A pair of frontline Covid-19 workers from Scotland have tied the knot after they were given their £10,000 wedding for free.
NHS worker Nicola Findlay, 47, from Livingston and her partner Steven Findlay, 48, from Alloa wed this month in an intimate ceremony. Almost 10 years in the making, the wedding was put on hold due to the pandemic.
The couple met in 2005 while working at Asda and their colleagues helped set them up on a date. Now an NHS nurse in Dundee, Nicola was blown away when the pair were offered an all-expenses paid wedding.
Tying the knot at Apex City Quay Hotel & Spa in Dundee, the hotel group honoured frontline NHS workers at some of the hardest hit hospitals during the Covid-19 pandemic. Five lucky couples had the cost of their service covered, with Steven and Nicola being the last following ceremonies in Bath, Edinburgh, and London.
Both Nicola and Steven were forced to put their lives on pause when Covid-19 hit, and had to delay their dream wedding. Nicola worked night shifts as a theatre practitioner at Ninewells hospital in Dundee, allowing her partner Steven to fulfil his role as a deputy store manager at Asda Milton of Craigie.
Nicola said: “I’m not going to lie, it was tough during lockdown, but as front-line workers there were a lot of people relying on us. I work alongside a fantastic team of nurses, support workers, surgeons, anaesthetists at the hospital.
"We all love our job, but the long night shifts certainly took their toll. We all turned up and did the best we could under difficult circumstances.
"In between there was all the home-schooling to do, as well as weekly Zoom quizzes and dance offs with the family and coming up with activities to keep the kids entertained.”
The couple met back in 2005, when they were both working at Asda in Livingston. Eight years later, in 2013, they got engaged on Christmas Day.
They were intending to get married in 2021, but were forced to put their dream wedding on hold when Covid-19 hit.
Steven stated: “It’s been a while coming, but we both felt now was the right time to tie the knot. We’ve already got four beautiful kids so had the luxury of taking our time.
"When we heard about Operation Recuperation and Apex Hotels giving away free wedding packages, we jumped at the opportunity. To be honest we didn’t think we’d win. I’ve never won anything in my life so when we got short listed then finally won the wedding, it honestly was a dream come true.”
Steven and Nicola tied the knot in an intimate and family-focused ceremony on Saturday, November 12. They were surrounded by their closest friends and relatives, some of whom had journeyed as far as Germany and France.
Nicola's eldest son Ciaran, 23, gave her away along with her father, while her son Noah, eight, was in charge of the rings. Logan, 14, acted as best man alongside Steven's best friend, and their daughter Katie, 15, was there to offer emotional support as a bridesmaid.
Guests at the wedding were provided with a three-course meal before an evening reception in the City Quay Suite kicked off. Nicola and Steven's first dance was to 'At Last' by Etta James, while local DJ Flex Disco played some family-favourite tunes.
In honour of the happy couple, local suppliers provided a number of free services for the wedding. Along with DJ Keith Ramsay from Flex Disco, Sparkle Magic Events supplied a set of chair covers and table centres, JM Bakery provided the three-tier wedding cake, and Dawn Falconer from Forget Me Not Florist supplied the flowers. Meanwhile, Paige Anderson Wedding Photography offered their services and Louise from Basketcase provided a flower arch and urns.
Nicola continued: "The wedding was perfect. We were bowled over by the level of service, the venue and food, everything.
"It was more than we could have wished for. We all had a lovely day surrounded by our family and best friends.
"We’re so grateful to Apex Hotels and Operation Recuperation for such a wonderful gift."
Steven added: "We had an amazing day. I was cool, calm and collected until the moment I saw our daughter Katie as a bridesmaid.
"Then when our son Ciaran and my father-in-law gave Nicola away, the tears started rolling. It was an emotional moment.
"Thanks again to Apex Hotels and all the fantastic suppliers who made this such a perfect day for us.”
Meanwhile, commercial director at Apex Hotels Michael Stott said: “I can’t think of two more deserving people than Steven and Nicola. They have both worked tirelessly during the pandemic and it has been fantastic for Apex Hotels in partnership with Operation Recuperation, to give them something back.
"Steven and Nicola are the fifth and final of our wedding winners, and I’d like to thank Operation Recuperation, our dedicated staff and all the generous local suppliers who have made these weddings so memorable and special.
"It has been a privilege to get to know all those brave front line NHS workers and we wish all of them the very best and many happy years together."
Founder of Operation Recuperation Rachel Sherwood added: "Had someone told me back in March 2020 when I started ‘Operation Recuperation’ that we’d end up gifting entire weddings to NHS staff, I would never have believed them!
"I’m so grateful to Apex Hotels for their generosity and compassion. Helping not just one but five NHS couples have their dream wedding day is a gift that literally changes lives and it’s wonderful to see that Nicola and Steven were able to get married at Apex City Quay Hotel & Spa in Dundee."
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