A WOMAN flew 1,700 miles from Lanzarote to the UK for her dad's wedding a YEAR early – after mishearing him on the phone.
Llarissa Pye was delighted when she found out her dad and his partner of three years, both 53, were engaged in December 2023.
The 29-year-old, originally from Frodsham, has lived out in Lanzarote, the Canary Islands, for the last nine years after falling in love with the place following a friend's birthday trip.
When her dad phoned her up to tell her the dates for the wedding, she misheard him and thought he had said the wedding would be on the following Saturday – his birthday – and rushed to book her £200 one-way flight.
Despite countless further communication, no-one realised the mistake until Llarissa was on the plane and about to take off on May 31, 2024.
Her whole family found the situation hilarious, but Llarissa still enjoyed a mini holiday in the UK before flying back on June 4, 2024.
Llarissa, who works for a bike rental and lives in Puerto del Carmen, Lanzarote, said: "So when they booked the dates, it was about midnight for me.
"My dad must have said 'it's on my birthday next year'. But I heard 'we're sorry it's short notice, we understand if you can't make it'.
"I had to ask a girl to change shifts last minute. I'd sent my flights through but they hadn't seen it said 2024.
"On Friday morning I text them to say 'I'm at the airport, see you in a few hours'. They tried to ring me but my phone was in sleep mode.
"I was about to take off and I saw all the messages. I called my dad and he said 'Llarissa, the wedding isn't until next year'. We were just laughing down the phone."
Llarissa had booked the four-hour long trip back to her home town of Frodsham immediately when she thought her dad had said he was going to tie the knot on June 2, 2024.
Despite the mistake, she still managed to make the most of her time.
She was able to try on a bridesmaid dress and catch up with as many friends and family as possible before catching a £30 flight back.
Llarissa said: "They are still laughing about it now. Most people have said 'how did you manage that?' It's not like we didn't communicate.
"A guess a year is short notice for my dad. I've got time to fix my tan lines now. It's all fun. I'm usually fairly organised. I've never been a year early."
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