Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Nurse And Doctor Get Married At Hospital Where They Work After Pandemic Cancels Their Wedding

Nurse And Doctor Get Married At Hospital Where They Work After Pandemic Cancels Their Wedding
Jann Tipping and Annalan Navaratnam sent champagne to their guests' houses for the reception (Rebecca Carpenter Photography)

A nurse and doctor who were forced to cancel their wedding due to the pandemic have got married at the hospital where they work.

Jann Tipping, 34, and Annalan Navaratnam, 30, took time out from their frontline work in battling the virus to tie the knot in the Grade II listed chapel at London's St. Thomas' Hospital.


Guests enjoyed their special day remotely, thanks to one of the witnesses who live-streamed the service so that friends and family could watch.

The couple, of Tulse Hill, south London, had canceled their original plans to wed in August amid fears their families would not be able to travel safely from Northern Ireland and Sri Lanka for the big day.

Then, rather than postpone, they decided to move the wedding forward and got a special go-ahead from the hospital's chaplaincy team for a private wedding ceremony.

Ms. Tipping, an ambulatory emergency nurse, 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. We wanted to make sure we could celebrate while we were all still able to."
“The chaplaincy team worked hard to get permission for us to be married, which we appreciated greatly at a time when so much was going on."
“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."

She described it as an “intimate" and “lovely" wedding but said it felt “surreal" getting married in the hospital where they work.

She added: 

“St. Thomas' is such a special place to us both, and especially to me, having been here for the last six years. Now there is an extra reason why it's so important to us."

Ms. Tipping described it as “a nice thing to happen in the middle of an anxious time."

Mr. Navaratnam, an acute medical registrar who has been working at St. Thomas' for a year, added: 

“Jann and I wanted to get married from the moment I proposed. We're so happy that we have been able to commit ourselves to one another and that the hospital has been able to support us to do that."

After hearing about the wedding, Health Secretary Matt Hancock tweeted: 

“This is lovely."

The newlyweds hosted a virtual drinks reception for their guests – who had champagne for the reception sent to their homes in advance – which included their first dance and speeches.

Just Reverend Mia Hilborn, the newlyweds, and two witnesses were inside the chapel for the April 24 ceremony.

Reverend Hilborn said: 

“At such a challenging time for staff, as chaplains we strive to offer as much support as we can. We know how upsetting it is to need to delay big celebratory events such as weddings so we are happy to talk to any staff who need to postpone their wedding to see how we can help."
“I was delighted to be able to get special permission to marry Jann and Annalan in the beautiful chapel at St. Thomas'. It was a lovely service and I was thrilled to be part of it."

More from News

Country Singer Gavin Adcock went on a drunken rant over Beyonce's "Cowboy Carter" success.
Danielle Del Valle/Getty Images; Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

Country singer rants over Beyoncé album

Country singer Gavin Adcock became the title of his next album, “Own Worst Enemy,” after going on an unhinged rant about the legitimacy of Beyoncé's Grammy-winning and record-breaking Cowboy Carter in the country music genre.

Adcock, whose upcoming album is set for release next month, was filmed during a live performance last weekend, complaining that Beyoncé and her album are not “country music.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Dionne Warwick; Tiny Chef
Astrida Valigorsky/Getty Images; @ToonHive/X

Dionne Warwick Is Ready To Go To War With Nickelodeon Over 'Tiny Chef' Cancellation

You know your campaign against a show's cancellation is achieving widespread attention when you get people like venerated singer Dionne Warwick advocating for you.

Nickelodeon's The Tiny Chef Show was recently cancelled, much to the dismay of its viewers and creators. It was also a genuinely surprising decision, since the show has won an Emmy.

Keep ReadingShow less
Woman relaxing in sunhat and sunglasses
Photo by Jordan Bauer on Unsplash

People Explain Which 'Small Luxuries' They Can't Live Without

Many of us have committed to being fairly financially frugal and not overspending on silly, unnecessary things.

That is to say, sometimes, it's fun to splurge on something one time to see what it's like to experience that small luxury.

Keep ReadingShow less
two women in emotional distress seated on couch
Ben White on Unsplash

People Who've Experienced Grief Share The Most Tone-Deaf Things They've Heard

Grief, loss, trauma are all part of life. But for most people, the emotions and reactions that go with them are difficult to witness.

So they rely on platitudes to fill any holes in conversation. That's rarely a good idea.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
Mehmet Eser/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

Trump Demands 'Boss Of AT&T' Fix Equipment After Failed Conference Call In Bizarre Meltdown

When most of us have technical difficulties, we contact tech support or customer service.

But if you're President of the United States, just ranting on social media—then having your White House Press Secretary post a screenshot of your post on a social media platform people actually use—is apparently the answer.

Keep ReadingShow less