Couple tie the knot in hospital

A US couple exchanged vows in a hospital room after the groom's mother was involved in a car accident and unable to attend their wedding ceremony.

Cynthia Burchard was travelling to a rehearsal dinner for the wedding when she suffered serious injuries during a head-on collision, the Associated Press reports.

Ms Burchard was admitted to Erlanger Medical Center in Chattanooga, Tennessee and it was clear that she would not be able to make it to the wedding of her son Brian Cunningham and his fiancee Natalie.

The couple thought about re-scheduling their nuptials for a date when Mr Cunningham's mother could attend.

However, they decided to take the advice of hospital staff and got married by her hospital bedside before having their original ceremony in front of family and friends.

Speaking after the couple's second wedding, Mr Cunningham said: "I am an only child so there was no way I was going through this day without my mum, so we initially decided to cancel."

"This is the second time today we've gone through our vows, the first time was just as special and just as beautiful."