by Alex Claridge

aclaridge@thekmgroup.co.uk

It had all the hallmarks of your traditional British wedding, featuring a happy couple, the reception with friends flying in from across the country, pricey rings and a honeymoon the next day.

Except there was no actual wedding ceremony. Confused? So would most people be.

However, what lies behind the of puzzle of couple Brian Thompson and Liz Elliott from Talmead Road, Herne Bay, is actually fairly straightforward.

They had a last minute change of heart a month ago and didn't go through with the registry office paperwork, but still had a party and a honeymoon in Corfu to go on.

and it wasn't just the 'wedding' that was unusual...

liz and brian met on margate seafront more than four years ago. brian had just returned from a daytrip to thailand - yes, daytrip - and was manning a stall in margate when he and liz got talking.

he said: "on a previous visit to thailand, i'd met an english bar owner who had a place called annie's bar in bangkok.

"he phoned me and asked if i fancied a beer so i booked a ticket, flew 13 hours and arrived in bangkok at 8am.

"i had a few hours kip, went to the bar where i had a few beers and caught the flight home at midnight.

"it was three days of my life for a few pints of beer."

upon his return, brian went back to work on the stall in margate and got chatting to liz.

"it happened that on previous visits to thailand we had stayed at the same hotel in hua hin, possibly even at the same time," he said.

They even kept their weddings rings, worth a couple of thousand pounds.

"We thought about it and we just decided we'd postpone visiting the registrar in the current economic climate," said Brian, 54, who runs a mobile phone trailer in St George's Street, Canterbury.

"But then we'd made all these plans and invited all these people over from places like Belfast and Sheffield and we just couldn't let them down.

"So we're still going through with the party and the week in Corfu.

"Nothing has changed except we didn't go to the registry office and get married. It's just a technical thing really.

"Mind you we've saved the £400 or so it costs to get married at the registry office. I didn't know it cost that much to do it. I thought it was about £25."

Brian and Liz, 52, an accountant at Girlings Solicitors, Canterbury, had their reception at the Red Lion inn at Stodmarsh on Saturday night before jetting off to Corfu on Sunday.

Hailing from Holywood in Northern Ireland, the same town golfer Rory McIlroy calls home, Brian added: "We thought we'd have the reception at the Red Lion as it's a brilliant pub. It's quaint, has character, fantastic food and a good wine list.

"And after all, any excuse for a party."