'There was no groom, but there was lots of love': Mother-of-two, 49, with incurable breast cancer throws solo wedding - saying she didn't have time to wait for the 'perfect circumstances'

A single mother who has incurable breast cancer has revealed why she decided to hold a solo wedding, saying she wanted to experience being a bride and wearing the 'dress of her dreams' before she died.After discovering a lump under her arm in October 2021, Amanda Barnes, 49, was later diagnosed with stage four cancer in October 2022 and warned she might not live beyond March the following year.With no idea how long she had left to live, the mother-of-two, from Totnes, Devon, says she made the decision not to wait for the 'perfect circumstances'.Friends helped her find her dream wedding dress before Amanda had her hair and make-up done and celebrated with 30 of her closest friends and family at the Ilsington Country House Hotel & Spa near Newton Abbot.'There may not have been a groom, and that didn't matter, because there was no shortage of love,' she said.'And I wore the dress of my dreams. My family and friends pulled together to make something I'd always dreamed about actually happen. The love I've received has been overwhelming.'I just never found the right person, and sometimes you can't keep waiting for the perfect circumstances.' After discovering a lump under her arm in October 2021, Amanda Barnes, 49, was later diagnosed with stage four cancer in October 2022 and warned she might not live beyond March the following year With no idea how long she had left, the mother-of-two, from Totnes, Devon, decided she would no longer wait for the 'perfect circumstances' Friends helped her find her dream dress before Amanda had her hair and make-up done and celebrated with 30 of her closest friends and family at the Islington Country-House hotel near Newton Abbot Amanda first noticed a lump, about the size of two grapes, under her left arm in October 2021. She also experienced hot and cold spells and swelling in her left breast.An ultrasound at Nuffield private hospital in Plymouth the following month came back normal, as did another scan in March 2022. But after continuing to feel unwell and exhausted, Amanda underwent a biopsy in June and was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer the following month.She recalled: 'It was a huge shock. I had no idea it was cancer, but I did feel like something was very wrong, because of the heat, the swelling, and the lump.'All those tests coming back "normal" made me feel like I was a hypochondriac, like I might be imaging all these things that were happening to me.'A PET scan at the Royal Marsden in Sutton, Surrey, in October 2022 showed the cancer had already spread to her spine. It was at this point Amanda was diagnosed with stage four cancer and warned she might not live beyond March 2023.'I just couldn't believe it,' she said. 'It was awful being given a date, and that date has stuck with me, but here I am.'Radiotherapy helped shrink the tumours in her spine, and Amanda continued to live as normally as possible, enjoying hill walking, travelling, and holidays with her children, Connor, 20, and Ruby, 17. Amanda first noticed a lump, about the size of two grapes, under her left arm in October 2021. In October 2022 Amanda was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer and warned she might not live beyond March 2023 Following five rounds at Torbay Hospital and two at a private clinic in London, Amanda was told on 26 August that the cancer had spread to her brain Despite her diagnosis, Amanda said she did not want cancer to dictate how she spent her remaining time In July, she called her friend Jenny Hardy, 37, and decided to make her wedding-day dream a reality She found a fitted wedding dress with a straight skirt and long split at Prudence Gowns in Plymouth before spending the day being pampered, enjoying spa treatments and a Sunday roast with her loved onesBut scans later showed the cancer had spread to her femurs and hips, and she began chemotherapy in March this year. Following five rounds at Torbay Hospital and two at a private clinic in London, Amanda was told on 26 August that the cancer had spread to her brain. She has also lost the sight in her right eye after the cancer spread there. Despite her diagnosis, Amanda said she did not want cancer to dictate how she spent her remaining time.'Cancer has taken an enormous amount from me, but while I’m still able to make choices for myself, I don’t want it to take away my ability to enjoy being alive', she said. 'Sometimes it takes all my effort just to get through the day.'In July, she called her friend Jenny Hardy, 37, and decided to make her wedding-day dream a reality.She found a fitted wedding dress with a straight skirt and long split at Prudence Gowns in Plymouth before spending the day being pampered, enjoying spa treatments and a Sunday roast with her loved ones. 'It was absolutely fantastic,' Amanda said. 'I just wanted to fulfil one of my oldest and greatest dreams while I still could' Her friend Lucy has since shared footage of the day on TikTok, where it has been viewed by millions, to which Amanda said: 'I certainly never thought millions of people would see me wearing that dress' She further advised: 'Take the trip. Wear the dress. Spend time with your children. Tell the people you love what they mean to you. Make the memory while you can' Amanda is continuing chemotherapy at a Harley Street clinic and has set up a GoFundMe to help cover potential future treatment costs 'It was absolutely fantastic,' Amanda said. 'I just wanted to fulfil one of my oldest and greatest dreams while I still could.'I did it. I wore the most beautiful wedding dress, and had a wonderful few hours full of love.'Her friend Lucy has since shared footage of the day on TikTok, where it has been viewed by millions, to which Amanda said: 'I certainly never thought millions of people would see me wearing that dress.'I hope the extraordinary response to Lucy’s video reminds somebody else not to keep putting life off while they’re waiting for everything to be perfect.'She further advised: 'Take the trip. Wear the dress. Spend time with your children. Tell the people you love what they mean to you. Make the memory while you can.'This isn't really about my cancer diagnosis or my dress. It's about love, kindness, family, friendship, and being alive.'Amanda, a company director, has spent around £700,000 on private cancer treatment over the past four years, covered by health insurance, after receiving only a few months of NHS care earlier this year. She is continuing chemotherapy at a Harley Street clinic and has set up a GoFundMe to help cover potential future treatment costs.'I’m just not ready to stop,' she said.Donate to Amanda's GoFundMe here.