Bridezilla of Bluff: Fake Wedding Scammer Back in Court

_{Bridezilla Charlotte Blackwell was caught cheating twice. (Image: Hannah Kuprevich/Alamy)}

An estate agent who faked her own destination wedding to pay off gambling debts has been fined for failing to complete community service.

Charlotte Blackwell, 31, from Bridgend, admitted swindling relatives and friends out of more than £12,000 with bogus travel and hotel bookings. Cardiff Crown Court heard she managed to complete less than half of the 120 hours of unpaid work ordered as part of her suspended sentence for fraud.

The court heard she attended only 21 of 34 appointments. The rest? Marked as “unacceptable absences.”

Blackwell was fined £50 and ordered to pay £150 in costs. Judge Eugene Egan issued a clear warning: 

“Please don’t come back again, Ms Blackwell. No one wants to see you fail on this order, least of all you.”

The Scam That Wasn’t So Blissful

Blackwell had told relatives she was planning a glamorous wedding abroad after getting engaged to long-term partner Daniel Thomas. She backed up the lie with forged flight confirmations, hotel bookings, and bank statements that could have fooled even the most suspicious aunt.

In total, victims handed over £12,682 believing they were helping cover her big day. It wasn’t until one guest noticed spelling errors on a supposed TUI booking that the fairytale fell apart. The travel company later confirmed the reference number belonged to another holiday altogether.

When confronted by police, Blackwell admitted: “I’m sorry, it was to pay off debts and gambling. I have now put a block to all sites.”

Not Her First Bluff

This isn’t Blackwell’s first dance with deception. In an earlier case, she was convicted of fraud involving Morgan’s Army, a children’s cancer charity set up in memory of three-year-old Morgan Ridler. Blackwell falsely claimed her daughter needed £4,000 for treatment in Germany, despite the child already being in remission.

Judge Jonathan Rees KC, who sentenced her for those offences, said she had targeted people “at one of their most vulnerable periods.”

Trying to Turn Things Around

Defence barrister Alice Sykes told the court Blackwell “felt huge remorse” and had taken steps to prevent further gambling. She gave up work to address her financial problems but is now employed again as an estate agent, balancing that with raising two children and receiving Universal Credit.

She has completed 55 of her 120 unpaid work hours and must finish the remaining 65 under supervision.

Judge Egan left her with a final word of warning: 

“The ball is in your court. Please make sure you complete this order, you’re fully capable of doing it, I have no doubt.”

If only she’d shown that same commitment to her fake wedding plans.