’