These lovebirds met on a dating app and hit it off immediately! Aimee says, “In one of Ben’s photos, he looked very handsome in a threepiece navy suit snacking on a large ‘share bag’ of blue Doritos. The contradiction of his suited and booted style with his student eating habits was something I immediately knew I wanted to learn more about. So I swiped, and we connected. After chatting for a few weeks, we met at Boltons Bench in the New Forest, a semi-equal distance between Poole and Southampton. My dog Bruce was the clear star of the date and let’s be honest, considering I spent a considerable amount of our first date holding a bag of dog poo, he was likely the cincher when it came to Ben asking me out for more dates.” “Ben is my best friend who helps me be better and see the good in people. He is the only person outside my family and lovely friends who have made me feel worth investing in. He calms me down when I get upset, helps make the bed and loves Bruce just as much as I do!” Ben spotted Aimee’s profile and noticed her beautiful red polka dot dress that really stood out. Upon further looking, he loved how fun, well rounded and genuine she came across. He says, “It all started one fine late-August morning, a lovely drive into the New Forest to meet Aimee for the first time. I had to bring my A-game, so I brought a dog treat for Bruce and took control of his lead. Walking a fluffy beast with zero interest in me wasn’t easy, but the conversation never stopped. Oddly, I wasn’t nervous; it was easy from the start and has been ever since. We’ve fitted into each other’s lives effortlessly, working better together than as individuals. When I see Aimee, my face lights up. We could be walking Bruce in the rain, taking a trip to ASDA or watching Gogglebox with a curry – I’d rather be nowhere else.” In March 2023, the couple headed for a dream holiday to Los Angeles, Hawaii, San Francisco and Napa in California. They had discussed their future but as neither had yet to get this far in any relationship, achieving this future was new territory and there was no Gousto recipe card to help them navigate. Aimee was suspicious that Ben might propose during this holiday, but he surprised her on the day. She says, “After a beautiful morning snorkelling in the Pacific Ocean with sea turtles and seeing Humpback whales breaching, we returned to our hotel where I forced Ben on multiple occasions to apply aloe vera to my sunburnt back. As we headed out for dinner, Ben said he had something planned and I assumed we were going to the four seasons, as the hotel was where the TV show The White Lotus was filmed! So, I put on a dress and heels, excited to pose for my ultimate Jennifer Coolidge moment. However, Benny Boy had other ideas, but we did go to the Four Seasons afterwards.” Ben comments, “I knew I wanted to marry Aimee months before I asked the question. How can you top the opportunity to propose in Hawaii? On the 24th of March, the weather was perfect. It was the best sunset of the trip so far and we had an empty beach – the stars had aligned. Aimee said ‘yes’ and saved an awkward trip home!” SETTING THE SCENE The couple aimed to enjoy themselves and have fun on the big day! For them, the way to do this was to ensure everything was true to who they were and not to spread themselves too thinly. They wanted the wedding theme to be an enchanted floral romance. The bride saw Old Michelmersh Farm on Facebook a few years ago and immediately fell in love. Luckily, when she showed Ben the venue, he loved it as much as she did! They worked with the team and suppliers to create a celebration that felt like a vibrant, romantic, charming and rustic late-summer affair with fairylights and flowers everywhere! The wedding was in late summer, so they combined beautiful bold colours and simple neutrals to enhance the spaces. The bride arrived in a blue and cream vintage car, and the pair departed in a Sunbeam Alpine – both provided by family friends. In sync with Pantone’s Colour of The Year 2023, Viva Magenta, the 46
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