A COUPLE re-enacted their wedding day by the hospital bed of the groom’s gran after a horror fall meant she couldn't attend their big day.
Newlyweds Michael and Simona MacLeod surprised Annie MacLeod, 97, at Glasgow Royal Infirmary after she was left heartbroken by not being able to watch them tie the knot.
The Springboig pensioner was due to be the guest of honour at the ceremony and had spent weeks planning her outfit, but instead was laid up in hospital after a bad tumble saw her break her hip.
The couple however were determined that the plucky pensioner wouldn't miss out - and the day after their service made a special trip to do it all over again by her bedside.
Michael, 33, said: “My gran is the matriarch of our family and is an absolute legend to us all.
“We were gutted when she fell and broke her hip two weeks before our big day. We raised a toast to her at our ceremony, but it didn’t feel right not to have her there. She’s always the life and soul of every family occasion, and despite being 97, she can still party with the best of them.
“She was missed greatly, so we decided to pay her a special visit on our first day as a married couple.
"She’s a typical wee Glasgow granny who grew up in the East End and not much makes her cry, but as soon as she spotted us in our wedding outfits, she just burst into tears.
“The look on her face was priceless, it was such a special moment for us both. She was so happy to see us, and even the staff and other patients on the ward had a wee cry. It’s a moment we’ll never forget and I’m glad we were able to recreate our wedding day for my gran.”
Michael and Simona, 34, said their vows at Dalduff Farm in Maybole, South Ayrshire, on August 10. They were due to marry in 2020 but the ceremony had to be called off due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The couple, who live in Manchester, chose to marry in Scotland so that Annie could be at the heart of the wedding.
Michael told the Glasgow Times: “My gran used to holiday in Ayrshire when she was a kid and that was part of the reason we picked a venue there.
“She was so disappointed when we had to push the wedding back twice due to the pandemic and was determined to be at the later date. She said that she had her hat picked out and was looking forward to celebrating in style. It was all she would talk about and it gave her something to look forward to.
“Just two weeks before the big day, she suffered a really nasty fall and ended up in hospital. She was upset to learn that she was going to need surgery and would have to miss the wedding
“Gran is such a presence and we were all so sad she wasn't there. We knew how much she would have loved it so we decided to travel to Glasgow to surprise her the very next day.”
The couple also shared their wedding cake with staff and patients - and are full of praise for the nurses who helped them to surprise Annie.
Simona added: “The staff were incredible and allowed us to get changed in one of the rooms. They were crying when we walked into the ward.
“It was such a touching moment and Annie was overcome by it all. She just kept on saying how amazing we looked, and she couldn’t stop crying happy tears.
“Visiting her made our wedding celebration ever more special. I’m so glad we got the chance to do it.”
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