Real Weddings from Your Kent Wedding

Garden of love

Helen and Ben met like many modern couples, online through a dating app. Their connection was instant, and over time their bond only grew deeper. Ben proposed during a magical city break in Berlin. "It was our last night, and we'd managed to get last-minute evening tickets to visit the dome and roof terrace of the Reichstag Building," says Helen.

Meant to be

Lauren and Joe met in secondary school in 2005.Over the years, their relationship blossomed,and on their fifth anniversary Joe surprised Lauren by popping the question on a sun-kissed beach in Cyprus. It was the perfect moment that marked the beginning of their next chapter together.

A very MERRY MARRIAGE

Melissa and North's wedding took place on the 12th December and had an elegant theme of Christmas, class, and disco. They met when they were 16 and have been in love ever since. This all came to a romantic high in 2019, when North decided to pop the question to Melissa. This wasn't your typical candle-lit proposal; North decided his firefighter graduation ceremony was just the place to ask Melissa to be his forever spark. He flew across the crowd in a cherry picker and got down on one knee in front of the entire fire crew and the couple's families.

Rom-com romance

Maria and Ben met at work, and after six months of office flirting they went on their first date. Ben was about to move closer to London and wanted to get at least one date in before he left – choosing to take Maria for a romantic walk in Deal. Their long-distance relationship started and would consist of fleeting visits after work. Their love bloomed and they eventually moved in together. Ben popped the question after a day of mooching around Christmas markets.

Summer lovin'

Fran and Andy met each other through mutual friends and for this couple, sparks instantly flew! A relationship blossomed and nine years ago, Andy proposed to Fran on what was any normal day. It was a Monday night and Fran had finished work and was still in her nurse's uniform when she walked into the biggest surprise of her life.

Magical moments

Suzanne and Ashley met on Tinder, and it truly was love at first swipe – Ashley was Suzanne's first and last swipe on the app! They met up the very next day and it was an instant connection for both.

Summer Loving

Cameron, from Northern Ireland, and Elise, from Kent, met for the first time at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, where they both attended. Their shared subject and mutual friends pushed fate to seat them next to each other. However, it wasn't until they met the second time on a night out that the romance started.

Champagne Dreams

It's believed that those who are meant to be in your life are attached to you by an invisible string, and when the time is right, fate will pull that string and bring you together – this is very much the case for Jack and Julie's relationship. They both went to the same primary school, but it wasn't until they were in their twenties that Jack messaged Julie on social media; they later bumped into each other at the pub and the rest is history!

Nautical Bliss

Charlotte and Jacob's love story begins at work, in fact, it starts in the interview room! Jacob recalls, "Charlotte actually interviewed me and will tell you she was my boss (still not convinced!). Our friendship grew and we started to go out with each other more as the months passed."

Dreamy Romance

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."

Festival of Love

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?"

Our Happily Ever After

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.

The Great Outdoors

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."

A Royal Occasion

Amy and Alex met at work. "I think looks were the initial attraction, and I loved how good Alex was with his son," says Amy. "Alex proposed while we were skiing in Les Gets, France, in April 2022. We were at a friend's charity event, and by pure coincidence, I actually won the raffl e and had to go on the stage. As I looked around, Alex was coming towards me and getting down on one knee. This was really out of character, as Alex is really shy and doesn't like attention. He had gotten the DJ to play my favourite song. It was so lovely to be there with most of his family watching. I then rang all my family and friends back in the UK in hysterical tears, showing off my beautiful ring!"

Boho Romance

Hayley and Ed met while they were both working at an insurance company 10 years ago. "We reconnected several years later and have been inseparable since," says Ed. "We share the same values, a laid-back approach to life and a love of animals." "I proposed to Hayley at Macquaries Point in Sydney, Australia, which has a beautiful view overlooking Sydney Harbour and the Opera House," shares the groom. "Hayley lived in Australia for a few years and I knew it would be special to do it in a place that she holds dear. I asked her to pose for a photo against the backdrop and then dropped to one knee. Based on her shocked reaction and happy tears, I would say it was a big surprise." The couple sh

Childhood Sweethearts

Samantha and Joseph fi rst met while out with friends when they were 14 years old. "We didn't say hello to each other, but that evening Joseph added me on Facebook and we spoke for four days before Joseph asked me out," says Samantha. "I found Joseph to be very handsome and talking to him felt so easy and he always made me laugh."

A Festival of Love

Anna and Owen met at university in 2012. "We knew of each other but didn't really get to know each other until a few months later," says Anna. "When we spoke to each other properly, there was instant chemistry and we've been extremely close ever since. Our attraction to each other was obviously physical, but our personalities are very compatible and we can always make each other smile and feel loved."

Summer Loving

Katie and Marc met at school when two mutual friends introduced them. "We were in a relationship for fi ve years before we went our separate ways," says Katie. "Four years later, Marc reached out to see if I wanted to go for a drink. I thought it would be an opportunity to reassure us both that we'd made the right decision all those years ago; however, within fi ve minutes, it was clear that we were going to get back together."

Timeless Romance

Ann-Jee and Nick were introduced to each other by a mutual friend at a Halloween party 10 years ago. "For me, it was love at first sight," says Nick. "She was so effortlessly charming and funny, with a captivating smile. Sadly, my 'friend' had already told Ann-Jee all of my most embarrassing stories, so she took a bit more convincing, especially as I was the only person in attendance who hadn't bothered with a costume!"

In The Meadow

Heidi and Michael first crossed paths as children at church. "I attended with my family and Michael was an altar boy along with my brother," says Heidi. "Years later, I caught Michael's eye on social media, but he did not recognise me at first. He messaged me asking why I had numerous photos with celebrities; my brother was manager at a nightclub at the time. I read the message, recognised him immediately, and shocked him with my response, 'Didn't you used to be an altar boy?' We arranged to meet and quickly became friends, which soon developed into a relationship."