Camelon couple thrown 'nearly married' party after coronavirus postpones wedding

Tony McCheyne (60) and Shirley McLauchlan (50) were supposed to get married last Friday at Falkirk Golf Club and then go on honeymoon in Mexico for two weeks.

The duo, who are both care assistants at Airthrey Care Home in Airth, were instead treated to a surprise bash at their place of work by fellow staff and residents where they were presented with a cake.

The care home’s employees had also decorated a trishaw and made donations of flowers, jewellery and a veil for the occasion.

With their wedding now rescheduled for May 7 next year, Tony and Shirley have already begun planning the 2021 version as personalised items including tumblers and a cake topper will have to be altered.

Tony, who is originally from Grangemouth, was self-employed as a taxi driver prior to the Covid-19 outbreak and had only been in his new job a matter of weeks when his colleagues laid on the mock-up ceremony.

He said: “It was a total surprise! I’ve only been working here for about five weeks.

“Shirley was upset that morning when we should’ve been married and both of us were on shift.

“The next thing, the girls had got together and got me into a bow tie and a tuxedo and they’d designed a dress and tiara for Shirley and were sorting her hair for a fake wedding. It was really nice.

“Afterwards we went home and had a couple of gins because it was a 12-and-a-half-hour shift!”

Having met his wife-to-be on a night out a year-and-a-half ago, Tony is looking forward to making up for their postponed wedding in a year’s time.

He added: “We’ll get it sorted, it’s just one of those things. There’s nothing we can do.

“I would like to thank Rebecca McLaughlin, the manager, and the rest of the staff for the surprise.”