After exchanging their vows, cutting their cake, and sharing their first dance as a married couple, newlyweds Joe and Beccy Barnes eagerly anticipated their all-inclusive honeymoon.

Tragically, just hours after arriving at the airport to embark on their journey to Ayia Napa, Cyprus, the Nottingham couple were denied boarding by TUI airline staff.

The reason? Joe's passport was deemed unfit for international travel, leading to the couple being turned away.

For context, Joe and Beccy had been together for five years before tying the knot on 2 August.

Prior to their wedding day, they requested that wedding guests forego gifts, opting instead for contributions to their honeymoon fund.

Admittedly, their honeymoon plans were made rather last-minute, and they eventually settled on a five-day, all-inclusive TUI package holiday to Cyprus' party hotspot.

The couple tied the knot earlier this month (Kennedy News & Media)

Four days after their wedding, the couple arrived at East Midlands Airport, only to receive disappointing news from the check-in agent upon presenting their passports.

Joe, a 35-year-old forklift driver, was prohibited from boarding due to the condition of his travel documents.

Staff discovered a 1cm tear in the upper right-hand corner of his passport's photo page, along with suspected water damage to several pages—reasons enough for them to refuse the couple's travel.

In their defense, the couple pointed out that Joe, a father of two, had traveled with Jet2 for his stag do three weeks prior without any issues.

"We reached the check-in desk, and the woman said, 'There's a slight rip on your passport page—I need to consult my manager'," Joe recalled. "She confirmed, 'Yes, there's a tear'.

"I had actually flown with Jet2 three weeks earlier for my stag do, and everything was fine. I was unaware of the tear until then."

Nonetheless, TUI maintained its decision.

Joe's passport had a considerable tear (Kennedy News & Media)

Ultimately, a 'devastated' Beccy, 38, suggested they return home, despite the impending loss of their £1,200 honeymoon.

"There was no empathy whatsoever," Joe added. "I informed them it was our honeymoon. But TUI headquarters responded, saying 'do not let this man travel'. I thought, 'This can't be real'.

"It was dreadful. We spent a couple of hours at the airport trying to find a solution."

The couple even attempted to fly with another airline, but Jet2 also refused Joe's travel.

"I just couldn't believe it," he continued. "My wife and I were devastated. I felt like crying.

"We'd had a wonderful weekend with the wedding, and then everything went downhill. My wife was utterly heartbroken.

"It was a terrible experience. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy."

Joe and Beccy have since criticized TUI's decision as 'ridiculous', with Joe stating he 'could understand if it was a massive tear over my photo or personal details', but not for a small tear.

The couple branded TUI's response 'pathetic' (Kennedy News & Media)

"It's doubtful that insurance will cover this," he said. "It's quite unlikely. We're just going to try and plan something for later.

"The worst part is that it's other people's money."

Now, the couple is issuing an important warning to other travelers, with Joe advising: "I would urge people to have their passports checked, even for a slight mark."

When approached for comment, a TUI representative confirmed that Joe was denied travel due to his passport being 'very badly damaged', stating that the couple had even attempted to repair it with tape.

They recommended that Joe contact his insurance provider for potential compensation and reach out to the passport office for an urgent replacement.