BC couple get married in Ontario for long term care as a small wedding becomes a community event

Sarah Joy Hopkin says her original plan was to get married next summer, but when the Vancouver native learned her mother’s health was deteriorating, the date was pushed back a year and the event held at a care home in Waterloo, Ont. good idea.

“There’s really nothing more I wanted, except … to have my mom present,” Hopkin, who is getting married today, said this week while standing at her mom’s bedside.

After a few recent health issues left her mother bedridden, Hopkin decided to take the wedding to Waterloo’s Parkwood Seniors Community, also known as Parkwood Mennonite Home, where Judi Hopkin could get the support she needed to attend the ceremony and receive invaluable gifts. to spend time with her. daughter.

Judi was put on palliative care and given several months to live, but she was in good spirits the days before the wedding.

“I thought, ‘Oh, please take me to the wedding. Take me to the wedding,'” she said.

Judi has spent the past three years at Parkwood Seniors Community in a form of isolation similar to one for COVID-19. Her condition has made mobility almost impossible.

“I really only know this room,” she said, adding that the wedding “opened up all of Parkwood to me in a lot of ways.”

Getting married is talking about LTC home

Originally, her daughter requested a small, immediate family ceremony in Judy’s room for her wedding to Chris Jimmo.

Speaking to Parkwood’s executive director, Christine Normandeau, she thought she would be met with hesitation, especially so soon after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted. But Normandeau thought they could do more.

“I just loved it,” Normandeau said

What was a private family event has now become “the talk of the town,” said Sarah Joy Hopkin.

In addition to being approved, the ceremony has been moved to the facility’s Fellowship Hall, the largest room in the house.

Parkwood also provides flowers, piano tuning, extra cleaning, access to audiovisual equipment and use of the kitchen, the bride-to-be said. It is expected that 70 guests will attend the event.

“We never imagined this would be possible. The Parkwood staff did everything they could to make this day a joyful celebration of love and community.”

Judi’s personal assistant, Jaime Kissack, will also be there for the big day.

“I think this is really exciting,” said Kissack, who said it was such a positive event to focus on after the pandemic. “From the start, Judi and I really clicked. I mean, she’s pretty sweet,” she said.

“She’s really comfortable with me and I’ll make sure she’s comfortable. Whatever she needs, I’m here.”

Other residents are also involved in the preparations. Prior to Saturday’s ceremony, a table of mid-20th century wedding photos was displayed alongside wedding dresses, which have been kept in pristine condition over the years.

Normandeau praised the importance of the display and how it “provides meaningful opportunities for people to reflect and reminisce”.

“This wedding has enabled so many people to come together on something that is truly a meaningful ceremony of life, one that everyone can support.”

From bumpy start to ‘I do’

Hopkin met Jimmo just before BC’s COVID-19 lockdown began. The couple matched on not one, but two separate online dating sites.

“Obviously we had to get out,” said Jimmo.

For their first date, Jimmo brought Hopkin, who was a non-drinking vegetarian at the time, to Vancouver’s Shameful Tiki Room, a cocktail bar that specializes in meat dishes. Jimmo, who works on visual effects for TV, said he discovered during the date that Hopkin didn’t even have a TV.

“I was like, maybe I’ll get a second date, but probably not,” he said. “Three strokes, done.”

Hopkin’s first impression was Jimmo’s attention to detail.

“He had the Hawaiian shirt to match the decor of the tiki room. And the tiki room is a very difficult restaurant to get into. They don’t take reservations,” she said. “I was impressed with the effort he put in.”

Jimmo then admitted that he spent half an hour in the pouring rain, making sure they got in.

They casually dated for the next three months “and then happened to move in with each other. He moved in with me at the onset of COVID,” Hopkin said.

“It just kind of went from there.”

I walk down the aisle to the Elvis tune

A bigger wedding for Hopkin means more friends and family can be there for the big day.

Good friends will provide the music and the cupcakes, while her uncle will perform. Hopkin’s sister is the bridesmaid and the bridesmaids are her nieces, ages 11 and 13.

“It’s kind of like community expansion. It’s really been a community,” Hopkin said.

She will walk down the aisle to 70 voices singing Elvis Can’t help falling in love.

“I told my mother that, and that was one of the songs that was very special to her and my father. So it came full circle.”

Judi said that to be able to attend the wedding, “to me, that’s just so empowering.”

She said everyone at Parkwood went the extra mile and she was touched by the effort.

“From the top to the caretakers and the chaplain – just everyone has been so wonderful to make sure I can do what I can to be a part of this,” said Judi. “It really makes sense.”