A care home manager held her wedding reception at work so her 'second family' could be part of her special day - and poorly residents could enjoy 'one last wedding'. Tina Lawton, 41, and her husband Alan Lawton, 45, officially tied the knot at a hotel in the Cotswolds on Monday, February 13th in front of family and friends.
But as her elderly 'second family' were unable to attend the celebrations, the pair held a second wedding reception at Tina's work for Richmond Villages Bede's residents in Warwickshire the following day. Heartwarming footage shows the newlyweds in their wedding outfits as they walked down the aisle into the care home's main dining room.
The couple are then seen to take to the floor for their 'second' first dance where care home residents and staff join in - while also being able to vet her new man. Tina, who has worked at the retirement village for 17 years, said she felt 'nervous' all over again as she walked down the aisle.
She said the whole day was 'emotional' and knew it was a special day for residents as many wouldn't get to attend another wedding in their lifetime. Tina, from Bedworth in Warwickshire, said: "As I was planning the wedding, I was talking to residents a lot about it and some of them kept asking if they could come to the wedding, which wasn't really possible so we decided to throw a wedding reception at work.
"Me and Alan were just told to turn up to my work in our wedding outfits. We were met by the receptionist who was dressed in a floral wedding outfit and fascinator and walked down the corridor to the main dining area.
"It was like walking down the aisle and I felt nervous all over again. When we went through the doors, all the residents were in two lines for us to walk through and they threw confetti over us.
"It was so lovely. All the residents put their smart clothes on and were all dancing. Some of the residents are really poorly so they won't ever get to go to another wedding again.
"It was lovely that we were able to do something so they could feel part of the day. It was an emotional day.
"For them [the care home] to arrange all this, it was just amazing and got me quite choked up, especially when the carers and residents got up and danced with us."
After saying 'I do', Tina and her wedding guests enjoyed champagne, cake and a buffet spread. The mum-of-four said the residents loved meeting Alan and gave him their approval and said some even offered him marriage advice.
Tina, who is Head of Care at Richmond Villages Bede, said: "They [the residents] know me well but none of them had met Alan before and they loved meeting him.
"I had to tell a few of them [the care home residents] that he was now my husband and they couldn't steal him. They all gave him their approval though and one of the residents wanted to give Alan some advice and told him to 'just do as he's told'.
"Alan was taken aback by it all and he enjoyed being with the residents and getting to see that side of my life and it was nice to bring all of this together. I've been at Richmond Bede Village for 17 years.
"I joined as a student nurse and when I qualified I got a job as a nurse and then five years later I got my management role. It's a bit cliche but everyone is like my family both the staff and the residents and I just love it. The people I work with are just absolutely amazing."
Debra Cosgrove, Richmond Villages Bede Manager, said: "Our residents are truly at the heart of all we do.
"To be able to recreate Tina and Alan's special day for them was an incredibly memorable experience - especially as Tina is so loved throughout the entire village. The atmosphere was spectacular. We operate like a real family here, so the residents were made to feel valued and part of something special."
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