After getting left at the altar by her groom, no one would have blamed 27-year-old Kayley Stead if she called off the whole day. However, not only did this brave young lady make the most of a terrible situation, but the jilted bride also showed incredible grace to her ex!
Life threw Kayley Stead of the UK a pretty major curveball on the day of her wedding. She arrived at the venue brimming with excitement. And she fully expected to end the day wed to the man she had loved for several years.
RELATED: Bride-to-Be Can’t Marry Fiancé After Uncovering Secret, So She Donates $15k Reception Instead
However, on the day meant to be one of the happiest of her life, things took a heartbreaking turn when Kayley's groom failed to show. She ended up getting left at the altar.
Kayley spent the night before the wedding with her bridesmaids. Her fiancé did the same with his groomsmen. And as Kayley arrived bright and early the next day for wedding prep, she had no reason to suspect anything amiss.
"The groom and I had already agreed not to speak the night before the wedding anyway," she explained. "So I didn't know what was happening on his end, I didn't have a clue. I was in complete bliss - unknown bliss."
At some point in the night, Kayley's fiancé left for a drive and never returned. Even though others, including his parents, realized the groom wouldn't be showing up for the wedding, Kayley remained hopeful.
"For a couple of hours, I was saying he was going to be there, and I was reassuring the girls. I honestly believed, hand on heart, that he was going to be there," she recalled.
But a distraught call from the groom's father finally convinced her of the truth.
"At that point, I was gone," she said. "I was sobbing."
What Kayley Stead did next is truly inspiring. While the wedding clearly wasn't going to happen, she decided to carry on with her special day. Despite getting left at the altar, she asked all of the guests to stay for the reception.
"I'm going to do it," she decided. "I'd spent all this money, I'd been looking forward to the food, a dance with my dad, spending time with my family, so why not?"
RELATED: Bride Left Heartbroken As Dad Refuses to Dance with Her at Wedding So Father-in-Law Steps In
Kayley's friends, family, and even her fiancé's groomsmen all stayed. Instead of entering the reception as a new bride, Kayley walked in surrounded by her bridesmaids. Rather than her first dance with the groom, Kayley danced with her father and brothers to Dolly Parton's 'Love You To The Moon and Back.' The groomsmen ended up joining in the dance as well.
"The groomsmen joined in because I wanted to thank them for staying," she said. "They didn't run away, and I would have totally understood if they did, but they stood by me the whole day."
Despite the heartbreak of getting left at the altar, Kayley Stead had a wonderful time. She made the most of a terrible situation. And the love and support from all the guests turned it into a beautiful night.
"It was a very awkward situation for them to be in, but they all stayed," Kayley said. "I wanted to make sure everyone knew that it wasn't about the sad, we were going to power through this. Everybody kept saying sorry to me, but I wanted that to stop - they hadn't chosen that path, they'd chosen to stay, so let's celebrate that."
Kayley never did hear from her ex ever again after getting left at the altar in 2022. No apology or explanation certainly must have added to the heartache.
"As much as he was my partner, he was also my best friend," she said. "And I just wish he'd have come to me, even as a friend, to let me know he was struggling."
RELATED: Bride Moves Wedding To Hospital To Have Dying Mom By Her Side And 1 Day Later, She’s Gone
Yet, even though his actions devastated Kayley, she has never retaliated or spoken ill of her ex.
"I don't believe in fighting fire with fire," she explained. "I'd rather just deal with the situation as best as I can and hold my head high."
Instead, she has responded with grace and compassion, extending forgiveness.
"I don't resent him for what he did, either," Kayley said. "Looking back on what happened - I came home to a house with all his stuff still in it. It shows he acted on impulse, so he must've really been struggling with something. It must be hard for him right now because he's going through a break-up just as much as I am."
Kayley Stead's compassionate response is especially powerful considering all she's been through since getting left at the altar. Just four months later, she lost her mother, Dee Davies.
Choosing to forge ahead on the day of her wedding took courage and strength. Kayley refused to let what happened to her steal the joy of that day. And had Kayley called off the reception, she'd have missed out on making some of the memories she now cherishes.
"I was always proud of what I achieved from carrying on with the party when I got left, but since my mother's passing it's made [it] even more special," she said. "My mam got to be by my side the whole way through, she was my biggest cheerleader and will forever be my best friend."
RELATED: Heartbroken Groom Recalls The Last Words Of Woman Killed On Wedding Day
Getting left at the altar will always hurt. But Kayley truly made the most out of a terrible situation.
"There were so many special moments, like my wedding entrance, the sparkler walk, the first dance and punching the wedding cake," she said. "There was still happiness in the day."
And by refusing to let heartache define the day, Kayley Stead inspired so many people.
"Loads of people have been reaching out to me saying my story resonated because they were going through the same thing," she said of the time since her wedding day. "A lot of it has been incredible."
It's not just Kayley's reaction on her wedding day that is inspiring. It's also the way she's forged ahead with her life following such a traumatic and disheartening event. Rather than wallow in the heartache, she's spent the time healing and working on herself.
"I'm taking free therapy sessions from my work," she explained. "I'm journaling, I'm saying 'yes' to everything - including a trip to New York with my best friend."
And after spending more than a year bettering herself, Kayley Stead is finally ready to give dating another chance.
"Now I'm feeling never better and enjoying life a lot better," she said. "A year ago the idea of dating completely scared me, but now I'm excited for it."
RELATED: Overcomer Jen Lowright Has Miracle Baby After Deadly Illness & Husband’s Death
She's ready to put the past behind her and to continue moving forward.
"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous but I'm more excited about seeing what else is out there and getting to know other people as well. I'm ready to invest my time in that," Kayley says.
What an incredible example of perseverence in the face of adversity! Our lives are always going to include difficult times. But it's in those moments where good can often shine the brightest.
Bad things are bound to happen. But what Satan meant for harm, God can use for good. If we allow, He can grow us and strengthen us through these trials. Just like Kayley Stead did after getting left at the altar.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Candace Cameron Bure Shares Pics from Son’s Wedding and She’s Now an Empty Nester
"As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save many people alive." Genesis 50:20
h/t: Facebook/VT
Credit: Facebook/Kayley Stead
Mel is the senior writer for GodUpdates, finding, writing and sharing Christian, uplifting, and health-related stories from around the world. Mel has a passion for writing and graduated with a degree in English from Randolph-Macon College in Virginia. When she’s not researching and writing stories, Mel is very active in her church. You can usually find Mel playing board games with her husband and two young girls, giving someone a hug, or hunting down a good cup of coffee!