See how other couples celebrated their big day with wedding stories and ideas from County Wedding Magazines' Real Weddings features.
Shannon and Hollie met playing football and were initially friends for a while before realising there was something more between them. "We loved each other's sense of humour and ability to have fun," they tell us. Hollie proposed during a break in the New Forest, by a small luxury lodge located on the river. "It was all a surprise," Hollie says. "Shannon thought she was going away with family and not long after arriving, I asked her to marry me. It was a wonderful moment as two swans peacefully swam past."
Charlotte and Michael met via the online dating site Tinder in 2015. "Our profi le pictures were of us both on holidays in Marbella and Ibiza so it was clear that we shared a love of partying!" Charlotte tells us. "We discovered that we lived around the corner from each other and hit it off on our first date."
Siobhan met Nick when she started working in the same pub as him, and according to Nick it was love at first sight! The two clicked from the outset, having similar interests in music and games, but it wasn't until Siobhan was due to leave for university some two years later that Nick plucked up the courage to express his feelings and they started dating.
Alexandra and Oliver both swiped right! "Oliver's fi rst words to me were a joke about Gummy Bears, which made me giggle," Alexandra remembers. The two met for dinner at a local country pub for their fi rst date and felt completely at ease with each other right away. They'd been dating for a year when they went on their fi rst Disney World trip together. By the time they got back, they'd decided to start saving for their first house.
Sasha and Ted's story is a modern romance having met on Tinder back in 2016. Sasha had just moved back to her parents' in Eastbourne after university, and Ted was working in Lewes. "I will admit, it was the photo of Ted with his family's boxer dog, Bruce, that made me think he seemed like a really nice guy," Sasha shares. They went for their fi rst date at a local country pub and hit it off right away, soon discovering a similar sense of humour and shared family values.
'I fell in love with Ben as soon as I saw him in a petrol station and he opened the door for me," Joanna tells us. Later, she randomly found him on Facebook, they met up the next day after exchanging messages, and have been inseparable since. When Ben decided to pop the question, he did so at the Eiffel Tower late at night when it was lit up and sparkled as brightly as Joanna's engagement ring.
These lovebirds fi rst met at work back in 2013 in recruitment! The girls Louisa worked with asked who she found attractive in the offi ce, and she pointed at Carl, who was midway shoving a doughnut into his mouth. They all laughed, and he looked so confused. Straight away, Louisa knew he was the one for her! Fast forward time, Carl proposed on Christmas Eve in 2018. It was just the two of them and their French Bulldog Mo at home, so extra special and very intimate. Of course, he got down on one knee!
This couple's love story began in 2010 on Hannah's 21st birthday! She says, "I invited my work friend out for drinks to celebrate who already had plans for another birthday, but it turned out we were going to the same place. Mat happened to be a mutual friend who tried to impress me by ordering a big round of drinks, but his card was declined! The bar could only swipe cards, and his magnetic strip no longer worked as it was always next to his phone. This is before contactless; I'm feeling old! His mate had to pay for him, but I don't remember that with it being my 21st. However, this wasn't the first time we had met. We met at another mutual friend's birthday, but I was seeing someone else at the time. I even had a photo of us both that we didn't realise."
Hannah and Mark met each other at work and over time, their relationship blossomed. Mark proposed at Rydal Water near Grasmere in November 2022. It's a place Hannah loves and visited all the time with her grandmother.
Laura and Phil lived in the same apartment block when they first met. "I moved in 2013 and kept noticing Phil," says Laura. "I lived in the top-floor apartment, so I had a view of the whole street and I kept seeing him. I decided one day, after a night out with my friend, to put a note on his car. The note read, 'I think you're lovely; here is my number.' The next day, he texted me and we decided to meet up. He was in the army at the time and had to go away for three months, so we had little to no contact. Once he got back, we went on our first date to watch a Manchester United vs. Stoke City match, and the rest is history."
Rachel and Lauren met through a mutual friend. "We had a lot in common and got along well from the off," says Rachel. "However, as Lauren was in the military, it was around 10 months before we got together, as she was posted in Cyprus for six months."
Rebecca and Kyle met over 10 years ago. "Kyle first spotted me on New Year's Eve, but we never spoke," says Rebecca. "A few weeks later, on my birthday, Kyle came up to speak to me and have a dance and the rest is history."
Sarah and Daniel met at school. "We didn't actually speak until a night out for my sister's birthday 22 years ago," says Sarah. "The day after, he jumped out at me with a bunch of flowers while I was walking to work."
Danielle and Sam met while on a night out. "A mutual friend introduced us," says Danielle. "She still calls herself cupid for setting us up. He added me on Facebook after I left; we got talking and went from there. On our first date, we took my dog for a walk, and she ran off, which she had never done before. I don't think she approved, but she absolutely loves him now."
These lovebirds had known each other for a while but started dating after a night out. Fast forward time, Tom popped the question on a quiet beach in Norfolk, and their new chapter began. After setting the date in September 2023, the couple started planning their wedding.
Sharon and Richard met via a dating site. "After messaging for a few weeks, we enjoyed our fi rst date in a lovely pub in the Cotswolds," Sharon tells us. "It was love at fi rst sight, we didn't stop talking the entire evening! We had plenty in common in terms of interests and both had children of a similar age."
Ollie was in Chelsea's sister's class at secondary school, and years later an Instagram message brought them back together. When Ollie decided to propose, he chose a very windy spot in Scotland while the two were away on holiday. Although they didn't realise at the time of booking, their wedding date fell on that same day two years later.
Nic and Phil matched on Tinder, neither truly believing they'd meet anyone this way, let alone it leading to marriage! "Having both been married previously, we'd resigned ourselves to the single life," Nic says. Their fi rst date was a Sunday lunch at The New Mill in Taunton, and Phil was the perfect gentlemen we're told. "The time fl ew by," Nic continues. "There was an instant connection, easy conversation, lots of laughter and a common passion for music and gigs."
Fiona and Adam met during university fresher's week. "I was attracted by his amazing dance moves – who am I kidding?" Fiona jokes. The two spent a lot of time together in halls and in between lectures, and soon fell in love.
Liv and Louis were friends for years having met at a 16th birthday party of a mutual friend. "It wasn't until the summer of both our fi nal years of university that we became a couple," they tell us. "We enjoyed a long-distance relationship for a year and the rest is history."
Carmel and Rob met at school when they both attended the Reading Blue Coat School. "We spent a month away in Bolivia on a world challenge expedition one summer and that's where it all began," they tell us. Rob proposed during a holiday to Cascais in Portugal in September 2021. "It was a surprise because we'd been together for 12 years and I'd almost given up hope that he might ever propose!" Carmel tells us.
Bethan and Sam met through mutual friends. "We messaged each other for a few months and eventually went on a date," says Bethan. "We went to Winter Wonderland in Cardiff and instantly clicked with each other. After we met, Sam went back to his local pub and met up with his friends, and when they asked how it went, his response was, 'I'm going to marry her.' We went on several dates after this; however, lockdown then happened in March and we made the decision to move in together rather than not see each other."
Rachael and Sam met through social media. "Sam had not been in New Zealand long and we instantly struck up a friendship," says Rachael. "We chatted for a few months before we finally organised a date. It was truly love at first sight. All though our connection was instant, our relationship was a slow burn, as I have two daughters who were six and ten at the time. I had to make sure Sam was a keeper before he met Ava and Amelia, but he had me at hello, and his morals, ethics and loyalty would last me a lifetime."
Beth and Alex met on a dating website. "We have both been married before and gone through difficult separations and divorces," says Beth. "Alex was incredibly charming and to this day, I still call him my Charming Mr Alex. We had a lot in common, as we both love the outdoors and enjoy walking, paddleboarding, the beach and coastal areas. Our love for life was what really shone through. We had an immediate connection and I know it may sound cheesy, but I know that we were meant to meet. He is what I had been waiting for my entire life! He treated me like an absolute lady from the start and spoilt me rotten in every way and still does. He completely swept me off my feet and the first year was a total dream come true. It is incredible to meet someone who respects you so much for who you are and who will love you unconditionally. I feel so lucky to have met Alex and to now have the family that I do with him."
Kate was wellbeing lead and Emma was head of year at the same school. During Kate's first staff briefing Emma read out a notice and as soon as she heard her voice the world stopped turning for her. "I fell in love instantly," Kate remembers. For various reasons, they couldn't be together, but instead became best friends. "I kept my feelings hidden for a couple of years," Kate remembers. "I eventually declared my love to her though, and happily she felt the same."
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