See how other couples celebrated their big day with wedding stories and ideas from County Wedding Magazines' Real Weddings features.
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."
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.
Lisa and Paul met through a mutual friend. "I was 16 and Paul was 19," says Lisa. "We got on really well and have done ever since. We've been together for 17 years and have two beautiful children together."
Paul popped the question after 16 years together. "It was a complete surprise," shares the bride. "He asked me at my 30th birthday party in front of all our friends and family. He put the ring in a gorgeous balloon, and I had to pop it and find it beneath rose gold feathers."
Georgie and Lloyd first met and dated when they were teenagers. "We lost touch and didn't see each other for 13 years," says Georgie. "We have a mutual best friend whose family member passed away, and Lloyd contacted me to see if I'd heard the news. We met up after that and immediately started where we left off. He is one of the most caring and loving people I've ever met. He is an amazing dad to his children too."
"Lloyd surprised me with a night away at Beaverbrook in Leatherhead," shares the bride. "To put me off the scent, he spent the weeks before saying we couldn't get married until we'd bought our house, so when he got down on one knee, I was in shock! I cried my eyes out, and we were so happy."
Jade and Harry met at university. Harry played rugby and Jade was part of the cheerleading team. Romance blossomed when they spent 22 hours in each other's company on a coach trip through Europe on the university's annual sports holiday. They made the most of the long hours on the road discovering a common love of films, travelling and generally enjoying life. Jade says, "Our dates were full of laughter and we always seemed to accidentally have that extra bottle of wine! Travelling and exploring the world is something that we both absolutely love to do and we regularly find ourselves planning our next adventure together."
Daisy and Alex met when they were introduced by a friend. " "We both lived a few hours apart but regularly made time to spend with each other and the rest is history!"
The couple became engaged during a holiday in Canada. "Alex asked me to marry him at the top of Sulphur Mountain as we exited the gondola," Daisy says. "It was a beautiful day and a wonderful surprise."
David and Marie-Anthea first met online and decided to meet in person on London Bridge – the perfect location for a north and south Londoner to come together. Marie-Anthea says, "Dave almost cancelled because the Northern Line was down, but thankfully he persevered." She adds, "We realised we shared a lot in common, including a love for the gym, ballet, good steak, red wine and good-quality peanut butter." Early in their relationship, the couple had realised that they'd found the one. Marie-Anthea comments, "Dave offered to come to my office at lunchtime on a Monday to bring me a brownie because I was hungover, and that's when I realised he was a keeper."
Laura met Mike in the oh-so modern way – online. While he was attracted to her genuine and down-to-earth personality, Laura says, "I fell in love with Mike's beautiful blue eyes and I'm not going to lie, the picture of him in his TA uniform was definitely a plus. I've always liked a man in uniform... who doesn't?!"
When Mike proposed in 2015 it wasn't a surprise as he'd asked Laura to go ring shopping the week before. "It was so much fun as I got to personally choose my engagement ring," Laura remembers. When the time came to pop the question, Mike took Laura on a romantic walk to Reculver, the beautiful church ruins on a cliff face, wine and glasses in hand. Despite being nervous he asked Laura to be his wife in the traditional way – on one knee – albeit in a puddle.
Stacey and Jake met through an online dating app. "As our first date, Jake took me for breakfast after one of my night shifts which was a real treat," Stacey tells us. "We became engaged during the week that we went into the first lockdown! It was very romantic because we were at home and Jake had asked my mum to call me as a distraction while he decorated our home with candles and flowers. He had Tale As Old As Time from Beauty And The Beast playing, which is my favourite Disney movie that ended up being the song I walked down the aisle to because we hired a string trio who played a beautiful arrangement for us."
Sam and Michaela first met on Plenty of Fish, a popular dating app, and set off for their first date after messaging back and forth. Michaela says, "The conversation flowed effortlessly, and I was instantly attracted to his looks, ambition and selflessness."
The pair realised they'd found the one at a three-day horse show, which Michaela was competing in. After the first two days of the event, she had fallen off twice and felt upset about her performance. But Sam inspired her to stay for the qualifying round, and she ended up winning thanks to his support. From that moment on, the pair knew they'd met their perfect match.
Alexandra and Darryl met when they were children. "I was friends with his sister," says Alexandra. "We then met later at a mutual friend's engagement party. We share a love of Formula 1 and have lots of mutual interests."
Darryl popped the question on Christmas Day. "He wrote it on a card and woke me up early as he was so impatient," shares the bride. "He thoughtfully sought the permission of my dad before proposing, and it was wonderful being able to share the day with family. It was definitely a surprise, and I didn't even believe him when I read it!"
Caroline and George Rispin met at work in York back in 2014. Caroline tells us, "I loved George's energy and humour – he made me laugh like nobody else and I remember one afternoon we were working together and were so engrossed in conversation that we just didn't answer the phones! Everybody loves George when they meet him, he's so fun to be around and he's incredibly caring."
"We're both very ambitious and are attracted to each other's independent drive. We have such a strong bond because we share the same values – our relationship has been built upon trust, honesty, transparency, and an unwavering love and respect for one another." Just like their high expectations in life they also had the same expectations in another area as Caroline jokes! "We were also looking for a partner with height! I'm 5ft 11, so I needed a tall man and he's 6ft 5 – so I'll be forever looking up to him!"
Receive the next issue of your favourite wedding magazine direct to your inbox.
Now available
Simple and timeless, these stunning hammered silk children’s celebration dresses by Hampshire British designer Dawn Clarke will make any little girl feel like a princess!
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.
Email: info@dawnclarkedesigns.co.uk
Image credits: www.kateizakphotography.com