A couple who canceled their wedding FOUR times due to coronavirus restrictions have finally tied the knot – despite a last-minute snow storm that threatened the ceremony.
Paramedics Rob Stewart, 30, and Beth Griffin, 25, were able to take their vows for the fifth time in a “fairytale” wedding last week.
The couple had previously seen their big day fail during the Covid-19 pandemic four times after they wanted to get married in the spring.
Their original March 25 wedding date has been canceled due to the UK’s initial lockdown.
They rescheduled the date to the same date the next year, but dropped it because they thought the restrictions would not allow them to have the big party they wanted.
Their third wedding date was set for November 28th and they planned a small ceremony with a handful of guests.
When the second lockdown was announced, they hastily rescheduled their wedding to November 4th – just hours before the second lockdown.
But the couple’s dreams were dashed again when officials said they hadn’t given the council the 28-day notice period.
Rob Stewart and Beth Griffin
Now Rob and Beth are excited to finally say “yes” at a ceremony at Worcester’s Guidhall in front of 15 friends and family.
The couple were also able to hold a small reception at Waylands Yard cafe-bar as the city remains in Tier 2.
Rob and Beth will 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 concerned that we might have to cancel if people couldn’t come to the guild house, but it made it even more special.
“I’m so happy to be in the second division like many others in the country aren’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 one room working from home by themselves, 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 also received complimentary use of two Rolls Royces from Worcestershire Wedding Cars.
Beth said, “It was so nice to have a family there. It was unbelievable just being able to get in touch with people again.
“It was definitely a relief that it worked out this time, we were almost waiting for something to go wrong.
“But we are lucky to be in Tier 2 as it gives us a reception. I can see that all of this will change soon, so it seems to have worked in our favor for once.”
Rob Stewart and Beth Griffin at their wedding
“We managed to sit down, cut our cake – which was more like a pile of brownies – and have our first dance in the courtyard.
“After that, we only played socially distant games and had a wonderful time. It was a great way to end a year of garbage.”
“The snow also made it magical, so it wasn’t the dream wedding with over 100 people we had imagined – but it certainly came close.
“It’s exactly what we needed after a difficult year for everyone. We definitely had the feeling that we deserved a bit of luck after all the cancellations.”
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On the subject of matching items
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On the subject of matching items
Rob and Beth, from Malvern, Worcs, are now hoping to go to Antigua for their honeymoon as soon as travel restrictions allow.
Beth added, “We’re back at work this week so the honeymoon may be a long way off.
“We can’t really self-isolate for two weeks given 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 the couple juggled their ever-changing wedding plans, they worked hard even during the coronavirus pandemic.
Beth previously said, “I’ve fought a lot this year, admittedly, but I’ve had a lot of support from the work, friends and family who have kept me going.”
Rob added, “We both found it very challenging and quite overwhelming.
“There was suddenly a great risk of going to work and contracting the virus yourself and bringing it home to loved ones.
“We faced many new challenges, such as the fact that we have to wear personal protective equipment for every patient and must wear higher PPE in life-threatening situations.”
