An elderly couple got married after falling in love in a care home.

Marion, 81 and Stuart Potter, 78, fell in love at Cote Lane Residential Village in Bristol after first getting together in July 2017 over a coffee.

The two soon became an item, and Mr Potter did not waste any time in proposing and popped the question on New Year’s Eve while they were on a boat in Madeira.

Care home marriage
Marion and Stuart Potter got married after falling in love in a Bristol care home (RichMcD Photography/St Monica Trust)

Describing the first time they met, Mrs Potter said: “I looked at him, and my stomach flipped over and came up into my throat.

“We got together in July 2017 and got engaged on New Year’s Eve of 2017 on a ship in Madeira. It was so romantic.”

The pair tied the knot in the summer of 2018, arriving at the church in an open top Morris Minor.

Mr Potter said: “I asked her to marry me because she is very beautiful and I was in love with her.

“Meeting Marion for coffee was the best decision I have made, we had long conversations and joked together and it made me feel so happy to be with each other.

“I lost no time following our meeting to get serious.

“Amazingly we felt so much love for each other in a short space of time and on a cruise ship at midnight in the Port of Madeira we became engaged and within six months we were married.”

Care home marriage
Marion and Stuart Potter (RichMcD Photography/St Monica Trust)

His wife said the secret to a good relationship was “really having to trust one another and have respect for each other”.

“It is about knowing that person and knowing how they are feeling by looking at them,” she said.

“We also talk a lot which is so important and sometimes we are still talking at 2am.

“We are so glad we have met each other. We don’t know how long we have got, so we are making the most of it.”

The couple live at the residential village which is run by St Monica Trust.

Meanwhile, a survey has revealed that a quarter of staff say their residents have fallen in love in a care home.

The poll was carried out by home reviews site, carehome.co.uk, and quizzed 2,803 care home owners, managers and staff.

Other findings revealed 23% think residents should be allowed visits from sex workers, while 2% say their residents do actually receive visits from sex workers.

Sue Learner, editor of carehome.co.uk, said: “These findings show life doesn’t end when you go into a care home and in fact they can be a hotbed for romance.

“Adults of all ages have emotional and physical needs and it is ageist to presume older people are not interested in relationships.”