Groom rows 2,300km to get to wedding ceremony

TRADITIONALLY, it is the bride who arrives late for her wedding – but one British groom was forgiven for his tardiness after rowing across the Atlantic to tie the knot.

Adventurous Neil Ward arrived in the Caribbean on the Britannia III as part of a crew of 12 taking part in the Atlantic Rowing Race. Welshman Ward, 38, set off on the journey of more than 2,300 kilometres from the Canary Islands on January 4. He arrived in Barbados, where fiancee Louise Robertson was waiting, on Thursday, a few days later than scheduled.

The couple, who live in the French Alps, celebrated their wedding in the sunshine of Almond Beach Village on Saturday – a day later than originally planned. The new Mrs Ward, who is from Hampshire but now lives in the resort of Les Contamines-Montjoie, said: “We had no idea where or how we wanted to get married.