A doctor and nurse couple who had cancelled their wedding because of the Coronavirus pandemic have tied the knot at the hospital where they work.
Jann Tipping, 34, and Annalan Navaratnam, 30, from Tulse Hill, south London, planned to tie the knot in August, but feared their families would not be able to travel from Northern Ireland and Sri Lanka because of COVID-19.
In a twist of event, the couple – who work at St Thomas’ in London – opted o exchange vows as soon as possible, accepting their guests would have to watch remotely.
They sought permission to have a private ceremony in the Grade 2-listed chapel at the hospital, which has features dating back to when St Thomas’ opened on its current site – opposite the Houses of Parliament – in 1870, according to Sky News.
Expressing her gratitude, Jane said, “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.”
“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.”
Annalan, an acute medical registrar, who has been working at St Thomas’ for a year, said they “wanted to get married from the moment I proposed”.
He said: “We’re so happy that we’ve been able to commit ourselves to one another, and that the hospital has been able to support us to do that.”
Reverend Mia Hilborn – head of spiritual healthcare at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust – conducted the ceremony on Friday 24 April, with just two witnesses present.
