Moment couple were surprised with flowers and confetti from supermarket staff on what should have been their wedding day

A South Shields couple whose wedding day was postponed due to coronavirus were lavished with gifts and confetti by supermarket staff on what should have been their big day.
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Stew Fox, a carer, and his partner, hairdresser James Johnson, were due to tie the knot at South Shields registry office on Friday, April 24.

Instead they found themselves queuing for their weekly shop at Morrisons, Stew for his mother, James for themselves – and all within social distancing rules.

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Their casual chat about what they should really have been doing was overheard by staff who, unbeknown to the couple, tried to make it up to them as they left the store. The touching moment was captured on camera. Stew, 54, and James 29 were both grateful and delighted.

James Johnson, left, with Stew Fox with the gifts from Morrisons staff on what should have been their wedding day.James Johnson, left, with Stew Fox with the gifts from Morrisons staff on what should have been their wedding day.
James Johnson, left, with Stew Fox with the gifts from Morrisons staff on what should have been their wedding day.

Stew said: “We didn’t expect anything. We were in the queue and we were just chatting away. We should have been in the registry office at 11am.

“The staff presented us with two bouquets of flowers and a bottle of Prosecco. They made their own confetti too. It was just lovely. It was really, really nice. It’s something they didn’t have to do and it’s made our day.

“The weather’s beautiful and it would have been a great wedding day. But I know it’s not just us. There’s a million-and-one people out there who have been affected.

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“We’re going to postpone it until 2021. We were going to wear Hawaiian shirts and shorts, but they’re put away until next year now.”

Stew and James had been planning their wedding since last August, complete with a reception in the New Ship on Sunderland Road. They were also supposed to be spending their honeymoon in Cyprus, but that too was not to be.

However, they are now looking forward to their rearranged wedding on April 16 next year. It will be a triple celebration as James will turn 30 and Stew’s mum 80 the same month.

Meanwhile they have nothing but praise for the supermarket’s staff as they struggle under current conditions.

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Stew added: “They’re doing the best they can and to do that for us is wonderful. I was emotional, but I wasn’t going to cry on camera.”

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