A COUPLE whose first date was interrupted by a shooting enjoyed their 'fairy tale' wedding. 

Macarena Vergara, 52, originally from Chile and also a Spanish citizen, tied the knot to Neil Jurd OBE, 54. The pair are both leadership coaches and trainers who live in Kendal.

They met in the Central American nation of Belize way back in 1993 where Neil was deployed as a second lieutenant and Macarena spent her vacations visiting her parents whilst studying economics in Madrid.

"We liked each other immediately," said the lovebirds.

"We met at a restaurant where Macarena was dining with her family one evening and Neil was out with his army colleagues and he 'bravely' stood up to introduce himself to Macarena's parents, and we both ended up with a group of friends on the rooftop of the so-called  'Hard Rock Cafe' in Belize city, where suddenly a shooting began as we were having drinks, and we escaped on the back of the pickup truck of a friend - that was our first date."

They got together again in 2019 after decades of having different lives and building separate families on different continents. They got engaged at the Forest Side in Grasmere in March 2023, having survived the pandemic together in Kendal, and knowing all along that they wanted to be married.

Fairbank Wedding Barn in Staveley was the chosen wedding venue for the celebration on May 18 with 120 people who came from different countries and walks of life.

They said: "The Lakes was such a fairy-tale setting for Macarena's friends who came from abroad and could enjoy the area before and after the wedding - it was a gift to hold the wedding in this landscape.

"The different cultures of our diverse backgrounds, upbringing and lives were apparent, with quite a loud, playful and joyous Latin contingent building bridges with the local crowd, encouraging everyone to dance and celebrate.

"We felt that our wedding, especially as we are an 'older' couple, was a meaningful ritual that brought hope and we can also say healing. When life gets heavier and more complex, an event like our wedding brings fresh air and lightness and also deep meaning, and we all felt carried by that energy. It was a very heartfelt and loving day. 

"Our first dance was a 'merengue' by the famous Dominican singer Juan Luis Guerra - we wanted our first dance to be a joyful communal experience, so as soon as the first notes hit, Macarena's Latin friends joined the dancefloor."

The morning after their wedding they drove their VW T2 campervan to the ferry towards Belfast and toured the northwest of Ireland for a week and came back via Dublin. 

The couple would like to Clare at Fairbank, photographer Tiree Dawson, decorator Emma Jane, florist Sam Clark, Striped Pig, Kelly Nattrass of Wren Cake Design, makeup artist Polly Winder, hair stylist Emma Brennan, harpist Anna Kate Pearson, bagpiper Stephen Bennett, music band The Wurlitzers and all their friends and family.