Your Hampshire and Dorset Wedding - March/April 2021 (Issue 85)

44 When we walked into the Balmer Lawn Hotel we knew it was the one. Super chilled and relaxed with a touch of sophistication, the team was incredibly helpful and nothing was too much trouble! The weather was perfect on the day and it was warm enough for us to have the ceremony outside, which was lucky as on our original wedding date there was a big storm! C hildhood sweethearts Jess and Ryan were together for eight years before deciding to tie the knot. They lived in the same village, went to school together and always had a bit of a thing for each other but didn’t officially start dating until 2010. “We’re both big kids at heart and that’s what we love about each other,” says Jess. “We don’t take life too seriously and like to have fun creating memories.” Despite often being asked when they were going to get married, they took their time and always knew it would happen one day. “We didn’t want to put ourselves under pressure though as we had other things to focus on, like buying our first house,” explains Jess. When Ryan did propose, it came as a complete surprise. He planned it in secret and popped the question while they were on a cruise in August 2018. “He chose the ring himself and hid it in a sock in his luggage. He’d also arranged a photographer without me knowing and we have some amazing shots capturing the moment. It was everything I could have wanted,” Jess adds. They originally planned to get married on 24 th October last year but brought it forward to 19 th September due to the pandemic. Jess explains, “With things continually changing, I was worried that heading into winter we might have to change our plans at the last minute. So on a whim one night, Ryan suggested we do it as soon as possible. So with only three weeks to go, we managed to get it all done and it was the best decision we could have made!” Read on for her account of their big day...