Northampton couple marry with Haribo jelly 'rings' after burglary
- 26 June 2014
- From the section Northampton
A couple tied the knot using jelly sweets as rings after their own wedding jewellery was stolen two days before the ceremony.
Burglars took the rings from Natalie Norris-Lee and husband David's home in Kingsley, Northampton on Friday night.
Mrs Norris-Lee, 39, said they were going to buy cheap replacements but instead opted for Haribo jelly rings.
"We had the Haribo blessed in church but then had to eat our rings as they were melting in the heat," she said.
The couple had left their front door unlocked for their son after going to bed.
'Hit the jackpot'
"We have two massive dogs which sleep in the hallway so I usually felt it was fine," Mrs Norris-Lee said.
Unfortunately the dogs had been put in kennels and the burglars found the couple's rings and other personal items in the kitchen ready to be taken to the wedding venue the next day.
"They must have thought they had hit the jackpot," she said.
"The most mortifying thing was they also took Dave's late mother's jewellery and irreplaceable photographs."
'Vicar was lovely'
Mrs Norris-Lee and her husband, 43, decided against buying cheap wedding bands as temporary replacements.
"We'd spent so much time choosing our wedding rings, it didn't seem right to have some other gold bands blessed," she said.
"I just said to Dave I'd rather use Haribo sweets, so we did."
The jelly rings were blessed at St Laurence's Church, Meriden, where Mr Norris's mother's funeral was held earlier this year.
"The vicar was lovely about it, and happy to bless the sweets, but when they started to melt onto our fingers I had to ask if it was OK to eat them now."
The couple, who run music venue The Roadmender, plan to buy new rings after their honeymoon.
Mrs Norris-Lee said: "We had a theft, married each other using Haribo, the band was late and there was a fire at the hotel, but we were not going to let anything spoil what was a wonderful day."