A BRIDE has praised nurses at Royal Bournemouth Hospital for going “above and beyond” after they helped organise her wedding.

Emma Shrewsbury, 41, from Christchurch, was diagnosed with sarcoidosis, a chronic lung disease, in July 2016.

She and her partner Ian, who have been together for nine years, had been due to get married on March 1, 2019.

However, Emma’s condition has deteriorated in recent months and after receiving devastating and unexpected news recently, the couple made the decision to bring their wedding day forward.

Emma and Ian were married next to the lake at Royal Bournemouth Hospital on Saturday, October 27.

The ceremony, which was arranged in little over 24 hours, was attended by close family and hospital staff who have been looking after Emma.

Emma said: “To say we appreciate what the staff here have done is a vast understatement. The care they have given has been faultless and they have gone above and beyond in every aspect.”

Ian said: “I spoke with the registrar on Saturday morning and the staff dealt with everything else. The little touches were really very special and made the day unforgettable for us. One of the staff even played the wedding march – we couldn’t have asked for more.”

A wedding cake, decorations, flowers and bottles of bubbly were donated by the nearby Tesco Extra store in Riverside Avenue.

The reception was also held at the hospital with Emma and Ian ordering a Chinese meal to be delivered for the guests and ward staff.

Mel Ivory, ward sister, said: “Emma and Ian are such lovely people and so the team and I were thrilled to be able to help them. It was a real team effort and is a wedding that I certainly won’t forget.”