A HOSPITAL staff nurse couple are looking forward to their dream wedding next year, after winning a competition launched by Eskmills Venue, Musselburgh.

Sarah Hunter and Greg Turner, who work at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, will celebrate their big day in February next year.

The competition, which attracted almost 200 entrants, was set up by Hickory, the company that manages Eskmills Venue among its portfolio.

It was open to NHS Scotland hospital-based health practitioners and those involved in helping treat Covid-19 patients.

Sarah, a nurse who cares for premature babies in the neonatal unit, and Greg, who cares for very poorly patients in the acute medical unit, live together in Leith.

Sarah and Greg got engaged in March last year during a trip to Venice to celebrate Sarah’s 26th birthday.

As NHS Scotland frontline clinical workers, Sarah and Greg have felt the impact of providing increased emotional support to patients and families during the coronavirus crisis.

Sarah said: “Working during the Covid-19 pandemic has been very tough, so finding out we’ve been lucky enough to win this prize is amazing and has really lifted our spirits.

“As well as the challenges at work, it’s affected us personally. We’ve been passing ships in the night due to our shift patterns and we have both been missing our friends and family, too.

“Our friends and family are a huge part of our lives so knowing that we have this to look forward to and can all be together on our big day at such a great venue gives us something to look forward to.”

The prize draw gave entrants the chance to win an all-inclusive wedding worth around £12,000 at Eskmills Venue. The wedding will include exclusive use of Eskmills Venue, a converted riverside mill building in Musselburgh, with 80 day guests and an additional 40 evening guests. Drinks, canapés and a three-course wedding meal are included, alongside photography and videography from Tony Marsh Photography, classic wedding car from Edinburgh Classic Wedding Cars, a wedding dress from Christina Rae, bagpiper from GD Bagpiping, kilt hire from 8 Yards, stationery from 2Flux Stationery Studio, flowers from Liberty Blooms, and a three-tier wedding cake from Truly Scrumptious.

Stephanie Stubbs, deputy managing director of Hickory, said: “Sarah and Greg are great examples of the amazing NHS frontline staff who are doing such incredible and selfless work during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We’re so pleased for them and we’re looking forward to working with them to make plans for their big day at Eskmills Venue.”