Thomas Hallam (39) and Terri Wallace (24) were due to marry at Spalding Register Office but a paperwork error meant the wedding could not happen.

The Clay Lake couple now cannot afford to start planning the £2,000 wedding again.

l The problems started when they had to travel to Bedford to fetch their cake on the eve of the wedding after illness in the family prevented the cake from being delivered.

l Then the limousine taking Terri, who works in Boston, to the service did not arrive, so a relative had to drive her.

l The biggest shock came when Thomas, a welder fabricator in Market Deeping, arrived at the register office to be told their licence had expired and the marriage couldn’t go ahead.

He said: “I was so angry. We had been planning the wedding for a year and to be told on the day it wouldn’t happen was a nightmare.

“I had to break the news to Terri, who was devastated.”

The couple had asked several times if the licence was still valid after they changed the date and had been told everything was fine.

Despite the problems the reception did go ahead but several guests stayed away and most of the food was wasted.

To top it off Thomas and Terri arrived at the hotel where they had booked the honeymoon suite to find the door locked.

Terri said: “There was a phone number on the door but after the day we had had we just went home. We had scrimped and saved for the wedding. It was supposed to be the happiest day of my life but instead it was the wedding from hell.”

Lincolnshire County Council has agreed to cover some of the cost but the couple are seeking legal advice about further compensation.

Donna Sharp, county services manager for registration, celebratory and coroners’ services, said: “The Registration Service has apologised to Terri and Thomas for a mistake due to human error which led to the marriage ceremony not going ahead.”

She said there will be a full investigation to ensure it does not happen again.