A couple wanted to save money so kept their wedding a secret - and spent the day eating KFC with their dog before springing a surprise on friends and family.<br /><br />Chris and Maisie Leyshon tied the knot at a registry office before doing a big reveal to friends and family that evening.<br /><br />They told guests to be at the Lighthouse in Swansea on September 30 last year - to 'celebrate their engagement'.<br /><br />Chris, 28, and Maisie, 25, only told their parents and siblings about the plan.<br /><br />The groom then jumped on a mic for the big reveal in the evening - sending everyone "mad".<br /><br />Maisie's cousin Chloe said: “As soon as we walked into the room it was such a vibe but then when the celebrant came out then that's when the real surprise hit us! <br /><br />"There were laughs, tears and cheers, it was amazing, now bring on the post wedding hen and stag do!"<br /><br />The couple, from Port Talbot, are now happily married and estimate they saved thousands by foregoing a big bash.<br /><br />Maisie, a civil servant, said: “We quite quickly we realised that a big wedding wasn’t for us. <br /><br />“It’s just the stress of it all and the money, and we didn’t really think it would be appropriate to elope.”<br /><br />The couple made the secret plan in February after getting engaged on Christmas Day 2022.<br /><br />They didn't tell anyone about the plan until the first week of September 2023, when they told just their parents and siblings.<br /><br />Chris and Maisie married at 11:30am before stealing away to avoid being seen.<br /><br />The ‘engagement party’ was then set for 6pm - leaving the pair “a few hours to chill and get a KFC” to eat with their French bulldog, Harry.<br /><br />They then travelled to the venue, which may have aroused suspicion - as it’s “a bit posh for an engagement party", said Maisie.<br /><br />Once the guests had arrived, Chris, an accountant, jumped on mic and said: “There’s been a lot of speculation, so we wanted to put record straight” - before adding “does anyone want a wedding?”<br /><br />Maisie said: “At that point everyone just went mad.”<br /><br />The couple then re-did their vows in the evening before partying the rest of the night away.<br /><br />Maisie said: "We were really nervous.<br /><br />"We thought some would be disappointed, but everyone seemed to love it. As far as we know it went down very well.<br /><br />“Everybody was so shocked they had no choice but to be happy!”<br /><br />Maisie said the major factor in their decision was money. <br /><br />She said: “We are mid-renovation on our house.<br /><br />"So we didn’t want to spend £30,000 in one day and then come home to a house that wasn’t finished.”<br /><br />Maisie also said that weddings rarely live up to their hype.<br /><br />“I’m not very good with stress and pressure, it wouldn’t have been enjoyable.<br /><br />“Nobody cares about your wedding as much as you do, it’s just a lot of stress.<br /><br />“You are paying for them to have a good time and there’s so much pressure. <br /><br />“Also it seems like these days weddings just get bigger and bigger.”<br /><br />The couple spent £8,000 in total. The average wedding costs £18,400, according to wedding planning website Hitched.
