See how other couples celebrated their big day with wedding stories and ideas from County Wedding Magazines' Real Weddings features.
These two lovebirds fi rst crossed paths at university, where they lived right next door in their fi rst-year dorms. A mutual friend played matchmaker, and it wasn't long before they discovered their shared passion for baking and outdoor adventure – the rest was history! One beautiful day, Andrew chose a picturesque spot in the countryside for a special moment: he planned to propose. He had always envisioned asking the big question surrounded by nature and was determined to keep it a secret. For weeks, he'd been hiding the ring in his sock drawer, all while nervously hoping that Emma wouldn't catch a glimpse of the oddly shaped box tucked away in his coat pocket during their walk. As they strolled along, the anticipation was almost palpable, making that moment even more special when he fi nally dropped to one knee.
Nearly eight years ago, these lovebirds crossed paths on a dating app called Tinder, and it was a match! Sam messaged her for a while, but Danielle wasn't quite ready to dive in at fi rst. Coming out of a not-so-great relationship, she wanted to take things slow. However, he didn't give up. He reached out again and asked if she'd like to meet, planning a beautiful date that included a trip to the theatre followed by a nice meal. Of course, things didn't go quite as planned! Somehow, it turned into a double date with her friend tagging along, making the whole night a bit unconventional. But honestly, it turned out to be perfect in its own way, and it ended up being the best date Danielle could have imagined. From that moment, she knew Sam was different. She felt butterfl ies in her stomach and couldn't believe how safe and happy he made her feel. He even brought her to tears—happy tears, no less—on their very fi rst date! What attracted Danielle to Sam was his kindness and authenticity. The fact that he was a dad was a huge green fl ag for her. He was thoughtful, genuine, and full of love. From day one, she just knew he was the one, and the rest, as they say, is history
This couple fi rst crossed paths while working at a retail job, where their shifts overlapped. Robert took on the night shifts while Louise worked during the day. From their fi rst meeting, it was evident they had a unique connection, and the rest is truly a beautiful story! Robert surprised Louise with a proposal in the stunning Lake District, where he had arranged for their hotel room to be decorated before he got down on one knee.
Emma and Stephen met in 2014 through a mutual friend. "We hit it off immediately and found we had so much in common, including our love of Italy, wine, music and food," says Emma. "Stephen had fractured his collarbone, so he couldn't drive, so our first date was actually drinking espresso at his house and we ended up talking for hours. Our second date was at the Salt House in Ipswich and we both felt a real connection – although Stephen regretted his choice of ordering a steak as he struggled to cut it up due to his collarbone injury!"
Lucy and Toby met during their last year of secondary school. "We had similar interests and senses of humour," says Lucy. "Funnily enough, we bonded during missed PE lessons – I maintain I had a legitimate injury; Toby had no such excuse!"Toby popped the question on Christmas Day in their living room. "We're both big fans of Christmas," shares the bride. "He had put the ring inside of an ornament hanging on the tree and rearranged the Christmas lights to lead up to it."
Lucy and Jack met through a mutual friend. "She introduced us eight years ago and she still likes to refer to herself as Cupid to this day," says Lucy. "Jack proposed while we were on a break in Devon. We had a picnic on the beach at Durdle Door and watched the sunset when he popped the question. It was a massive surprise!"
Emily and Ted were introduced by mutual friends. Ted's best man is a local farmer with a younger sister named Sasha, who happens to be one of Emily's good friends. Their first encounter took place at Sasha's birthday celebration in Fulham. At that moment, Emily was in a relationship, so nothing significant occurred between them, but they certainly caught each other's attention. Ted had a bit of a crush on Emily, and she recalls him being quite charming. A few months later, after ending her relationship, Emily took the initiative to message Ted directly. Just like that, their love story began!
Julia and Tom connected through a dating app during lockdown. They chose a nearby park, maintaining a safe distance to adhere to Covid-19 guidelines for their fi rst meeting. They enjoyed playing board games and munching on cookies. Tom shared that Julia's smile and playful humour initially attracted him. Meanwhile, Julia was captivated by Tom's ginger hair and gentle personality – the rest was history!
Charlotte and Sam met back in secondary school, so they've known each other since they were about 12 years old. For a while, they weren't particularly close friends. That changed when they started studying together after school for their A-levels. Ironically, it wasn't until after graduation that they began dating, just before heading off to separate universities more than 100 miles apart. Sam made it a point to travel home nearly every weekend to visit Charlotte, while she juggled her studies and work shifts. He was drawn to her caring and selfless nature. He appreciates her adventurous spirit and how she always encourages him to step outside of his comfort zone. Charlotte was initially attracted to Sam's calm and soothing demeanour. As they grew closer, she fell in love with his unwavering loyalty to his loved ones and fierce dedication to their well-being. Sam is the calm in any storm for her, the yin to her yang.
Charlotte and Andy met while working at Flackwell Heath Golf Club but never spoke to one another. "It wasn't until 10 years later via a dating app that our paths crossed again," Charlotte tells us.
Emma and Dan met via the dating app Hinge but had unknowingly been at a party together a few months beforehand. "Dan moved into my brother's house as a tenant and was living with my brother's best friend!" Emma tells us.
Sam and Ben met at university back in 2013. "We were in the same college and became friends very quickly," they tell us. "We both share a good sense of humour and we think that attracted us to each other!"
These lovebirds met on Tinder in July 2020 in that brief Covid window when people were allowed back outside in the summer together. Jemima recalls, "We definitely clicked over our shared sense of humour on our first date, and Hassan's charming moves convinced me to give him a second chance. I had just returned from living abroad, and Hassan had recently moved to London, so we enjoyed exploring the city together that summer. It felt really special that we met, especially since I hadn't planned to be back in London that summer – everything had to fall into place for us to meet, and I'm so grateful it did."
Ellie and Ricky met in 2012 at Broad Haven Beach in Haverfordwest. "He was a popular boy who I thought was attractive, but nothing ever happened as he was too old for me at the time," says Ellie. "Fast forward to 2014, when he took a fancy to me dressed up as a bobsleigher and we've been together ever since."
Kath and Dan met through St John Ambulance Cymru. "Dan was my daughter's cadet offi cer and when he found out that I was a member years ago, he encouraged me to come back as a parent helper, which I did," says Kath. "One year my son had the honour of carrying the St John Ambulance Badger standard in a Remembrance Parade. As a proud mam, I put the photo on social media, saying, 'Proud mam seeing my boy carrying this fl ag this morning'. Dan saw the post and quickly sent me a private message saying, 'It's called a standard,' and that's how our friendship somehow started. The thing that attracted us to each other was how similar we both are; we enjoy a bit of banter and we just bounce off each other. We constantly laugh and joke!"
Aisling and Liam met during their first week at dance school. "Liam was in his first year of the course and I was doing the foundation year," says Aisling. "We met at a house party and were friends for about eight months before starting a relationship."
Chelsea and James met back in 2013 at the pub. James played for the local football team and Chelsea had gone along with her mum who played for the darts team. "I'd noticed James, and could appreciate that he was a good looking boy, but as he'd just fi nished playing football he was sweaty, still in his kit and had fl ip fl ops on," Chelsea says. "It defi nitely wasn't love at fi rst sight!" It was Chelsea's mum's friend who commented they'd look good together and asked for her phone number to give to James. Happily, once they started talking, they realised how similar they were and found plenty in common. "We have the same sense of humour, same values and are equally as sarcastic as each other," Chelsea shares. They started dating around six months later and the rest is history... well, almost!
Sisters Asher and Ellis got engaged at a similar time, so Asher and fiancé Mike waited for Ellis and John to confirm their date first, allowing them to tie the knot within the following month or two. When away on a weekend away together as a group, the topic of a double wedding came up as a joke. "We were quite a few drinks deep at this point, so we can't remember who exactly suggested it,"
Emily and Charlie met in 2013 when they both attended the same school in Derbyshire. They've been together ever since and, says Emily, "Charlie has always been the funniest person in the room. He's also extremely kind and caring." It was all of these traits that attracted her to him.
Cacy and Josh met at Cacy's Halloween party. "Josh was invited by a friend of a friend," says Cacy. "He turned up with one of his best men, Aakash, and I thought they were a couple, so I was slightly disappointed. It was not until 3am that Josh had the courage to talk to me, and at this point I was in my pyjamas and ready to go to bed. I wished Josh and Aakash a safe journey home, to which Josh replied, 'How will you know we got home safe if I don't have your number?' and the rest is history."
Chelsea and Scott met at work and would regularly talk over coffee as friends. "When we realised that there was much more to our relationship and that we had lots in common, we decided to try dating," says Chelsea. "Our love of rum, holidays and reality TV has brought us closer than I ever imagined possible. Almost three years later, we're living together and are now married."
Elaine and Richard met in secondary school before losing touch and bumping into each other on a night out in 2009. "After 10 years together, I proposed in February 2020," says Elaine. "It was a leap year and I wrote on a chalkboard that had a scratch card attached, will you marry me?"
Fate seemed to draw Marite and Artis to each other. "One week before we met, Marite recorded a video of someone singing at an open mic, which later turned out to be a video of me," says Artis. "So, in a way, our story began before we officially met. We actually met at Marite's friend's birthday party, where I ended up by sheer coincidence as some people who I met during the day at a Couchsurfing meetup invited me to come along.
Tripti and Richard met online after both swiping right, and the rest is history. "I was drawn to Richard's kind nature and sense of humour, while he was captivated by my energy and passion for life," Tripti tells us.
Max and Julia's romance blossomed through their shared friends, Leo and Ally. Max and Ally have been friends since childhood, having grown up with the same childminder. While at university, Max met Leo and later introduced him to Ally, which eventually led to their wedding. Julia, who attended university with Ally, first crossed paths with Max at the York races in 2016, and they instantly connected.
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