See how other couples celebrated their big day with wedding stories and ideas from County Wedding Magazines' Real Weddings features.
Tom and Jemma met through a mutual friend at an ice skating rink and hit it off immediately after Tom fell over. Jemma says, "The more we talked during the day, the more we wanted to see each other again. We exchanged numbers, and the rest is history!" In December 2020, Jemma and her mum went for a walk at Lulworth Cove, where they bumped into Tom's parents. Jemma comments, "I didn't think anything of it until I saw Tom waiting for me at the cliff side to propose! I was shaking and couldn't believe what was happening!"
Georgina and Sam were childhood sweethearts having met at school. "We both took business class together and everything just fell into place, "Georgina says. When the time was right, Sam proposed while the two were on holiday in Mexico. It was a total surprise for Georgina, and they spent a wonderful evening together, just the two of them, celebrating. The pair fell in love with The Old Kent Barn and its rustic yet modern feel. Georgina explains, "We knew it would be perfect for our winter wedding with a Disney twist, with the white, snowy trees and high ceilings there. We also loved the fact that everything was in one location and it even had benches rather than chairs."
Jeanette and David met at work and became a couple after sharing a kiss in the lift at a post-Christmas workparty. They started dating and welcomed their daughter, Hannah in 2012. Five years later, their son William was born. "David proposed to me on Christmas Day in 2017 during dinner and he had taken our five-year-old daughter shopping for my engagement ring!" Jeanette tells us. "It was a wonderful family proposal. "The couple chose Salcombe Yacht Club as their venue and decided on a rustic beachy theme styled with navy, gold, red and cream touches.
Olivia and Neel met at university in London, through mutual friends as well as both playing sports for the medical school. Olivia reveals, "After one particular 'sportsnite', we shared a McDonalds on the way home and ever since then we've been inseparable, sharing everything we do. What first attracted me to Neel was his very social personality and easy ability to make me laugh...he's also very handsome which may have helped!"
Angela and Mark met through a dating site. "Does anyone meet in real life anymore?" Mark laughs. After spending their first Christmas and New Year together, the couple realised their relationship was forever.Angela says, "I remember not wanting to be apart, even though we only lived 30 minutes from each other." While Mark shares, "I realised I wanted to marry Angela that New Year's Eve. Spending time together just felt wonderfully natural."
Leah and Sam met during a night out in 2012. "We were both with our friends," explains Leah. "He asked me to dance and we ended up swapping numbers. We stayed in touch and months later, he finally plucked up the courage to ask me out on a date. Two years later, he asked me to be his wife, and the proposal was a huge surprise."
Georgia and Taylor met online and planned their first date at a bar in London. They clicked right away, and it didn't take them long to realise they were meant to be together. Taylor proposed during a family holiday to Lanzarote. "We went away to celebrate my dad's 60th birthday," says Georgia. "It was really unexpected, so when he asked me to marry him by the sea with all of my family present, I was in complete shock!"
Lauren and James grew up on the same street, just two doors apart and he'd call her "the girl next door but one." Lauren remembers: "I was attracted to James the moment I saw him in his tracksuit!" Whenever she was out front James would also emerge and pretend he was doing something with his car as an excuse to see her. Likewise, she'd pop out for a sun-bathing session whenever she knew he was in the garden – "I actually don't enjoy the sun one bit," Lauren laughs. Eventually, they both plucked up the courage the speak to one another, they exchanged numbers and Facebook accounts and love blossomed from there.
From the moment Lauren and Chris met, the couple's relationship has always been effortless with plenty of fun moments and laughter. After Chris bought a ring and asked Lauren's dad for permission, he popped the question at home in front of their daughters. It was a very relaxed proposal and was a complete surprise for Lauren.
Jenni and Mike met in their local fast-food restaurant. "We exchanged numbers, and the rest is history," says Jenni. "It really was love at first sight, and that was 17 years ago! We were lying in bed when Mike asked me to be his wife. We're not traditional, so he didn't get down onone knee and we went shopping for the ring the day after."
Tim was playing at a festival in Nottingham when he first met Jade, who went to support her friend Leah's fiancé Sam. The nearlyweds got to work on the clever seating arrangements for their wedding in July 2019 after Tim mentioned he liked Jade and they sat the pair together. The couple completely hit it off and decided to go on a few dates – the rest is history!
Danielle and Adrian met at a charity soapbox race. "Adrian said that he spotted me when he went flying down the hill on his fox cart," Danielle tells us. "He decided to make a move by borrowing a friend's dog as an excuse to walk over to me. We exchanged a few words but we didn'tspeak for long. He plucked up the courage to come over to me again at the end of the day and ask me for my number. From then on, we became best friends instantly, and after a couple of dates our relationship began."
Kerry Davis and Marina Withers (Chip) first met on Facebook!" Chip was my first female relationship," shares Kerry. "She spotted me on the Facebook Dating App shortly after it launched, she said 'yes' to my profile and it immediately asked me if I wanted to say 'yes' and pair with her – she has the most beautiful eyes! We talked online and were a couple from the first date!" Kerry popped the question on Christmas Day. "Chip is Estonian and English is her second language. I drew my proposal on paper– I'm a terrible artist – and it took her about 25 mins to guess each word, eventually I thrust the ring at her and said 'Well? Will you?!' oh-so romantic," laughs Kerry.
Sammy met Liam through work. "He called 'dibs' when he first saw me," she says. "But we didn't actually have our first date until six months later." The couple were like two peas in a pod even during those early days and they shared plenty of laughs together. Sammy was standing in her pyjamas trying to sort out last-minute laundry and packing for their holiday when Liam proposed. "We both knew we wanted to be together, so getting engaged felt like a natural progression, but I hadn't expected it to happen at that moment," Sammy shares.
Alice and Nick met while studying at Loughborough University. "I was attracted to Nick's playful personality," Alice tells us. "His dashing good looks helped too!" Nick was attracted to Alice's cheeky smile and positive attitude. "I was smitten with Alice and told my friends she was the one from the start," he says. Nick had wanted to propose on Alice's birthday during a surprise trip to the Amalfi Coast but unfortunately, it coincided with the lockdown. "Nick held onto the ring and took me to Italy six months later and popped the question up a mountain in the Dolomites which was perfect," Alice says.
Adrien and Matthew met through a mutual friend. "I saw a photo of Matthew and wanted to know if he was single," says Adrien. "We are complete opposites! Matthew is a calming influence, and I'm the life of the party, but it turns out opposites attract. "Matthew proposed in December 2018. "It was two days before my birthday,"shares the bride. "We were at home when he got down on one knee and presented me with a ring that he had helped design. I cried and, of course,said yes! I then called everyone despite it being midnight!"
Sophie and Elliot met via Match dating site. The couple laughs that it's an ongoing joke that Elliot paid more for Sophie – as Sophie had a discount code for the site! What a bargain! Sophie adds, "We met relatively early on in our subscription, so we did have to have the conversation about whether or not we needed to renew!" As luck had it, the stars were aligned for these two teaching professionals and now, they have their six weeks summer holidays to spend together!
Sarah met Andrew after her best friend, Alison, suggested she sign upto dating site Plenty of Fish. "I'd been on a couple of rubbish dates, before a message from Andrew popped up," says Sarah. "I checked out his profile and saw him standing in front of a fire engine, so that got my attention pretty much straight away! We had our first date in Corbridge back in 2012, sitting for a couple of hours in a coffee shop chatting away. We then went for lunch in a local pub and spent the afternoon getting to know each other more. To be totally honest, the minute I saw him I was smitten!"
Becca and Pete met at school, aged 15, when they were sat next to each other in geography. They connected straight away and the rest is history. Well, not quite! Becca tells us, "We officially became a couple on the school field in March 2012 and have stuck by each other's sides ever since. We're truly the best of friends. We have the same sense of humour and have always mirrored each other's hopes and dreams."
Emma and Dan met at a music festival in Clapham during one of the sets. "Dan saw me in the crowd and came over to talk to me – the attraction was immediate," Emma recalls. "Not many people get to experience love at first sight, but we certainly did!"
Three happy years later during the November 2020 lockdown, Dan proposed. "It was very sweet because we'd planned on getting engaged but then when the country went into another lockdown, I thought it'd never happen," says Emma. But Dan had other ideas. "He totally surprised me by meeting with the jewellers on Zoom and ended up securing an engagement ring and proposing just weeks later!" she says.
Charlotte and Ben met on a dating app, and their sense of humour first attracted them to each other. The bride's strapline was 'looking for a gladiator', and Ben's opening line was 'will a spartan do?' It's safe to say they were the perfect match and ended up dating. In 2019, Ben proposed during a weekend away to Ilfracombe with their dog Max. On the last night of the trip, they had a lovely shellfish dinner before taking a stroll along the pier during a gorgeous sunset.
Isabella and Samuel met while working on a hospital ward. Despite a mutual attraction they started out as friends, but it didn't take too long for the relationship to blossom into something more. Samuel proposed on a trip to Dublin. On the Ha'Penny Bridge, a spot they'd visited on their first mini-break together, he got down on one knee. Isabella remembers, "It was the middle of winter and blowing a gale, but I couldn't stop laughing with excitement. Of course I said, 'Yes!'"
Harriet and Matthew were childhood sweethearts, having met at school 10 years ago. "Harriet is my best friend's sister, so she was always around whenever we met up," Matthew tells us. "We became friends and grew close. She is stunning, and her personality is incredible - she is such a caring person. "Harriet adds, "Matthew was the cool sporty guy in school that everyone fancied, including me. He's my rock, the person I can turn to for anything. He is such a kind, caring man who will always put his family and friends first."
Emma and Adrian met via the dating site Tinder. "Adrian was the first to message," remembers the bride. "He sent me a poem, which I thought was really sweet, and we met up a week later. There were no awkward silences, and it felt like we'd known each other for years. We also got each other's sense of humour, and our connection felt unbelievably natural."
Abby and Connor met while working in the same restaurant. "He asked me how to cut an avocado," laughs Abby. "I helped him make guacamole and we laughed and haven't stopped since! It was a really easy and natural connection, and we got on so well straight away. Connor proposed in our first home that we bought together when we were 18. He rang me while I was on the way home from work, and I could tell he was excited about something. He scattered rose petals up two flights of stairs, and on each step was a sticky note that said something he loved about me written on it, I followed the stairs to the top, opened the door and he was down on one knee with my dream ring."
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