An Army veteran who had lost a leg while serving in Afghanistan made a stunning entrance at his wedding by parachuting into the grounds of a 14th century castle accompanied by his nine groomsmen on Sunday, according to the BBC. Chris Parkes, a 34-year-old from County Durham, skydived into Hexham's Langley Castle for his special day before exchanging vows with his bride, Pippa. The daring jump required six months of training for Mr Parkes and his nine groomsmen, and he confessed that it was "infinitely more stressful" than the wedding itself, the putlet further said.
The video of Mr Parkes' jump is going viral on social media.
Despite the grand entrance, Mr Parkes' new wife, who also shares his passion for skydiving, humorously stated that he still hadn't managed to steal the spotlight from her. She playfully remarked, "Chris is allowed to have a little fancy thing in the day. I get the big, fancy dress. He gets the fancy skydive."
The extraordinary jump set a new record for the largest wedding party skydive ever performed anywhere in the world, according to Chronicle Live. All 10 jumpers donned black tuxedos and independently executed the skydive, choosing not to go in tandem. They later switched to kilts for the ceremony held in the woodland wedding area.
Two hundred guests, including some who travelled from as far as the US, witnessed the spectacular wedding drop. Mr Parkes acquired his skydiving skills while serving in the Army, and years later, he completed an accelerated freefall course, earning licenses in various disciplines.
He proposed to Pippa at a black-tie Christmas dinner hosted at Langley Castle, realising that it was the perfect wedding venue for them, according to the outlet.
To make their vision a reality, Chris and his team collaborated with the sport's governing body, British Skydiving, undergoing months of meticulous preparation and training. On the wedding day, they departed from their local drop zone, Sky-high Skydiving at Shotton, County Durham, and gracefully landed in the field near the castle entrance.
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