Penicuik bride reunites with her granny on the way to her big day

A bride had her dream come true when she was able to share her long-awaited wedding day with her granny – in her Loanhead care home.

Jill Morton was able to reunite with her 93-year-old granny at Mansfield Care's Pine Villa Care Home in Loanhead, on the way to her wedding. Photo by Rachel Hein.

Dance instructor Jill Morton was determined to be reunited with 93-year-old Margaret Morton on her big day after they had to endure months of shielding and virtual calls. Although she had to rearrange the wedding three times due to the pandemic, Jill was able to have Margaret play a key role in her marriage to Murray Winton, thanks to help from Mansfield Care’s Pine Villa staff.

The team at the care home also set up a live stream of the ceremony and co-ordinated a socially distanced visit from Jill, her mother and father and the bridesmaids, before the official ceremony at Edinburgh’s Bruntsfield Hotel.

Jill, from Penicuik, said: “My granny Margaret has been so supportive and excited about the wedding, always asking about it and finding out how we are. So being able to see her and have her be a part of the wedding was really special.

Parents Mike and Ali Morton. Bride Jill Morton, grandmother Maragret Morton and bridesmaids Lesley Moffat, Sophie Dunlop, Ellen West and Abby Douglas. Photo by Rachel Hein.

“The staff also helped us arrange a live stream of the ceremony so that she could watch it from Pine Villa and celebrate with us.”

The reunion between Jill and her granny had been long-awaited after briefly seeing one another at the funeral of Jill’s grandfather in February. Jill said: “It was the first time I’d seen my granny in person since my grandpa’s funeral in February.

"That was a really hard time as my granny couldn’t be around family the way you usually would during a time of grieving. I was initially extremely sad about her not being able to come to the ceremony but the Pine Villa staff has been really great.

“They’ve made such a big effort to make a big deal of the wedding and arranged a celebration after the streamed ceremony and everything. A member of staff even helped my granny pick an outfit.

The wedding party visited the care home. Rachel Hein Photography

“Last September my granny and grandpa celebrated their 70th anniversary at Pine Villa. Between that and the funeral and now with the wedding, the staff have just been incredible.

“We’re a big family so we were all a bit nervous when the pandemic hit and we couldn’t visit, but the level of care and support Pine Villa has given has been remarkable. They have been really amazing for my gran and it’s put everyone’s mind at ease.”

Supporting her career from a young age, Jill’s granny and late grandpa always attended every dance show.

Jill said: “My granny and grandpa danced together all the time. They would go to dance evenings and do these incredible partner dances together.

"They’ve always been very supportive and interested in my career and that side of my life so it’s really special being able to share that passion together.”