A couple who canceled their wedding FOUR times due to coronavirus restrictions eventually tied the knot – despite a last-minute snow storm that threatened the ceremony.
Paramedics Rob Stewart (30) and Beth Griffin (25) managed to take their vows when they asked for a “fairytale” wedding for the fifth time on Sunday (27/12).
The couple had previously seen their big day fall apart on four separate occasions during the Covid-19 pandemic after planning to get married in the spring.
Their original wedding date on March 25th has been canceled due to the UK’s first lockdown.
They postponed the date for the same date next year but canceled that because they thought restrictions wouldn’t allow them to have the big party they wanted.
Their third attempted wedding date was scheduled for November 28th and they planned a small ceremony with a handful of guests.
When the second lockdown was announced, they hastily moved their wedding forward to November 4th – just hours before the second lockdown.
But the couple’s dreams were again dashed when officials said they hadn’t given the council the 28-day legal notice of marriage.
Two beloved paramedics had to cancel their dream wedding FOUR times due to coronavirus restrictions
Now Rob and Beth were excited to finally say “I do” in front of 15 friends and family at a ceremony in Worcester’s Guidhall.
The couple was also able to hold a small reception at Wayland’s Yard Cafe Bar as the city remains in Tier 2.
Rob and Beth have a day off before returning to the front lines for the West Midlands Ambulance Service.
Rob said, “To be honest, when it started snowing heavily I was afraid we might have to cancel again if people couldn’t get into the guild hall, but that made it even more special.
“I’m so happy to be in the second division that much of the country isn’t. So we were pretty lucky with that.”
“Getting married has always been our priority. And everyone really supported us.
“It was a really nice little reception. A lot of friends and family were stuck in a room working alone from home, so it was really nice to actually meet.”
Rob Stewart and Beth Griffin at their wedding
Guests included Beth’s 91-year-old grandfather, David, and the couple received complimentary use of two Rolls Royces from Worcestershire Wedding Cars.
Beth said, “It was so nice to have a family there. Just getting really into contact with people again was amazing.
“It was definitely a relief that it went on this time. We were almost waiting for something to go wrong.
“But we’re lucky to be in Tier 2 as it gave us a reception too. I can see that all of this will change soon, so it seems to have worked in our favor at one point.”
Rob Stewart and Beth Griffin at their wedding
“We managed to sit down, slice our cake – which was more like a pile of brownies – and have our first dance in the yard.
“We just played socially distant games after that and had a wonderful time. It was a great way to end a trash year.
“The snow also made it a fairy tale. Although it wasn’t the dream wedding with over 100 people we had imagined, it certainly came close to us.
“It’s exactly what we needed after a difficult year for everyone. We felt that we deserved a bit of luck after all the cancellations.”
Rob and Beth from Malvern, Worcs., Are now hoping for a honeymoon to Antigua as soon as travel restrictions allow.
Beth added, “We’re back at work this week so a honeymoon might be a long way off.
“We can’t really isolate ourselves for two weeks because of our jobs, but hopefully we can take a break in the not too distant future.”
“We were just happy to finally get married after it was canceled four times. We can’t thank everyone enough who made it possible in the end.”
While they juggled their ever-changing wedding plans, the couple worked hard even during the coronavirus pandemic.
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Beth previously said, “While I have struggled a lot this year, I received great support from the work, friends and family who kept me going.”
Rob added, “We both found it very challenging and quite overwhelming.
“There was suddenly a great risk going to work, catching the virus yourself, and bringing it home to loved ones.
“We faced many new challenges, such as wearing personal protective equipment for every patient and in life-threatening situations where higher levels of PPE had to be worn.”
