See how other couples celebrated their big day with wedding stories and ideas from County Wedding Magazines' Real Weddings features.
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.
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 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.
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."
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.
These two lovebirds were introduced by their friends while at university. They joined a group to catch a rugby match in Cardiff, and by the night's end, they spent time alone together. Ella was the fi rst to ask for Adam's number in their friends' Facebook group chat. They clicked instantly, sharing the same sense of humour and feeling at ease being playful with one another
In 2015, these lovebirds crossed paths. Both had been through lengthy relationships before – Corinne for 27 years and David for 16 years – and each had children from those past unions. They wanted a true-life partner rather than just a fleeting romance. Interestingly, they met on Tinder, an app often linked with casual encounters. They both swiped right, and soon after, David reached out to Corinne while watching Spectre in a nearly empty cinema on the Isle of Wight. Coincidentally, Corinne was also at the cinema, attending a black-tie charity event and watching the same film simultaneously. Their conversation flowed easily, covering topics like their recent breakups, their kids, their passions, and what they wanted in a partner
After 11 years together as a couple Steve proposed to Maria in their kitchen. "I responded by saying "yes" and after wiping away tears, the perfect ring was presented to me," Maria says. "The rest, as they say, is now part of our history."
Alice and Tom met in the pub on Christmas Eve 2013. Alice was trying to break up a fi ght between mutual friends at the time, and Tom swept in to pull her away. "He'll say it as my bright orange hair that attracted him, while I love the fact that he just wasn't fazed by the drama unfolding around him and fully focused on me," Alice remembers. "I also thought he had great fashion sense, although his choice of socks really had me questioning that on our wedding day!"
Lucy and Matt met at the MMA Academy in Liverpool where Lucy had joined the Muay Thai class and Matt was a coach and fighter. It wasn't love at first sight and they took a while to pluck up the (Dutch) courage to take things further on a night out in the City. "It was definitely a case of opposites attract," Lucy says. "Neither of us was each other's type, but somehow it seems to work and within a few weeks we were living together!"
Amina and Leo met at The Totnes Brewing Company. "His laugh, height, and desire to help others through his volunteer work helping refugees and the homeless attracted me to him," Amina tells us. Leo adds, "I loved Amina's ambition, courage and how she looks at life."
Online dating soon turned to true love for Jenine and Michael. In front of family and friends on Jenine's birthday, Michael popped the question – and it was a resounding yes! Wedding planning commenced and on 21st October 2024 they tied the know at Little Channels.
Ally and Stuart met at work. Both taking on overtime simply to spend more time together, they knew they were more than friends. Love blossomed and before they knew it, they were buying their fi rst home and welcoming a new addition to the family. Ally was eight months' pregnant when Stuart proposed, and of course, she said, yes!
Lois and Kieran met through a mutual friend in 2016. Following a few years of dating, under the warm Milan sun, Kieran popped the question. The ring, specially designed by Kieran, fitted perfectly! Delighted, they celebrated their engagement with Champagne, followed by an evening out at a gorgeous Italian restaurant. Wedding planning commenced and Lois and Kieran Handford said their vows on 11th April 2024 at Braxted Park Estate
Although Nejma and John had bumped into each other a few times since they lived so close, they didn't meet offi cially until Nejma's 18th birthday party where she surprised John with a running man dance routine! They became inseparable. "I was attracted to his piercing green eyes and sense of humour," Nejma shares. While John says, "She was really good looking and a really bad dancer!"
Being alone during the pandemic had a profound affect on Kelly. It allowed her to slow down and reflect on what she cherished in life. She realised that she hadn't been prioritising what she really wanted: her own family. So, on her birthday she made a wish and a decision to meet her soulmate. That night she created her profile on a dating website. The next morning she woke up to an amazing message from Erika. "I knew I had to respond, and it was the best thing I ever did," she says. By the time it was safe for the couple to meet, Kelly already knew Erika was the one. "Meeting her was like coming home," she explains, "I've never been more certain of anything in my life." Wishes really do come true.
Phoebe and Greg met through Phoebe's mum, Susie who introduced them. "She was Greg's manager for a few years in a job he had while also studying at university and she thought he would make the perfect son-in-law!" Phoebe tells us. "She used to let Greg leave work early so that we could go on dates and when I started working in the same job, she would assign us to the same shifts. We used to have such fun working together and were both always desperate to spend more time together - she was a great matchmaker!"
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