Love blossomed when Wayne Griffin met his soon-to-be wife Ruth Laurie on the production lines at JCB. The couple first fell for one another as they built engines at the JCB Power Systems factory at Foston, Derbyshire. Three years later, Wayne, 32, proposed to Ruth, 29, at the pub where they had their first date… and wedding plans were hatched.
They will tie the knot later this month in front of the famous Blacksmith’s Anvil at Gretna Green watched by close family and friends. And Wayne’s best man will be John Rogers – a close friend and colleague who works alongside him at JCB.
Assembly Operative Ruth, of Mackworth, Derby, who now works on the Hydradig sub-assembly line at the JCB Heavy Products factory in Uttoxeter, said: “I started work at JCB in 2011 and got on with Wayne from the start. He had a good sense of humour and things went from there.
“We went for our first date at the Seven Wells public house at Etwall, in Derby, in late 2012 and things began to blossom. Then on the 12th September , 2015, Wayne proposed to me at the same pub – it was a lovely, romantic gesture and I immediately said yes.”
JCB Power Systems Build Engineer Wayne, who is originally from Draycott, Stoke-on-Trent but now lives with Ruth in Derby, said: “It will be brilliant being surrounded by close family and friends for the ceremony at such a fantastic setting – Gretna Green really is world famous so it will be great to be there.”
Among the other guests will be Wayne’s four-year old son Zachary and Wayne and Ruth’s two-year-old son Finley. The wedding ceremony takes place on Saturday, May 27th and the couple will take their honeymoon later in the year at Black Rock Sands in Porthmadog, Wales. They also intend to climb Snowdon – Wales’ tallest mountain – during the romantic break.