See how other couples celebrated their big day with wedding stories and ideas from County Wedding Magazines' Real Weddings features.
The couple describe their meeting as 'a swipe right romance', meeting on Bumble some six years ago. Since then, they've fallen in love over a shared obsession of listening to vinyl, going to gigs and learning new instruments. Megan tells us, "Everyone was surprised when we got engaged as we're not a couple based on tradition. However, it was the easiest yes in the world. Ollie took me to the pub where we first met, and as we walked up to it, he asked where I had stood whilst I waited for him. As I pointed out the spot, he took the ring out of his pocket, went down on one knee and held out the most perfect engagement ring; a diamond set between two skulls. That evening we did exactly what we did on our first date, visited every pub again and got a donner kebab on the way home, perfect!"
Paige and Joel met in 2015 through mutual friends on an unplanned night out. Following a summer getting to know each other attending festivals and going on holidays, the couple knew things were getting serious. Soon enough Paige and Joel became homeowners and soon the pitter patter paws of a puppy came along, Koba!
Annalisse and Greg had known each other as teenagers, but it wasn't until they matched on Tinder that they really connected. "When I got the notification, I pulled the car over so that I could message her straight back, she'd always had a special place in my heart," Greg remembers. "Since then there hasn't been a single day we haven't spoken. It was always meant to be," Annalisse continues.
Kara and Robbie met nine years ago when Kara signed up to take part in a charity boxing match that Robbie was coaching. "The first thing he ever said to me was 'how many fingers am I holding up?' after a roller derby girl smashed me in the face while sparring," says Kara. "Our relationship blossomed and in May 2022, Robbie proposed during a weekend away in Amsterdam."
Nicky and Scott met on a dating website. "Our first date consisted of drinks and a meal," says Nicky. "We found that we had a connection straight away and Scott consistently made me laugh and was a complete gentleman."
Staci and Adam met at a networking event at Worcester Racecourse. "A couple of years later, we matched with each other on a dating app and our relationship quickly blossomed," says Staci. "Adam is a big horseracing fan and I've started going with him occasionally, which is funny since we first met each other at the races."
When Sherene was looking to have her bathroom redone Horace was recommended to her by a friend. She called him to arrange a time to give her a quote and ended up chatting on the phone for 20 minutes. When he turned up on her doorstep, eyes lit up on both sides but they didn't get together for a further two years, even though Sherene kept asking him back to do more work!
Amber and Jack met through a mutual friend, and Amber straight away found herself attracted to Jack's sense of humour. We fast forward a few years and the couple, now parents, were in their garden for a gathering to celebrate their little girl's birthday, when Jack got down on one knee and popped the question. "We'd spoken about it for a long time, I'd even picked out a ring, but it was still a surprise," Amber remembers.
These lovebirds initially met while working together on a ward at a local NHS hospital during the Covid-19 pandemic. They started dating as restrictions subsided and restaurants opened again. They were both attracted to the fact they were hard-working and intelligent while also being caring and compassionate in their work.
These lovebirds met through a mutual friend and hit it off immediately one evening at a bar – the rest is history! Paddy proposed in December 2022 while putting the Christmas decorations up in their first home together. Vicky comments, "It was perfect as he knows I didn't like a fuss; this was so intimate and very much a surprise!"
These lovebirds would always see each other around but started talking during sixth form, where Alice was instantly attracted to Ryan's humour. She officially became his girlfriend in 2012 after he came back from his first year at university – the rest is history! Alice has been going on family holidays to Cornwall since childhood! So naturally, Ryan joined these special trips over the years. On 17th April 2021, Ryan proposed on Porthminster Beach in St Ives, which was a complete surprise! Alice comments, "We'd already been together for nine years, so all of our friends and family asked when he would pop the question, but I was never expecting it. He asked the question the evening before my parents arrived so that we could enjoy the rest of the trip celebrating with my family."Here, the bride shares details about their special day...
These lovebirds met at ASOS in 2017, a few months after Chloe had started at the company. Two of her friends spotted Jack, who had just completed his induction, and they knew he would be her type! Chloe says, "It wasn't long before they acted as our dating gurus, and we shortly exchanged numbers. A week later, Jack organised a brilliant date night at Cote in St Albans, and it was clear after our first date we were attracted to one another. We had lots in common with the same life values."
These lovebirds met on their first day of university! Hannah says, "We wouldn't say it was love at first sight, but it was friends at first sight! We were extremely close throughout this time, and our relationship blossomed!" Jay proposed on Barricane Beach in September 2021 – a complete surprise for Hannah. It was his third attempt in the four days they were away.
Gem and Matt met at university and soon discovered a lot in common both in terms of interests and values. They became friends, and even now, after their relationship blossomed into something much more, Matt still says that Gem is his best mate. During lockdown the couple converted an old school mini bus into a campervan and planned a four-week trip around the UK for when it was completed in the summer of '21, taking them from Durdle Door to the NC 500 in Scotland. When they arrived at the campsite at their first stop and finished setting up, they headed down to the beach at Durdle Door for a sunset walk. It was at this romantic spot right on the shoreline, that Matt proposed. "I was completely shocked and so happy," Gem tells us.
These lovebirds met while working on Blue Peter during a team lunch, and their smiles attracted them to each other. After chatting back and forth via emails, followed by a friend's leaving do, the pair decided to go on a date. They played 20 questions over dinner, then spent a further four hours talking in the car till 2 am before Bec flew off to Australia for a couple of months. They didn't want to make anything official too quickly, but Tim picked her up from Heathrow when she returned, and the rest is history
Soon after they met online Katie and Kieron set up their first date. When they met at a local pub there was an instant attraction, neither could stop smiling and both knew this felt different.
Hannah and Andrew were friends before becoming a couple. "We started secondary school together where we were in the same tutor group," Hannah tells us. "We both went off to different colleges and then universities but when we moved home, we started hanging out again. We finally became a couple in 2013 and our new adventure began. We went travelling together, came back and purchased our first house and then our beautiful puppy, Rio, came along at the end of 2020. Having our long friendship as our beginning means we have seen each other for who we are."
Lydia and Damien met at university and quickly became great friends, bonding over laughter, silliness and a shared love of festivals and animals. It wasn't until six years later though that their loyal friendship turned into something more and they began dating.
Daisy and Chris met via Instagram. "It transpired that our paths had nearly crossed at various stages of our lives," Daisy tells us. "At one point, our parents lived one street away from one another; we attended the same high school (although Chris had finished before I joined) and we almost both ended up at the same university! We bonded over our love of the television sitcom Friends, our family values and our passion for travel. We also both quickly discovered how particular we both are — a useful trait when you want to be super organised planning a wedding!"
Kimberley and Charles met when Kimberley was based in Cheltenham and Charles was located in Birmingham. "We shared a similar sense of humour and Charles' confidence and charisma attracted me to him," Kimberley tells us. "Kimberley's kind nature and thoughtfulness drew me to her," Charles adds.
Rosie and Jordi met through mutual friends at Glastonbury Festival back in 2013, and their wedding day took place 10 years later to the day, which couldn't have been more poignant for them. During a tense time for the country, in December 2021, while we were in lockdown but permitted a day to mix with one other household, Jordi proposed in front of Rosie's family at her home. "Safe to say, everyone needed a reason to celebrate at that time and we definitely did that," Rosie says.
Chloe and Matt met at a mutual friend's birthday party when they were 18. There was an initial attraction but they didn't exchange numbers until the following year after bumping into each other again at a club in Bristol. After some texting back and forth they went on their first date and the rest is history.
Frances and Tom met when they both worked for Jack Wills in Marlow. "A few years later, I liked Tom's new profile picture on Facebook and we reconnected instantly and it was the start of our love story!" Frances tells us. "We went on our first date later that week and for our second date, Tom took me for drinks at Aqua in The Shard - he was trying to impress me! We didn't stop talking and laughing all night - I knew he was someone very special."
Joanna and Dan met at school. "I went to his sixth form and we were best friends and started dating after we finished school," Joanna tells us. "We went travelling around South America before moving to London from Reading. To propose, Dan took me to Hampstead Heath one Sunday and asked me to marry him. We enjoyed a pub dinner afterwards and as a surprise, he had pre-arranged for my friends and family to be there!"
Lucy and Harvey met at a friend's wedding in 2016 when Lucy was a bridesmaid and Harvey was a groomsman. "We met the day before the wedding and immediately hit it off," Lucy tells us. Harvey adds, "I spent the morning of the wedding wondering if it was ok to ask the groom if Lucy was single! She looked stunning as a bridesmaid and it soon became clear that there was something special between us."
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