A Kent couple were inspired by a hit television show to secretly travel to Niagara Falls to tie the knot - for just £500.

Becca Collier-Cook, 27, and husband Lewis, 33, decided they did not want a formal wedding because of "big family rifts" so decided to elope and invited no one.

The Whitstable pair were inspired by a scene from the US version of The Office, in which characters Jim and Pam travel to Niagara Falls for their elopement.

"Over the last year, people have really taken stock on what it means to get married," Mrs Collier-Cook said.

"So many couples have had to postpone wedding after wedding, probably losing money time and time again, when all they want to do is be married to their special someone.

"Elopements are quick, cheap and most importantly, incredibly special."

Asked why the couple wanted to elope, self-employed digital marketer Becca said: "We both have fairly big family rifts and wanted to avoid the inevitable drama. We also love to travel.

"We’re big fans of the American version of The Office and wanted to recreate the Jim and Pam Niagara Falls elopement.

"We’d seen it in the show and looked at if it was a real life thing that you could do, and it was.

"And, it only cost us £500 to actually have the wedding on the boat, so it was perfect for us."

Discussing her family and friends' response to the decision, Becca said: "In all honesty the reaction was mixed, but I think deep down our friends and family understood why we needed to do it.

"Both our parents had messy divorces and several years later, relationships still haven’t been mended.

"Our friends loved it, maybe because it was a gimmick? Or maybe, because they thought it was such an ‘us’ thing to do."

But does she regret not having a traditional wedding?

"No way," she said. "A white dress wedding was never going to be for us."

Becca wore a second-hand sequined Rixo cocktail dress when she tied the knot with Lewis.

"We’re socially awkward, anxiety-ridden and absolute weirdos," she added. "This was the only and best option."

Becca offered advice to those planning on eloping and said they "won't regret it".

"I can’t even begin to tell you how much it reduced the price and worries," she said

"It’s a memory we’ll treasure forever and it’s so special. You’ve got to do your wedding your own way, regardless of how your friends and family feel. It’s called ‘your wedding day’ for a reason."

Interest in micro-weddings and elopements is higher than ever according to research by wedding experts, Ginger Ray.

Google searches for the term “elopement” have increased 22% since September 2019 - 18,100 searches per month currently compared to 14,800 before the pandemic.

The hashtag #elopement also has more than 126.8 million views on TikTok, suggesting there is huge interest in the wedding trend.

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