Woman parties at her wedding reception - although marriage was called off (From Daily Echo)

Chandler's Ford woman parties at her wedding reception - although marriage being called off

9:20am Tuesday 1st January 2013 in News By Emma Streatfield, Senior Reporter

IT was supposed to be her wedding day – but when those plans collapsed she celebrated the new year instead.

Angela Burrow had booked and paid for the venue, so when her wedding plans fell through she decided to hold a party for family and friends.

The 52-year-old, from Chandler’s Ford, had hired the Tylney Hall hotel in Hook and paid for a package costing around £5,000.

She said she did not want the money to go to waste by cancelling so went ahead with a different event.

Instead of her wedding reception she held a ‘new year new beginnings’ party for family and friends yesterday at the venue.

The mother-of-two hosted the event and her guests sat down to a seven-course meal at tables traditionally decorated for a wedding, with place names, orchids and blue bows on the backs of chairs.

Around 40 guests attended, many of whom were decked out in military uniform, including Angela herself as she is a former major in the Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps.

She was wearing their mess uniform of a bright red jacket and long navy dress.

Others dressed in black bow ties and evening dresses.

There were also set to be Scottish pipers at midnight and Angela spent the night in the bridal suite, which she had planned to share with her new husband, with her 21-year-old daughter Heather instead.

Angela, who had been a nurse for 30 years but also served in the Territorial Army in Iraq in 2003, has worked for a number of hospitals in Hampshire, including Southampton General Hospital and as a senior staff nurse at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital.

But she is now looking to start up her own business in events organisation.

She said she planned to party the night away and toast the new year after the wedding was called off. She said it was a party about starting anew.

Angela told the Daily Echo: “Life is too short and you have to live each day as if it’s going to be your last.

“I’m meant to be getting married today, but I want it to be a celebration of newyear and new beginnings. Why not celebrate?

– what I’m celebrating is the new year.

“I’m a glass half full person.

"My motto is everything happens for a reason."