See how other couples celebrated their big day with wedding stories and ideas from County Wedding Magazines' Real Weddings features.
Sam and Matt first met online and after a few dates, everything started to fall into place. Sam says, "We had dinner at Matt's before I drove us to the cinema to see the remake of the Star Wars franchise. A Madonna track came on in the car and Matt thought, 'wow this guy has taste'."
Matt proposed while the pair was on holiday in Las Vegas. Initially, he wanted to pop the question on the first night while having dinner, but he hadn't accounted for the jet lag, time difference and the seven glasses each of champagne. The next intimate opportunity was after a Cher concert. Sam comments, "I had got the event's start time wrong, so the evening mood wasn't great when we turned up and Cher was finishing the last few songs. While watching the performance, Matt had disappeared behind me and reappeared on one knee. He had to ask if I was okay as I cried a lot and if it was a yes or no – of course, I said yes!"
Sara and Luke met in 2012 on Twitter. "Following our online friendship, we started writing letters to each other, and one day, we decided to meet up," says Sara. "We didn't live near each other, so we never thought anything of our relationship other than a friendship. However, once we met, we were inseparable, and Luke asked me to be his girlfriend. From 2012 until 2018, we had a long-distance relationship whilst we completed our studies. We would travel by train to see each other, spending our weekends and school holidays together. Once we started our careers, we moved in with my parents while we saved for our house, which we bought in 2019. Over the years, we have grown together as a couple and become a team. A lot has changed in the past 10 years, but our friendship and love for each other has been consistent and grown stronger."
Luke proposed in April 2020. "It was a spontaneous moment," shares the bride. "He said that he had been thinking about it for a while, and one day he just went for it. He proposed during the first national lockdown at home. We were in bed, and he just randomly asked me. I was shocked, and it was a complete surprise! We had a Zoom party that evening with our family, and we shared the news with them and celebrated virtually. Because of COVID-19, we were reluctant to start wedding plans, however, in May 2021, we started the search and booked our wedding for later in the year."
Chloe and Ray met, covered in neon paint, following their university's freshers week foam party. And from celebratory beginnings came a festive proposal. While putting up the decorations at Christmas in 2019 Ray produced several tree baubles he'd made featuring photos of the two of them. When they were finished they stepped back to admire the tree, Michael Buble's Christmas songs playing in the background – "I remember thinking what a lovely moment it was," Chloe says. But it was about to get even better, as Ray announced he had one more decoration to add. He handed her a handmade box, which contained a hand-painted ceramic disc with a Christmas tree on one side and on the other, as she turned it over to discover, were the words, "Will you marry me?" As she looked up she found Ray on one knee holding out her engagement ring, and somewhere amongst the happy tears Chloe managed to say, "Yes."
Despite meeting at a festival in Wales aged just 16 and 17, Abbie and Greg didn't really start getting to know each other until Greg sent Abbie a Facebook message a few months later. After a few dates at the beach, the pair realised they wanted to be together. "Greg says he was first attracted to my smile, while I loved how he could make me laugh until my stomach hurt – in fact he still does every day," Abbie tells us.
In 2017, Greg surprised Abbie with a trip to Iceland for her 21st birthday, and while there they decided to take a Northern Lights tour in the hopes they'd be kind enough to show themselves. However, by the time it reached 1am and the Northern Lights still hadn't materialised, Abbie decided it was time to call it a night and try again another day. But, Greg suggested they take just one last picture. He set up the camera on a timer, and as the flash went off he got down on one knee and asked Abbie to marry him. "It was the best feeling in the world and The Northern Lights appeared five seconds later. I couldn't have asked for a better proposal," Abbie shares.
Bryony and Zoe attended the same secondary school where they became best friends. "We shared similar interests and our friendship grew stronger after we left school," they tell us. "Five years later, we fell in love and purchased a house together."
The couple became engaged on 26th June 2019 when Bryony proposed to Zoe at Bigbury on Sea beach in Devon. "I couldn't think of anything better than having Zoe as my wife," Bryony tells us. "I asked her mum and dad for their blessing before popping the question at our favourite spot. Zoe's mum Debbie had helped me choose the ring which was a big surprise for Zoe, and she said "yes" instantly - plenty of happy tears were shared!"
Becky and Mike met at a friend's 21st birthday party almost a decade ago. They discovered they were born on the same day of the same year in the same hospital, "So maybe our paths crossed way back then," Becky says.
Mike had originally planned to propose on a ski trip in March 2020, but as the country was plunged into the first lockdown at the time, the holiday was sadly cancelled. He still managed to keep his intentions quiet though and eventually succeeded in popping the question while on a break in The Cotswolds. During a beautiful autumnal walk from Stow-on-the-Wold to Bourton-on-the-Water, on a little bridge crossing a stream, right in the middle of nowhere, he asked Becky to be his wife. "We cried tears of joy – I've never been so surprised in my life, it was such a beautiful and happy time," Becky says.
Vinaya and Tom first met while training to become lawyers and immediately clicked. They bonded over their mutual love of soul music, plus red wine, and have been inseparable ever since. Vinaya says, "Meeting when we were a bit older meant that we knew what we wanted in a partner. We knew we'd found the one and spent every day together during the lockdowns." She adds, "Our relationship felt very natural and like it was meant to be – everything has always happened very easily for us."
Katie and Shaun met online six years ago. "We had our first date at Ystradfellte Waterfalls in the Brecon Beacons and quickly became inseparable," says Katie. "Shaun is a very loving and kind person who puts me first, which was something I hadn't felt before and knew it was special. We moved in together after a year, which some may say was quick, but to us, it was so natural. We were on the same page, and I'm pretty sure I mentioned getting engaged within a few months of being together! Shaun put the reins on that for some time, but good things come to those who wait."
Lucy and Adam met at a New Year's Eve party of a joint friend, "I was eating a stolen pot of Pringles and Adam asked if the seat next to me was taken and the rest is history!" recalls Lucy. "It definitely wasn't his thick silver chain or his fresh shaven hair that attracted me to him, it was the way he made me laugh constantly and that he was so caring and thoughtful. Adam would say I'm funny, I always have him in stitches (I'd also say I'm very funny!). He also loves my eyes, so maybe that too!"
The big day was set 29th October 2021, with Braxted Park in Witham, Essex providing the ultimate backdrop. Here we find out more about their day...
Jessica and Charlie Hogg met through friends and fell in love instantly. Jessica tells us, "We're extremely similar to one another, we're each other's best friends and soul mates." Charles popped the question in December 2019 when he took her to admire the view from one of Ilkley's famous rock formations, the cow and calf. Jessica remembers, "I turned around and he was down on one knee and asked me to marry him. It was a huge surprise; my mum and dad knew and had a bottle of champagne waiting for when we went to tell them."
The big day was set for 16th July, 2021 taking place at Hollins Hall Hotel & Country Club.
Maddie and James first met when she moved to London for her first job as a junior doctor. "A mutual friend cunningly arranged for us to attend the same party knowing we were both newly single and had a shared love of art, nature and general goofiness," Maddie recalls. The matchmaking worked and they got together as a couple. However, when the time came for James to pop the question, things didn't quite go to plan. Three days into a two-week road trip in California he intended to surprise Maddie with a romantic proposal during a 5am hike in Joshua Tree National Park. The idea was to trek to the top of the highest rock and persuade her to pose for a photo looking out over the edge, to then find him down on one knee when she turned round. He hadn't counted on her being frozen to the spot with crippling vertigo though! "Poor James had to get back up to retrieve me. Luckily photo attempt two was more successful and we enjoyed a special moment together on top of the rock as the sun came up. I later had an image of the rock engraved on to a silver signet ring for James as a memento," adds Maddie.
Holly and Thanasis met in the summer of 2014, whilst having drinks in Soho and hit it off immediately. "We spent the next few hours laughing and discovering shared interests and similarities," Holly recalls. "We'd arranged the second date before we'd even finished the second round of drinks!" It was obviously meant to be because five years later, Thanasis proposed. "It was a complete surprise, albeit a lovely one after a long work week!" she says. They celebrated with Champagne before heading out for dinner. "Amusingly if anything I might have expected Thanasis to propose the following week as we were going on holiday to St. Lucia. However, I got to pack my bag with lots of wedding magazines and we enjoyed kicking off the planning process from our sun loungers with cocktails instead," says Holly.
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