Couple tie the knot in mock wedding day

ARUNCORN couple who had to cancel their wedding due to coronavirus have had a surprise wedding ceremony at Asda in Widnes.

Katie Gilbert, 25, who works in store as a section leader, had planned to marry fiancée Curtis Rourke, 27, on May 23.

The couple, both from Runcorn, were devastated when they realised their planned date could not go ahead.

But colleagues at Katie’s workplace had been planning to do something to cheer the couple up in place of their big day, which had to be rescheduled to 2021.

Staff secretly organised a surprise wedding party at the store for the couple.

They had laid on a buffet, sourced a cake and had written speeches, and even found a singer to entertain guests and a colleague to dress as a vicar – all to make it feel just like the real thing.

Katie said: “I started to get a bit emotional. We went up to the canteen and I saw the sign on the door ‘welcome to Katie & Curtis’ celebration.’

“I was so overwhelmed that when I walked into the room I just put my head in my hands and started to cry. I didn’t even notice Curtis, my mum and my friend were standing there.

“When I saw the effort everyone had put into it I just couldn’t believe it.

“I had no idea. I had tried to go into the canteen that morning and the cleaning manager said that I couldn’t go in because they were polishing the floor. I’d been going round all day telling colleagues to turn around and go back the other way.”

One of the store’s security guards dressed up as a vicar for the occasion and another colleague, who works on the checkouts, sang at the ‘wedding’.

Katie and Curtis, who have been together for six years, have now had to rearrange their special day to July 2021, more than 400 days away.

Ruth Houghton, Widnes store manager, said: “Katie has had to move her wedding from this weekend until next July. Despite this huge disappointment, she has been in work every day, leading her team and always with her smile on her face.

“We wanted to do something special to let her know how much we appreciate her, so we secretly arranged a wedding breakfast and sourced decorations, a cake, a wedding singer and a vicar. We even had speeches and social distancing dancing!

“I have been doing this job for a long time and I was overwhelmed by my team’s resolve to create a special day for Katie. It was great to see Katie’s reaction and how our small gesture made such a big difference. It’s like we had a real wedding in the store. We’re all still talking about it even now.”