Wedding party faces losing £40,000 in Thomas Cook collapse

A bride and groom whose wedding party paid £40,000 for flights and hotels through Thomas Cook are waiting to find out if their marriage can go ahead following the collapse of the travel giant.

Thomas Cook ceased trading in the early hours of Monday morning when they failed to secure a last-ditch rescue deal. Picture: Getty Images

The UK's largest peacetime repatriation has been launched after Thomas Cook ceased trading in the early hours of Monday morning when they failed to secure a last-ditch rescue deal.

"Heartbroken" Amy Wright, 27, and a wedding party of around 40 people were due to travel on October 3 to the island of Kos in Greece.

Her sister Katie Langley, 23, told the PA news agency the group had paid between £35,000 and £40,000 for the two-week trip through Thomas Cook, including flights and hotels.

"My sister got a phone call from the travel agent at 7 o'clock this morning. She's been helpful and said she'll put us at the top of the list," she said.

"Thomas Cook staff have been really helpful but it's the people from above who aren't telling people what to do."

The full cost of the wedding - including extras like translations for the ceremony - looks to be around £43,000, Ms Langley added.

After booking through a freelance travel agent who uses Thomas Cook, the group are waiting to find out what their options are before contacting the hotel who have been arranging the ceremony.

The wedding party has looked at alternative flights but prices have "shot up" since the news of the collapse, Ms Langley said.

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"We're ATOL protected but we've found out that if your hotel hasn't been paid yet that you might not get your money back," she added.

"We paid by credit card but some people in the group didn't. We've got a six-month period to wait to get the money back."

Asked if the wedding might need to be rearranged for next year, the law student, from Manchester, said: "I think she'll have to (rearrange).

"She was having a party on November 16 for the people back at home, so I guess she could turn the party into a non-wedding party.

"My nan goes to church every Sunday so she might have to ask if they can do a wedding.

"Everybody has booked two weeks off work so we're not sure what to do with the time off if we don't go."

Around one million people have been affected by the cancellation of all future Thomas Cook bookings.

Holidaymakers already abroad will be flown home by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) as close as possible to their original return time and date.