The pair have had to cancel their wedding plans after Gareth MacRae was deported. Photo / Facebook
The pair have had to cancel their wedding plans after Gareth MacRae was deported. Photo / Facebook
Deported Kiwi groom-to-be Gareth Macrae has described being turned away from his planned wedding in the UK as "deflating" and "a kick in the guts".
After a five year relationship, Mr Macrae had planned to marry his fiancee Lliwen Roberts in her homeland of Wales.
The couple had originally wanted to legally marry in the UK, but had settled for a blessing ceremony after being turned down for two marriage visas, the Daily Mail reported.
In desperation, the couple applied for a standard holiday visa so Macrae could travel to the UK for their special day.
The pair have had to cancel their wedding plans after Gareth MacRae was deported. Photo / Facebook
However, when he arrived at Manchester Airport he was detained for three hours before being told he was to be deported two days later.
"It was devastating, to be honest," Mr Macrae told NZME. News Service.
Family members were disappointed by the turn of events as a lot of them had purchased return tickets, he said.
"We still want to get the blessing and that done because that's what we've been looking forward to and all. It's celebrating bringing two families together."
The fact that New Zealand was a Commonwealth country made the deportation difficult to deal with.
"We've got the Union Jack in the corner of our flag, it goes without saying doesn't it," he said.
He had lived, worked and played rugby in Wales previously and had even learned to speak the language during his relationship with Ms Roberts, who he described as a "proud Welsh woman".
Lliwen Roberts and her Kiwi fiance Gareth MacRae. Photo / Facebook
In a Facebook post, Ms Roberts said the couple's ordeal had been a "long and stressful day" and they had been "treated like criminals".
The post had been shared over 450 times, with friends and family offering support in the comments.
Several people had suggested the couple get married in New Zealand instead -- which Macrae said could be on the cards.
