Thrill-seeking couple swap Las Vegas for Skegness with rollercoaster wedding

Leanne Smith and Lee Churchill tied the knot at their favourite theme park after Covid scuppered their Vegas wedding plans

When the coronavirus lockdown put a stop to a string of events and weddings, it forced couples to rethink how and where they could get married. It has since sparked a resurgence of themed weddings with newlyweds getting creative, from a Peperami-based celebration in Preston earlier this summer, and now a rollercoaster wedding at the seaside in September.

Adrenaline junkies Leanne Smith, 33, and Lee Churchill, 39, both from Derby, swapped Las Vegas for Skegness in tying the knot at a Lincolnshire theme park this week. The bride and groom enjoyed the ride of their lives as they committed their vows to each other at Fantasy Island on Tuesday before immediately heading down a rollercoaster.

The couple, who intended to originally get married in Las Vegas before Covid changed their plans for their special day, decided to swap the City of Sin for its English namesake of ‘Skeg-Vegas’, choosing their favourite theme park as the place to host their white wedding.

After their plans had to change, the pair reached out to the team behind Fantasy Island to see whether the theme park would be willing to host their dream day, and of course the answer was a big yes.

As loved ones ventured into the theme park’s indoor attraction area, The Pyramid, they were met with a wedding scene like no other, as decorations adorned the venue in keeping with the island adventure theme.

Following the ceremony, the couple enjoyed their first ride as a married couple, sharing their first thrills on The Millennium – a 150ft high and 55mph rollercoaster.

After enjoying a reception in the Explorer Bar, guests were then treated to a wedding meal befitting the location, tucking into the classic seaside dish of Fish and Chips supplied by local chip shop, Mrs. M’s.

Of their special day, bride Leanne, said: “We are so happy to be able to enjoy the happiest day of our lives here at Fantasy Island.

“The theme park is our favourite place, we come all the time! Being married here is something we only dreamed of; we didn’t know it could be possible.

“We weren’t sure whether they’d let us as we know it’s quite unconventional, however, we saw a post on Facebook asking if getting married here was something anyone had thought of – I emailed straight away. I was over the moon when I got a reply.

She added: “We’re thrill seekers at heart.

“Whenever we visit, we’re straight on the rides. Toucan Tours is my favourite, whereas Lee prefers The Millennium. We can’t wait to come back to Fantasy Island as a married couple and remember what an amazing wedding day we had here.”

Guests had free rein of the rollercoasters, including The Balloons, Dragon Mountain, Seaquarium, Toucan Tours, new indoor rides Harrington Flint’s Island Adventures and The Guardian, and could even take part in a spot of mini-golf at the attraction’s Lava Creek Adventure Golf.

Paige Harris, head of marketing at Fantasy Island, added: “It was a true honour to host Lee and Leanne at Fantasy Island for their special day. We know how much they love visiting the theme park, so it was amazing to be able to share their wedding day with them.

“Lee and Leanne are real thrill-seekers, so it felt rather fitting that they tied the knot here of all places. We wish the wedding couple a lifetime of happiness together and we cannot wait to see them onsite once again, this time as a married couple!”

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