TRUE-LIFE
Why I got married twice in two days
Tina Lawton, 41, Coventry, West Midlands
Flashing the silver diamond sparkler on my left hand, I was grinning from ear to ear. ‘Well, look at that,’ Bill, then 55, grinned. ‘Congratulations are in order,’ Olive, 82, smiled. Beaming, I was loving telling the residents of the care home where I worked about my engagement.
It was June 2022, and I was just back from a holiday to Kos, Greece, where my fella Alan, then 42, had popped the question.
Now, back at work, as a manager at Richmond Villages Bede, I was telling the residents all the details.
After 17 years working at the home, everyone who lived there meant so much to me.
Some of the ladies shared their own proposal stories.
‘We were married for 50 years, God rest his soul,’ one widowed resident beamed, looking at the beautiful antique ring on her finger.
As my planning started, I’d keep everyone at work informed about the flowers, music and food we’d picked.
‘I’d love to see you dressed up in your wedding best,’ one resident said.
But it wasn’t possible for them to leave the home.
Many were frail, needed medication or round-theclock care.
‘I’ll bring in all the photos,’ I promised.
But another manager, Debra, then 55, had an amazing idea.
‘Let’s have a second wedding reception here so everyone can be part of it,’ she said. Perfect! Alan loved the plan too.
So while I put the finishing touches to the official wedding at a Cotswold golf club, wedding two at Richmond Villages Bede was also in the works.
The residents and staff were arranging everything behind the scenes, and they wanted it to be a surprise!
Finally, in February 2024, me and Alan tied the knot.
Dressed in a lace, white wedding gown, we said our vows, then enjoyed a reception where we took to the floor to Amazed by Lonestar as our first dance.
