A Suffolk teacher and her husband have jump-started married life by holding their wedding on a bungee jump platform and then leaping 40 metres on the same cord.
Ross Basham, 33, and Hannah Phillips, 27, tied the knot in a humanist service on Highland Fling Bungee’s platform at Garry Bridge near Killiecrankie in Perthshire.
They then celebrated their union with a 130ft tandem bungee jump - followed immediately by humanist celebrant Claire Digance, who officiated over the ceremony.
It is thought to be the first wedding of its kind to be conducted in Scotland, with the vows legally witnessed by the company’s jump crew who were wearing traditional highland dress.
The couple held a celebration for 150 guests last weekend at their own music festival in Kelsale, Suffolk, but did not tell people they were heading north for Wednesday’s wedding.
The bride, a primary-school teacher from Kelsale, jumped wearing a wedding dress that was muddied from a tug-of-war game at their celebration in England.
Mrs Basham said: “I wanted a wedding that was legal but also fun, and I didn’t want just to do the registry office type of thing.
“Highland Fling Bungee were the only company I could find in Britain who would do it and we had always wanted to go to Scotland, so we just decided to go for it.
“I was so excited before the jump, not sure if it was because I was marrying Ross or because of the bungee! I think it was both. I was only nervous in case my underwear was on show!
“We didn’t tell any of our friends or family that we were going to do this, but they haven’t been surprised.”
Their unusual wedding was fitting as the pair jumped - individually - from the world’s highest bridge bungee jump at Bloukrans, South Africa, just days after meeting near Cape Town five years ago.
Mr Basham, a model from North London, proposed to Hannah last year at the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.
He jumped in wedding attire of smart jeans, shirt, waistcoat and bow tie.
He said: “When Hannah suggested a bungee wedding, I thought it was a wicked idea. There can’t be many weddings where the celebrant takes the plunge as well!
“We had the family celebration, which was truly wonderful and the best day of our lives, but we wanted to do the legal side on our own and we wanted something fun, somewhere scenic and picturesque.”
Murray Trail, managing director of Highland Fling Bungee, who also wore a kilt, wished the couple the very best for their life together.
He said: “We’ve had someone jump in a wedding dress the day after their wedding but we’ve never had an actual full wedding on the platform.”
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