We've all been regaled with a tale or two of a cold-footed bride who left their betrothed at the altar, but it's less common to hear of a bride who ditched their beau at the airport - and made off with his luggage for good measure.
It transpired that the groom didn't have the chance to make an honest woman out of his fiancée after she absconded with his belongings and £5000 (NZ$9421) in cash, The Sun reports, leaving the groom-to-be "inconsolable" as he tried to explain to staff what had occurred.
According to the tabloid, the couple - aged in their 40s - were preparing to catch a flight at London's Heathrow Airport last week when the man went to the bathroom, leaving his fiancée with their luggage.
It's understood he had proposed to the woman the day prior and the couple were set to fly to Rome to tie the knot during a romantic getaway.
But when the man emerged from the bathroom, his fiancée and his belongings were nowhere to be found.
Heartbreak at Heathrow
As reported by The Sun, the distraught man told staff at Terminal 5 that his fiancée had fled with his luggage and £5000 in cash he had given her for the wedding.
Speaking to the outlet, a fellow traveller who witnessed the man's breakdown described him as "totally inconsolable".
"He was in bits. Apparently they'd only met very recently and he'd fallen head-over-heels for her," the bystander recalled.
"Then she did a runner while he went to the loo and vanished with all their belongings.
"Staff looked everywhere for her, but she was nowhere to be found. It wasn't even clear if she'd gone out of the airport or on to another country.
"In the end, the police were called. Even her name was in doubt by then."
On Friday, a spokesperson for Greater London's Metropolitan Police confirmed to The Sun that officers were called to Heathrow to investigate the incident.
"Enquiries continue. No arrests have been made at this time," they said.
In 2017, New Zealand songstress Anika Moa admitted she considered doing a runner in the lead-up to her wedding to former Three journalist Natasha Utting, jokingly telling Woman's Day she was overwhelmed with visions of "Julia Roberts in Runaway Bride".
"I wanted to put my running shoes on and see if I could find a wild horse. But I couldn't, so I've decided to stay," she laughed.
The couple separated last year.
