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Bride keeps wedding - but changes groom

Brian Lashley and Alex Scapens
15/ 2/2006

BRIDE Asia Ibrahim's wedding went pretty much as planned - except the man wearing the bridegroom's suit was not her original fianc'.

The 31-year-old student had planned to marry an Irishman living in Canada she had met on the internet.

But when he flew to Britain and took her out for a meal three weeks before the big day, he dropped a bombshell.

With all the arrangements for the '8,000 wedding in place, he told Asia he couldn't have children . . . and she gave him the elbow.

Still reeling from the shock, Asia - who would like to have children one day - met 36-year-old Hameed Ibrahim in an internet chatroom.

In an astonishing whirlwind romance, they met and agreed to marry, all in 24 hours.

But rather than cancel the wedding plans, Asia, of Wellington Road, Heaton Norris, Stockport, married her new man on the big day, much to the surprise of the 150 guests who turned up unaware the original bridegroom had been ditched.

Hameed even wore the suit that had been especially made for Asia's original fianc'.

She said: "I really value honesty and when my fianc' told me he couldn't have children, I was really shocked.

"I'd known him six months and I always felt he was keeping something from me.

"When I met my husband, we just hit it off straight away and I suppose it was a whirlwind romance. I told him about the wedding being booked and we thought `let's just do it'.

"I know it sound strange, but we have a lot in common and its feels like I've won the Lottery."

The couple tied the knot at the register office in Manchester in front of 150 guests.

As it was too late to change the bridegroom's name on the wedding invitations, most guests were unaware of the behind-the-scenes drama.

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