QUINCY, MASS. (WHDH) - As the World Cup brings fans from around the world to Massachusetts, one Scottish couple’s travels to the state went from an exciting soccer trip, to the wedding of a lifetime Wednesday.
Scotland’s Owen and Paula Quigley got engaged nine years ago, on June 17, 2017. They said they had always planned to get married on their tenth anniversary, but when Scotland qualified for the World Cup, they changed their plans.
“We said if Scotland qualified, we would pull it forward a year, we’ll go to the World Cup and get married while we are over there,” Paula said.
Planning a wedding from across the Atlantic Ocean proved difficult, so Paula turned to Facebook for help. Jim Lever, a Scotland native who lives in Massachusetts, responded to her post.
“I just offered help, they were like, ‘Jim, fantastic, could you tell us about how to go about this,'” Lever said.
Lever stayed in touch with the couple and even traveled to Scotland in January, where they met in person. He said that was when the couple asked him to officiate their wedding in the United States.
“The friendship just developed and developed, this is where we are now. A lovely day today,” Lever said.
The couple’s friends who are in town for the World Cup were also able to celebrate alongside them at their reception at The View restaurant in Quincy.
“Anyone we have met in Boston has been so kind, it’s been wonderful,” said Sandra Quigley, Owen’s mother.
“It was a bit surreal, but absolutely lovely,” said Andrea Ralston, Paula’s mother.
Now the newlyweds and their son are planning to watch Scotland take on Morocco at Boston Stadium on Friday – the match serving as the first stop on their honeymoon.
“The atmosphere, the buzz in the city, is unbelievable, the fans are unbelievable,” Paula said.
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