The coronavirus pandemic has taken the entire world by storm and all our plans have gone down the drain. And just when you are about to lose hope, you hear of small joys that bring a ray of light to the gloom and doom that is this lockdown. In one such wonderfully romantic story, a doctor and a nurse in London got married at the same hospital in which they work.
Jann Tipping, the bride, and Annalan Navaratnam, the groom, got married at the chapel at St Thomas’ Hospital in central London. It’s the same hospital in which both of them work at the frontlines, battling the COVID-19 pandemic.
The bride’s family is from North Ireland and the groom’s family is in Sri Lanka. The couple had set a wedding date for August 2020. Knowing they wouldn’t be able to get married in August or have their families by their side, Jann and Annalan decided to get married immediately. While there were only 5 people present in the chapel where Jann and Annalan married, the whole ceremony was live-streamed so that the families could be there with them, at least virtually.
“We wanted to have the ceremony while everyone was still healthy, even if it meant our loved ones having to watch us on a screen. We wanted to make sure we could celebrate while we were all still able to,” said Jann.
“The chaplaincy team worked hard to get permission for us to be married, which we appreciated greatly at a time when so much was going on. A date was set within two weeks and we hadn’t bought my dress, our rings and other things we needed so we rushed to get everything done quickly. It was a lovely wedding and the chapel is beautiful, although it did feel surreal getting married where we work, and in a hospital,” she added.
A doctor and nurse from St Thomas’ who had to cancel their wedding due to the #coronavirus outbreak have got married in the hospital’s historical chapel.
Read about Jann and Annalan’s special day and why it meant so much to them to tie the knot at work https://t.co/ECH4nJuBSo pic.twitter.com/tz6T0jj2Bi
— Guy's and St Thomas' (@GSTTnhs) May 26, 2020
The virtual wedding ceremony was followed by a (virtual) reception where the newlyweds had their first dance and gave their speeches. “Jann and I wanted to get married from the moment I proposed. We’re so happy that we have been able to commit ourselves to one another and that the hospital has been able to support us to do that,” said the groom, Annalan.
“We had a beautiful wedding day which we will always remember. It was a nice thing to happen in the middle of an anxious time,” said the bride.
Being able to spend time with someone you love is truly a blessing at such an uncertain time. And even though the bride and groom didn’t have their families by their side, we’re glad they at least had one another! Here’s wishing Annalan and Jann a happy and healthy married life!
Featured image: Twitter
