Life has become a waiting game for Toni Butterfill since she met her husband.

She has had to wait to get married twice, then wait for her groom to join her on their honeymoon and then wait to get blessed. Now Toni, from Southwick, is waiting to see if her husband will be home from his RAF barracks for Valentine's Day.

Toni met Tony in April 1998 and decided to get married on June 26 last year at Southwick Methodist Church in Manor Hall Road. But they had to cancel after Tony, who serves as a paratrooper, was recalled to his Suffolk barracks at the end of May to be put on stand-by in the wake of the crisis in Kosovo.

Toni, 34, said: "It was very annoying as we had everything planned, but I suppose you accept it all when you are going out with someone in the forces." Toni got in touch with the registrar and obtained a licence which would allow them to marry at 24 hours' notice. The couple eventually tied the knot at Worthing Register Office on June 12 - and less than 24 hours later, Tony, 29, was back at his barracks on stand-by.

Toni's only companion on her two-week honeymoon in Carolina, USA, was her seven-year-old son, Joshua, although her husband did manage to get leave to spend a few days with his new family. Tony eventually spent ten weeks in Kosovo helping to clear mines and ensure the safe return of ethnic Albanians to their homes until returning home at the end of September.

It was only last month that Tony discovered he would not be called up and the couple had their marriage blessed. Eight members of 2 Squadron RAF Regiment who serve with Tony formed a guard of honour at Southwick Methodist Church - the venue they had picked in the first place.

Toni said: "It was a lovely day and since we had already got married everything was very relaxed. Tony is away at the moment but I've got some things planned for Valentine's Day - if he is here!"

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