Portsmouth couple abseil down the Spinnaker Tower and exchange rings with a Haribo on their wedding day

Anthony and Kerrie on their wedding day. Credit: James Anderson at Outside and Instant Photography.

She shrugs and says: ‘It was fantastic.’

Kerrie and Anthony Tew, who met in 2008 in Kuwait while she was on holiday, always wanted an informal ceremony with a party atmosphere, and that’s what they got when they tied the knot at the Spinnaker Tower.

Kerrie, 48, explains: ‘I literally bumped into Anthony at a hotel pool.

Kerrie getting ready to abseil. Credit: James Anderson at Outside and Instant Photography

‘My father was working out there so I went out to see him.

‘Anthony is an ex-Royal Engineer and he worked for the bomb disposal unit for land mine clearance.’

Kerrie, nee Rowland, and Anthony, 41, kept in touch and quickly realised that the feelings they had for each other were so strong they had to follow their hearts.

‘Anthony moved to Portsmouth from Kent in 2008 and we had our little girl, Farah, in 2009.’

Credit: James Anderson at Outside and Instant Photography

The couple have been engaged for more than a decade but wanted their daughter and Kerrie’s sons Jay and Miles to be old enough to enjoy the celebration.

‘We were happy to carry on as we were until they could be part of it,’ added Kerrie, an HR director from Portsmouth.

‘We started planning in 2017 and it took six months. We were very relaxed about everything; we didn’t have a colour scheme or bridesmaids and I didn’t have a bouquet.

‘We went for a more informal approach. We didn’t have a sit down meal but cocktails and canapes instead. The Spinnaker Tower fitted that perfectly.’

The only glitch of the day was that Kerrie’s ring did not turn up in time.

‘We only had Anthony’s ring because mine was late. It still hadn’t arrived in time for the ceremony so we used a Haribo ring.’

She laughs and says: ‘The registrars played along when they said “with this Haribo, you’ll take...”.’

Although they had enquired about abseiling, the weather on their wedding day wasn’t looking good.

She smiles and says: ‘We played it all by ear. It rained all morning and only eased off when we got married.

‘The abseiling team said we could do it and we looked at each other – it was now or never.

‘I was wearing leggings under my dress and converse anyway.

‘We abseiled down and then met our guests afterwards.’

The Rowland-Tews partied the day away, cocktails in hand, with their 50 guests before honeymooning in southern Turkey.