Working the night shift at Asda doesn’t sound like the most likely place for romance, but for newlyweds John and Traci Gray, it was just that.
The pair, who tied the knot in front of friends, family and colleagues earlier this month, met in 2015 when both joined the team at Asda Blantyre.
While it wasn’t love at first sight, after two years of friendship, romance blossomed on the aisles.
“After a couple of years working together, we both found ourselves single,” says Traci. “We carried on as mates for ages – I was even keen for updates when John took a couple of women out for coffee!
“But gradually I started to notice his sparkly eyes and looked forward to seeing him at work because he was always smiling and happy.”
It was the intervention of a night shift colleague that set the wheels in motion.
“A mutual friend from the security team stepped in and said, ‘Enough is enough, you two need to give it a go,’” recalls Traci, 50.
Within a year, the couple were living together and got engaged last October.
Traci says: “We hadn’t planned to get married, but we were at John’s son’s wedding last summer and we had such a brilliant time we thought we’d love to do it ourselves.”
Despite plans for a small ceremony with just one Asda colleague and her partner attending as witnesses, the couple’s wedding on August 7th ended up as a huge celebration with around 120 guests – including around two dozen current and former Asda colleagues.
Traci says: “It went from just four of us in a registry office to me having a flower girl and the whole lot in a parish church recommended by my friend from work – who wore her Asda uniform to the ceremony.
“Not just that, but I loved the church so much when I first went to visit, my mum and I are now regulars, and John, who left Asda a couple of years ago, comes along when he can. We had a DJ, a table full of favours and my son even dashed out during the reception to pick up my favourite chocolates from Asda.”
With a couple of laugh-out-loud moments during the day, including John, 52, calling his bride “Sarah Traci” instead of “Traci Sarah” at the altar, Traci says it was a perfect day to celebrate their marriage.
“It wasn’t the smoothest of days with one or two hiccups along the way,” she says. “But we had the most fun and amazing time with all our friends, family and loved ones. It was extra special to have so many of our pals there from Asda, where it all started, to help us celebrate.”
