See how other couples celebrated their big day with wedding stories and ideas from County Wedding Magazines' Real Weddings features.
Sarah and Ben met at work and were friends for many years before they grew close through social events. "We were both attending an exercise class and went for a drink after one session, and the rest is history!" shares Sarah. "Ben proposed to me on Christmas Day 2021 at my sister's house with my family – it was a total surprise! He wrapped the ring up as a 'pass the parcel' game and got my niece and nephew involved – which was special to me; he got them wearing T-shirts asking me the question 'Will you marry me?' which they revealed at the end."
Olivia and Lewis met at a festival when they were teenagers. "We became really good friends and would always bump into each other on nights out," says Olivia. "A couple of years later, Lewis made the move and sent me a gorgeous bouquet of flowers on Valentine's Day, and we have been together ever since."
Beckie and Michael met while working together at The Sidcot Arms, Winscombe. Michael was head chef and Beckie worked front of house. They both lived in the hotel and Michael would knock on Beckie's door to wake her up for 6am shifts and gave her cuddles in the kitchen to warm her up on cold winter mornings. Soon, they fell in love.
Kate met The Honourable Hilary Wise, or Hils as he's known to her, through mutual friends. "He has a good sense of humour, and genuinely cares for people," she tells us. When he proposed to her at home in 2023, it was a complete surprise. They followed her "yes" with a celebratory trip to London where lots of surprises had been arranged for her including dinner at the chef's table at Gordon Ramsey's Lucky Cat and a theatre trip to see Dirty Dancing.
Megan told the story of how she met James best in her wedding speech: "We didn't romantically bump into each other in our favourite coffee shop, instead we met on the well-known dating site, Hinge. When I came across James, I couldn't believe my eyes. The first photo showed him in an open water wetsuit, the next he was on a road bike, the next on skis... I thought 'wow'! He looks like the fun, outdoorsy guy I'm after! It turns out he posted six photos from a single triathlon that his brother forced him to do three years prior and he rather prefers lying horizontally on the sofa drinking beer and binge watching The Office. I'd been catfished!" All jokes aside, the two hit it off from their first date, when they discovered plenty of similar interests and aspirations for their future. They both love travelling, trying new food and spending time with friends and family.
Helen met Dan when he joined the company she worked for. Over time they became friends, eventually best friends. Six years later, they realised their strong connection was something more and became a couple. "We call ourselves split-aparts (Plato's theory of soulmates) and constantly share the same thought at the same time. It's kind of spooky actually," Helen says. "We laugh at the same things and are impossibly co-dependent, which in turn makes everyone else laugh at us!"
Ronan proposed to Gráinne outside the house where they fi rst kissed in White Street, Brighton. The couple live in Ireland, but met in Brighton, which was where it all began for them back in 2011.
Emily and Adam met at school when they were 15. "We passed each other in the school hallway and I smiled at him and he instantly fell in love," says Emily. "We got together in 2015 and from then on we've been inseparable." Adam proposed at The Borrowdale Hotel on the couple's sixth anniversary. "The Borrowdale Hotel is a very special place to me and my family," shares the bride. "My grandma passed away when I was 10 and we often go there on the anniversary of her death and for other occasions, because it was a special place for her and my grandad. The proposal was a complete surprise! I couldn't quite believe it because I never thought we would get married. He had gone to speak to my parents a couple of days before about proposing and was so nervous he drove past their house numerous times before building up the courage to do it. After our meal we went to go see my parents to tell them the news and they gave us flowers and a card because they knew I would say yes. We then went to tell Adam's dad and step mam, who were equally as excited and happy for us."
My first memory of George is him drunkenly giving me a fireman's lift during freshers week at university," Alice says. The two lived in the same halls accommodation and were part of the same friendship group. It wasn't until they moved into a shared house of 10 people for their second year that they grew closer. The two shared the same taste in music, which led to George offering Alice his spare concert ticket to see The Killers. Despite trying to convince their families that they were just friends, George asked her out a few weeks later.
Cole and I connected through a dating app and engaged in endless conversations. We decided to meet up for a hike with our two dogs, Chewie and Chauncey. Within the same year, we moved in together next to the trail where we had our fi rst date.
These two lovebirds fi rst crossed paths at university, where they lived right next door in their fi rst-year dorms. A mutual friend played matchmaker, and it wasn't long before they discovered their shared passion for baking and outdoor adventure – the rest was history! One beautiful day, Andrew chose a picturesque spot in the countryside for a special moment: he planned to propose. He had always envisioned asking the big question surrounded by nature and was determined to keep it a secret. For weeks, he'd been hiding the ring in his sock drawer, all while nervously hoping that Emma wouldn't catch a glimpse of the oddly shaped box tucked away in his coat pocket during their walk. As they strolled along, the anticipation was almost palpable, making that moment even more special when he fi nally dropped to one knee.
Nearly eight years ago, these lovebirds crossed paths on a dating app called Tinder, and it was a match! Sam messaged her for a while, but Danielle wasn't quite ready to dive in at fi rst. Coming out of a not-so-great relationship, she wanted to take things slow. However, he didn't give up. He reached out again and asked if she'd like to meet, planning a beautiful date that included a trip to the theatre followed by a nice meal. Of course, things didn't go quite as planned! Somehow, it turned into a double date with her friend tagging along, making the whole night a bit unconventional. But honestly, it turned out to be perfect in its own way, and it ended up being the best date Danielle could have imagined. From that moment, she knew Sam was different. She felt butterfl ies in her stomach and couldn't believe how safe and happy he made her feel. He even brought her to tears—happy tears, no less—on their very fi rst date! What attracted Danielle to Sam was his kindness and authenticity. The fact that he was a dad was a huge green fl ag for her. He was thoughtful, genuine, and full of love. From day one, she just knew he was the one, and the rest, as they say, is history
This couple fi rst crossed paths while working at a retail job, where their shifts overlapped. Robert took on the night shifts while Louise worked during the day. From their fi rst meeting, it was evident they had a unique connection, and the rest is truly a beautiful story! Robert surprised Louise with a proposal in the stunning Lake District, where he had arranged for their hotel room to be decorated before he got down on one knee.
Lucy and Toby met during their last year of secondary school. "We had similar interests and senses of humour," says Lucy. "Funnily enough, we bonded during missed PE lessons – I maintain I had a legitimate injury; Toby had no such excuse!"Toby popped the question on Christmas Day in their living room. "We're both big fans of Christmas," shares the bride. "He had put the ring inside of an ornament hanging on the tree and rearranged the Christmas lights to lead up to it."
Lucy and Jack met through a mutual friend. "She introduced us eight years ago and she still likes to refer to herself as Cupid to this day," says Lucy. "Jack proposed while we were on a break in Devon. We had a picnic on the beach at Durdle Door and watched the sunset when he popped the question. It was a massive surprise!"
Emma and Stephen met in 2014 through a mutual friend. "We hit it off immediately and found we had so much in common, including our love of Italy, wine, music and food," says Emma. "Stephen had fractured his collarbone, so he couldn't drive, so our first date was actually drinking espresso at his house and we ended up talking for hours. Our second date was at the Salt House in Ipswich and we both felt a real connection – although Stephen regretted his choice of ordering a steak as he struggled to cut it up due to his collarbone injury!"
Emily and Ted were introduced by mutual friends. Ted's best man is a local farmer with a younger sister named Sasha, who happens to be one of Emily's good friends. Their first encounter took place at Sasha's birthday celebration in Fulham. At that moment, Emily was in a relationship, so nothing significant occurred between them, but they certainly caught each other's attention. Ted had a bit of a crush on Emily, and she recalls him being quite charming. A few months later, after ending her relationship, Emily took the initiative to message Ted directly. Just like that, their love story began!
Julia and Tom connected through a dating app during lockdown. They chose a nearby park, maintaining a safe distance to adhere to Covid-19 guidelines for their fi rst meeting. They enjoyed playing board games and munching on cookies. Tom shared that Julia's smile and playful humour initially attracted him. Meanwhile, Julia was captivated by Tom's ginger hair and gentle personality – the rest was history!
Charlotte and Sam met back in secondary school, so they've known each other since they were about 12 years old. For a while, they weren't particularly close friends. That changed when they started studying together after school for their A-levels. Ironically, it wasn't until after graduation that they began dating, just before heading off to separate universities more than 100 miles apart. Sam made it a point to travel home nearly every weekend to visit Charlotte, while she juggled her studies and work shifts. He was drawn to her caring and selfless nature. He appreciates her adventurous spirit and how she always encourages him to step outside of his comfort zone. Charlotte was initially attracted to Sam's calm and soothing demeanour. As they grew closer, she fell in love with his unwavering loyalty to his loved ones and fierce dedication to their well-being. Sam is the calm in any storm for her, the yin to her yang.
Charlotte and Andy met while working at Flackwell Heath Golf Club but never spoke to one another. "It wasn't until 10 years later via a dating app that our paths crossed again," Charlotte tells us.
Emma and Dan met via the dating app Hinge but had unknowingly been at a party together a few months beforehand. "Dan moved into my brother's house as a tenant and was living with my brother's best friend!" Emma tells us.
Sam and Ben met at university back in 2013. "We were in the same college and became friends very quickly," they tell us. "We both share a good sense of humour and we think that attracted us to each other!"
Sisters Asher and Ellis got engaged at a similar time, so Asher and fiancé Mike waited for Ellis and John to confirm their date first, allowing them to tie the knot within the following month or two. When away on a weekend away together as a group, the topic of a double wedding came up as a joke. "We were quite a few drinks deep at this point, so we can't remember who exactly suggested it,"
Emily and Charlie met in 2013 when they both attended the same school in Derbyshire. They've been together ever since and, says Emily, "Charlie has always been the funniest person in the room. He's also extremely kind and caring." It was all of these traits that attracted her to him.
These lovebirds met on Tinder in July 2020 in that brief Covid window when people were allowed back outside in the summer together. Jemima recalls, "We definitely clicked over our shared sense of humour on our first date, and Hassan's charming moves convinced me to give him a second chance. I had just returned from living abroad, and Hassan had recently moved to London, so we enjoyed exploring the city together that summer. It felt really special that we met, especially since I hadn't planned to be back in London that summer – everything had to fall into place for us to meet, and I'm so grateful it did."
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