SCAMMED THE NIGHT BEFORE MY WEDDING

She was getting married in the morning, then Zoe Giles, 47, received the news no bride wants to hear

- VERONIQUE HAWKSWORTH, SAMANTHA YULE

As my fiance Gary and I scrolled through photos on Facebook, my eyes lit up at the smiling brides standing in beautifully decorated rooms, complete with flower garlands and balloons. It was June 2018 and Gary, then 47, had come across a wedding planner on Facebook. The weddings in the pictures were just the sort of thing we had in mind for our own big day the following July.

Those pictures were the work of Dana Twidale, a wedding planner from Hull. Having both been married once before, Gary and I didn’t want a big fuss, just a small ceremony and a fun reception to make memories with our loved ones. ‘She seems perfect,’ I gushed, as we read through the streams of rave reviews. ‘Let’s message her,’ Gary said.

After a few messages back and forth, Dana seemed eager to take on the job. ‘I can do food and decorate the room for £550,’ she told us. She sounded like a hard-working professional and we felt safe. We agreed to pay in two installments for an 80-guest buffet, decorated room, and photo booth.

But as the months went on, I grew anxious. ‘I think we should meet Dana in person so we can discuss our plans face to face,’ I said to Gary. But every time we planned to meet, she would cancel. I was frustrated but I reasoned that being a popular wedding planner must get very busy.