Emmerdale’s explosive weddings — tragic death, helicopter crash and sudden illness

Weddings are meant to be a day to celebrate a couple’s love for one another in the company of their friends and family, but unfortunately, for the characters in Emmerdale, the reality is anything but.

In real life, husbands and wives deal with trivial issues like a problem with the cake or perhaps the buffet not meeting expectations, but on ITV’s hit soap, those living in the Yorkshire Dales have to handle far worse.

From surprise deaths, devastating illnesses and even a helicopter crash, it seems a common theme that something dramatic always pops up to spoil the party.

The programme’s latest fiances are about to go down a similar path, with Mandy Dingle’s rose-tinted perception of manipulative Paul Ashdale about to evaporate in front of her very eyes.

It appears that the bride-to-be is about to uncover the shocking reality of what her conman partner is actually like. So, while we wait to find out whether the pair will make it down the aisle, we’re looking back at the history of Emmerdale weddings.

Two weddings in one (2012 Live Episode)

For a live episode, the producers really pulled out all the stops. In a moment of love and affection, Katie Sugden and Declan Macey tied the knot. However, the same can’t be said for Chas Dingle and Dan Spencer, whose special day was destroyed when the bomb was dropped that the bride had intended to run away with Carl King.

To make matters worse, Carl actually ended up dead, with Chas delivering the first blow. When compared to this, Katie and Declan’s ceremony was nothing short of fantastic. But it’s fair to say they still had their fair share of hiccups.

Declan’s sister initially intended to prevent the nuptials in cold-blooded revenge for her brother robbing the profits of the Home Farm music festival. Ultimately, her efforts to stop the vows were in vain, but she made up for it by smashing Katie’s face into a wedding cake.

The Helicopter Crash (2015)

Of all the things that can possibly go wrong on a wedding day, we genuinely can’t think of anything much worse than a helicopter crash. As Pete Barton and Debbie Dingle celebrated their union, an explosion caused by Chrissie White, resulted in a helicopter spiralling down onto the village hall.

Understandably, the catastrophe brought an end to proceedings and tragically ended the lives of Ruby Haswell, Van Pollard and Ross Barton.

Ashley Thomas’s Dementia (2015-17)

In November 2015, the viewers were rendered devastated when Ashley Thomas was diagnosed with early-onset dementia. For several months, he managed to cope well with his condition, but by March 2016, the symptoms really began to show.

Despite the saddening situation, the love of his life, Laurel Dingle, stuck to ‘in sickness and in health’ to the letter, standing by her soul mate until the end of his life in 2017.

Chas’ Christmas Day Nuptials (2020)

In a sequence of events that showcased just how bitter Charity Dingle can be, the calculated character, much to her own annoyance, accidentally gave Paddy and Chas Dingle a day that will live long in the memory.

Paddy had attempted to pull off a miracle by giving his partner a surprise ceremony. But he soon called it off when he overheard Chas talking about how much she despised Christmas weddings.

However, keen to ruin everything, Charity, who wasn’t invited in the first place, told Chas all about the plan. However, while the scheming character hoped this would end the relationship, it prompted Chas to realise just how much Paddy loved her, and the pair subsequently tied the knot.

Aaron and Robert (2017-2018)

In 2018, Aaron Dingle and Robert Sugden got married. However, this wasn’t the couple’s first attempt at saying their vows.

Their first role of the dice ended in disaster when a double murder accusation resulted in Faith Dingle being arrested. The spanner in the works resulted in the pair having to wait a year for their second take.

Eventually, they managed to say ‘I do’, but it was a day shrouded in sadness as Aaron’s mother, Chas, mourned the loss of her newborn daughter