See how other couples celebrated their big day with wedding stories and ideas from County Wedding Magazines' Real Weddings features.
George and Daniel met each other right before lockdown, as George explains, "It wasn't the best time to fall in love but we managed to get through it together by speaking every day, from WhatsApp messages to FaceTime. It meant that we really got to know each other and on a really deep level that - without Covid - may not have happened." George and Daniel bonded over a love of BBC Radio 2, Disney and playing lots of Animal Crossing together on the Switch! The pair finally got to see each other more 'in real life' towards the end of the summer 2020, and f inally managed to put the world to rights by moving in with each other in 2021!
Having met when they were just 11 years old, Chloe and Brandon were high school sweethearts, navigating the craziness of their school years side-by-side. After a school trip to Paris they became besotted with each other, realising they were more than just friends and got together at the age of 15. "Laughter was defi nitely our bond, sharing a sense of humour throughout the years and building from our foundation of friendship," Chloe shares.
Chris proposed to Alexandra at Charingworth Manor in the Cotswolds just before sunset in the September of 2020. "We'd gone away to celebrate Chris' birthday and he surprised me by proposing with a speech about our time together on a hillside with a glorious view of the countryside," Alexandra remembers. The couple had met as students while studying at the University of Manchester.
Corrine and Matt met at university when they moved into the same f latshare. They'd make excuses to hang out with each other and their f latmates would often find them in the kitchen making numerous cups of tea! "I was attracted to Matt's blue eyes and his sense of humour," Corinne shares. Matt meanwhile had an instant crush on Corinne but was too shy to ask her out, so Corinne eventually stepped up and did the asking.
These lovebirds fi rst crossed paths as teenagers in school, sharing a desk in their English class. They quickly realised they had many common interests, particularly their mutual love for metal/punk music, and immediately hit it off.
These lovebirds first met at a friend's garden party, where George asked Jhanvi's friend for her Snapchat, and they started talking from there. Jhanvi comments, "I was drawn to George right away because I felt so at ease around him; he had a great sense of humour and didn't take himself too seriously, which I valued in a partner. We just clicked; he always made me laugh, and we had such great banter. George found me attractive from the start, especially my eyes and hair. As we got to know each other, he realised we had much in common regarding what we wanted in life. Even though we have different personalities, I'm more outgoing while he's more introverted, we both feel like we balance each other out and bring out the best in each other."
These lovebirds first met at a computer programming meetup in London in 2016, thanks to a mutual friend. Being ex-astrophysicists, they hit it off right away. Despite living in different cities, they managed to spend more time together when Stew moved to London for a data science internship program. It took a while, but they eventually realised their feelings for each other after several visits between London and Hampshire.
These lovebirds fi rst crossed paths through mutual friends and eventually, Josie found herself working for Tristan a few years later. Their bond grew over their shared love for beer and movies, plus their passion for good food brought them closer over time – the rest is history! Tristan surprised Josie with a romantic weekend getaway to Dublin, followed by a heartfelt proposal. Since they had already discussed marriage, it wasn't entirely unexpected for Josie. She recalls, "We had just purchased our fi rst home together, so everything was happening simultaneously. Tristan had planned to propose in one of the gardens in Dublin after our dinner, but unfortunately, it was closed for the evening when we passed by. Instead, he suggested we walk back to the hotel. He intended to pop the question during the walk but accidentally stumbled off a curb and twisted his ankle! We eventually returned to the hotel and luckily, our room had a stunning view. That's when he asked me to marry him. Looking back now, it's defi nitely a funny story!"
These lovebirds fi rst crossed paths at Alton Towers in 2012. It all started on the staff bus when John threw cereal at Amber, hoping to make her laugh. Unfortunately, it didn't have the desired effect and annoyed her instead. Despite this rocky start, John decided to take a chance and asked Amber out for an evening. Little did they know, this would begin a beautiful journey together! Fast forward to a special moment at their favourite theme park, Europa Park in Germany, John chose this magical setting to propose to Amber. He kept it a secret with the help of his future best man, James, who cleverly disguised their plans by telling Amber they were meeting a press and marketing lady before the Ice Show. In reality, they were fi nalising the details with the team who would assist with the proposal.
These lovebirds first encounted each other in a Wetherspoons, sporting their pajamas during the yearly medical school pub crawl back in 2013. Emily surprised Gareth by being punctual for once and since there weren't many others around, they immediately initiated a conversation. However, it wasn't until they relocated to Shrewsbury in 2016 that they began dating; the rest is history!
Chloe and Lewis met at Lewis' workplace. Chloe was friends with his boss' sister so they'd go and visit the workshop together. The future couple got on well together straight away with plenty of banter and they became friends. "Everyone wanted to set us up and egged us on to go on a date," Chloe says. "Once we did, the rest was history." Indeed, the first date went so well, Lewis tells us, "Afterwards, I knew I was going to marry her."
Catherine and Lizzie met at work in 2018. "We became good friends, eventually moving in together as part of a house share in 2019," they tell us. "We grew closer and on New Year's Eve, Lizzie shared how she felt and was delighted that my feelings were reciprocated," Catherine says. "Being friends fi rst meant we already knew so much about each other. We loved being together and shared many interests like cooking shows, video games and music."
Dominique and Andrew met through an online dating website in 2019. "We went on holiday together and then when the lockdown happened, I temporarily moved in with Dominique so we did not have to isolate separately – the rest is history!" Andrew tells us. Andrew proposed in the gardens of East Hampstead Park Estate during a weekend away in November 2021 and the couple married the following year.
Prianka and Neel met through a mutual friend at university. "Neel proposed by booking Prianka a surprise day off work through one of her colleagues. "I was getting ready for work when he presented me with packed bags," she tells us. "I thought we were going abroad but we stayed at The Shard in London before taking a short trip to Madrid."
Nicola Williams and Nicola Davies met as members of a Brighton walking group. When a mutual friend, Gill, arranged some walks and meals aside from the main group, the two had the opportunity to get to know each other a bit more. Eventually, Nicola W. asked Nicola D. out for a drink and their relationship grew from there.
Joe proposed to Mary at Disneyland Paris with their daughter, Ava, asleep in her pram. They'd known each other since childhood, having met at infant school. With their hearts set on a rustic barn wedding they set out on their venue search and fell in love with the beautiful Cissbury Barns in Findon, West Sussex. "We knew we wanted a beautiful, barn that was all enclosed for guests to mingle, especially for a running toddler!" Mary explains.
These two lovebirds initially met in 2012 as teenagers in the Army Cadets, but it wasn't until eight years later that they truly connected when Amy decided to reach out to Joe. They clicked during a visit to his local pub, and even though Amy was a bit shy, Joe was keen to meet her again. After a few dates, he asked her to be his girlfriend, and their romance fl ourished. Amy loved Joe's kind nature and his wonderful sense of humour. She has always thought he was handsome since day one.
These charming couple first crossed paths 11 years ago at a party. They instantly connected over their shared sense of humour. They spent the entire evening in fits of laughter, and that joyful night marked the beginning of their beautiful relationship. Fast forward time, Josh surprised Jordan by proposing during a recreation of their first date, which included a drink at a local pub and an evening walk through the fields – it was a complete surprise! Jordan says, "It's a funny story because at that time of year, there's usually a huge sunflower field at the end of the walk. Josh had planned to get down on one knee in front of the sunflowers, which he had checked the week before to ensure they were still there. Once we walked through the fields, we realised they had recently been harvested and were just a muddy land area. At this point, I wasn't aware Josh had planned to propose, so I just laughed it off, and we walked back the way we came from. We sat on a bench, where he knelt and asked me to be his wife. I was shocked and maybe said some swear words before finally saying 'yes'!
These lovebirds first crossed paths at school when they were 12 years old, playing on the playground. David's mother decided to enrol him in a different school than his two older brothers. The moment David spoke to Abigail, he playfully made a flirty comment and flashed a charming smile that she couldn't shake from her mind since that very day. They were just school friends for two years, while Abigail's friends had to endure her constant chatter about how much she fancied David.
Kate and Paul met online. "His good looks are what fi rst attracted me," says Kate. "Once I got to know him, I was drawn to his caring and funny personality." Paul proposed in the couple's living room. "It was Valentine's Day," shares the bride. "We went out for a meal and he asked his mum to f i ll our living room with candles. He made a scrapbook of all our memories together and, at the end, asked me to marry him. It was eight years after he asked me to be his girlfriend and it was a huge surprise."
Lois and Ben met through mutual friends in 2017. "Our relationship blossomed and in August 2022, Ben popped the question," says Lois. "We were away for the weekend in the Lake District and while on a walk up Loughrigg Fell, he asked me to be his wife. Ben had already secretly asked my dad for his permission the day before."
Lydia and Leith met online. "We actually went to the same secondary school for a few years," says Lydia. "Leith was a couple of years above me at school and I actually remembered him, but he had no clue. We connected almost immediately!
Melissa and Brandon met when her college began working with Brandon's work to learn about business studies. "I came across his profile six months later and we matched on Tinder," says Melissa. "We went on our first date and we have been inseparable ever since. It just felt really natural to be in one another's company."
Gemma and Adrian were instantly attracted to each other. "We have a lot in common, with many of the same interests," says Gemma. "I liked Adrian because he always had something interesting to talk about. He was also nicely dressed on dates and always made an effort."
Chloe and John first laid eyes on each other at work. "Chloe complemented my car one morning as we were arriving to work," says John. "We spoke briefly and I rushed into work, not fully embracing her comment. We then met again during a work party. I set my eyes on her and thought she was lovely, but that I had no chance – not in my league! That turned out to be a false assumption and in summer 2016, we started exchanging messages and we went from there!"
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