THREE bridesmaids who were faced with hitchhiking to a wedding have praised a couple who got them to the ceremony in the nick of time.

Rachel Walker, Karen Sutherland and Beth Knight, were forced to flag down cars with their bouquets after their wedding car broke down on the A67 on Saturday, about five miles away from the venue at the Jersey Farm Hotel, near Barnard Castle.

Ms Walker, whose sister Emma was getting married to her fiancé Tony Knight at 1pm, said the bridal party left their home in Ingleby Barwick in two separate cars but theirs started having problems when they got to Darlington.

“We went ahead in the first car and Emma and dad then left in the second car to leave about five or ten minutes to go, but our car started to fail on the A66 heading towards Darlington and Emma’s car caught us up – at that point she knew something was not quite right,” she said.

“We got about seven or eight miles away from the venue and our car gave in and broke down and then we got it started again and went another few miles and it gave in again.

“We knew we were really pushing for time with it being a civil ceremony because they only let you be so late before they have to go to another wedding.”

Faced with missing the wedding, the bridesmaids, along with mother-of-the-bride, Jackie Spenceley, got out of the car and started flagging down drivers with their white rose and purple flower bouquets in the hope someone would take pity on them.

Ms Walker, who was also needed to witness the ceremony, said a few people stopped but were not able to help before a couple, called Julie and Stuart, came to their rescue.

And after another car stopped to take Mrs Spenceley, all four made it to the venue with minutes to spare.

“When we got there Emma’s car was setting off to come back for us but the registrar said she could only wait five more minutes so we would have been pushing it,” Ms Walker said.

“I don’t think we realised how serious it was until afterwards.”

The 32-year-old optometrist added: “Emma was really panicking and upset and she needed to be calmed down but it was brilliant when they got married.”

The newlyweds have now jetted off to India for their honeymoon but said they wanted to thank the mystery couple who saved the day.

“Stuart and Julie stopped and said they were lost and we never found out where they were going or if they got there,” Ms Walker said.

“We just wanted to let them know we were really grateful because it would have been awful if we had not made it there.”

Are you Julie and Stuart or know who they are? Call 01388-660664 or email katie.richardson@nne.co.uk