Wedding bells chimed at Sanctuary Care’s Chadwell House Residential Care Home in Essex after 87-year-old Grandmother, Julia Cox, was surprised with a wedding reception for her granddaughter after she was unable to attend the real ceremony.
Julia, a resident at Chadwell House Residential Care Home, which provides dementia, residential and respite care for older people, was overjoyed when her granddaughter Hannah Lee (age 30) and grandson-in-law Thomas (age 31) recreated the special day.
With the help of the team at the Sanctuary Care home, who strive to enrich the lives of their residents and the people close to their hearts, the wedding party was arranged for the bride’s family and the care home residents.
A local musician entertained the guests while they enjoyed a dance and the traditional cake-cutting ceremony, with a hand-baked wedding cake prepared by the care home’s Head Chef Pillay Sookalingum.
Recalling the special day, bride Hannah Lee commented:
“We were heartbroken that my nan was unable to make it to our wedding ceremony. When discussing options, we thought ‘why don’t we take the wedding to her?’ but we weren’t sure that it would be possible. Thankfully, the team at Chadwell House Residential Care Home were extremely kind and helped to arrange the whole celebration.
“My nan loves dancing, so she had a wonderful time! We are really grateful that we were able to share a taste of our special day with her.”
Dressed to impress in their wedding attire, the bride and groom posed for photographs in the care home garden with Grandmother Julia, as they celebrated their nuptials in the Essex sunshine.
Julia Cox, Hannah’s grandmother, said:
“I was so pleased to celebrate with Hannah and Thomas and see my granddaughter in her wedding dress, she looked beautiful – as always! I am delighted for them both, it was a beautiful and wonderful day.”
Nicolas Kee Mew, Home Manager at Chadwell House Residential Care Home, commented:
“Julia was upset about missing her granddaughter’s big day but being able to celebrate with her family meant the world to her. All of our residents and staff were very excited and worked hard to make it a special occasion. Julia is still talking about the wedding!”
“Just like any family, we do everything we can to make the people we care for smile, ensuring our residents feel happy and fulfilled. Having the opportunity to recreate this milestone for Julia and Hannah is just one example of how our teams work closely with our residents and their loved ones to deliver person-centred care.”
Sanctuary Care, which has been delivering trusted care to older people for over 20 years, has an ambitious mission to enrich the lives of all their residents and their families. For more information visit www.sanctuary-care.co.uk.
