Wanting to say ‘I do’ on the Rock

A member of the RAF who grew up in Gibraltar as part of a Naval family stationed on the Rock could see his dream wedding collapse as a result of the recent folding of Monarch airlines.

Jaydon Smith and his fiancé Zoe Dixon are due to marry on the Rock in front of family members next April, but the cancellation of their flights now means some family members may not be able to see the couple say ‘I do’.

“My partner is in the RAF and grew up in Gibraltar (his Dad’s navy) which is why we knew it was the perfect place to get married but we knew it wouldn't be easy to make work from the start, but now it feels almost impossible and we are just trying everything to make it work,” said Ms Dixon.

Last month they spent £500 on flights for Ms Dixon’s immediate family members and because they paid for them using a debit card, they fear they will not be refunded.

Together for four years, both 22, they have a daughter one-year-old Freya Rose, her flight was booked with a different airline and is not affected.

“It’s been a really difficult time for us, I’m devastated as we saved for those flights so my family who can't afford anything really other than their passports can go,” said Ms Dixon.

“We already have paid £740 for their accommodation which altogether is about half our budget just for our ceremony.”

“To have lost the flights has made me worry so much that they won’t be able to go and will lose everything else, I can’t imagine getting married without them there, especially as my partners family will be there,” she told the Chronicle.

The trying time for the couple is showing Ms Dixon how “supportive” her future husband can be and in addition support is also coming from strangers.

“Offers of money we've had from strangers wanting to help in any way they can has been so overwhelming and amazing,” she said.
“But we don’t want to accept anything, we just want Monarch to refund us so we can pay for our wedding honestly like everyone else no matter how little we have to get by on to do so,” she added.