See how other couples celebrated their big day with wedding stories and ideas from County Wedding Magazines' Real Weddings features.
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."
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.
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.
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."
Amanda and Mark started talking online. "To this day, we still don't know who swiped first," laughs Amanda. "Our relationship blossomed, and Mark asked me to be his wife in 2018 while we were in Egypt on an island called Mahmya. I had no idea that he was going to propose, and the whole trip was paradise."
Carla and Paul met in 2016 at a Manchester City vs Aston Villa football game. "We vaguely knew of each other as we are from the same area but had never spoken," says Carla. "We started talking as the day went on and hit it off. The next day Paul asked me out on a date which we went on a couple of weeks later.
After that, we were inseparable and moved in together nine months later." Paul popped the question at the couple's wedding venue, Crow Wood Hotel & Spa Resort. "We were getting ready for dinner when all of a sudden Paul was down on one knee asking me to marry him," shares the bride. "It was a complete surprise! We had dinner and champagne and were on cloud nine."
Kayleigh and Haden met while working as prison officers.Together, they built a strong friendship, then further down the line this naturally blossomed into a relationship. Haden proposed at home one day. He came into their bedroom, where Kayleigh was sitting at the time, with her daughters – Immi, three,and Leila, five. Her youngest gave Kayleigh a ring box and asked, "Will you marry Haden?" Kayleigh remembers, "It was a massive surprise and completely perfect to involve the children."
After meeting through a mutual friend, Alex and Jojo hit it off straight away with plenty of laughter. After spending more time together, the pair slowly fell in love. Alex proposed on a boulder perched between two rocks 1,000meters in the air at Kjeragbolten in Norway; Jojo realised what was happening once they got to the top and, of course, said 'yes'! The pair set the wedding for 25th June 2022 and created a beautiful day with family and friends.
Kimberley and Phillip met online after Kim relocated for a job from Yorkshire to Essex as a single parent. "We have been together eight-and-a-half years and share a love of music and travelling; we've been to Canada, America, Europe and love new adventures!" shares Kim.
Phil proposed in New York on 31st May, 2019, with a bespoke engagement ring he'd had made. That wasn't there only news at the time, "We had just found out we were pregnant, too!" adds Kim. The big date was set, 23rd July 2022, with Willow Grange Farm, Norfolk, setting the scene.
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Why not come along and see for yourself - Dawn will be attending County Wedding Events – Mercedes-Benz Signature Wedding Show on 28th April 2024 and showcasing some of her flower girl dresses down the catwalk.
If you are looking for the finest quality silk children’s garments for your wedding visit our website www.dawnclarkedesigns.co.uk or telephone us on 01962 670014.
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Image credits: www.kateizakphotography.com
