PARAMEDICS from Worcester have been forced to cancel their wedding four times due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Rob Stewart, 30, and Bethany Griffin, 25, got engaged in 2018 and planned to marry this year – but the paramedics could never have imagined what 2020 had in store for them.

Bethany said: “We initially planned a wedding for March 25, however we went into full lockdown meaning it all got cancelled with a couple of days notice.

"We then decided to delay the wedding until March 2021 to give a chance for Covid-19 to be managed. When the Government then announced that wedding guests had been cut from 30 guests to 15 for the next six months, we quickly realised that there would be no way come March 2021 that we’d be allowed over 100 guests.

“We decided that getting married and being husband and wife was our priority so organised an intimate wedding for November 28 with the allowed 15 people limit, and delayed our ‘big wedding’ to 2022. Sadly, due to lockdown take two being declared, our intimate wedding got cancelled.

“So, undeterred, we organised a last minute intimate wedding for Wednesday November 4 with the registrar and our small venue, but then got contacted by the council the same day to say we couldn’t legally get married on Wednesday due to not having given notice of marriage more than 28 days ago. So then we had to cancel our last minute wedding too.

“All of our suppliers and wedding venues have thankfully been fabulous and very flexible with all that’s going on – as well as our managers at West Midlands Ambulance Service, they’ve been great in letting us move our shifts around last minute to try and get us married despite the pressures that are on the trust at the moment.”

Rob has been a qualified paramedic for three years, and has worked with West Midlands Ambulance Service for almost six years.

Bethany joined the ambulance service in 2017, and got her registration to be a paramedic in Worcester this year.

Both have admitted working through the pandemic has been challenging.

“We both found it very challenging and quite overwhelming,” said the couple. “There was suddenly a huge risk about going to work and catching the virus ourselves, and bringing it home to loved ones.

“We were faced with a lot of new challenges such as having to wear personal protective equipment to every patient, and in life threatening situations having to don a higher level of PPE which not only restricts movement but also communication to others, and delays getting to the patient.

“We did find, however, that members of the public were being very supportive and a lot more sensible about ringing for an ambulance.

“We received a lot of love from our neighbours and strangers, which definitely helped keep us motivated.

"We were also both very grateful that we were still employed and on 100 per cent pay compared to a lot of the country who were either being made redundant, furloughed or having their businesses go bust.”

Despite the adversity they have faced this year, the couple are not letting it get them down.

Bethany added: "We just try to focus on the positives, we’re lucky that we’ve still got each other and haven’t lost any loved ones to the virus.

“We’ve both got secure jobs and a stable income, unlike so many others. Rob is also very keen on fitness and exercise, and finds this very beneficial to keeping his mental health positive.

“I have admittedly struggled a lot this year but have had great support from work, friends and family who have kept me going.

“We’re currently in the process of buying a house which we aim to move into come December, and hope to have our first Christmas off together in our new home - we’re focusing on this as a positive and a hopefully be a great way of ending a rubbish year."