Real Weddings from Your Kent Wedding

Love At First Swipe

Lucy and James met on an online dating site, and spent a few months chatting being open and honest with each other. "James liked my eyes and dimples, while I loved his smile," shares Lucy. After a relationship blossomed, James surprised Lucy with a proposal on Christmas Days 2018. "He created a parcel with loads of layers, inside was a ring and then he asked me."

Summer Lovin'

Gemma and Ben met on holiday in Cyprus six years ago where the pair hit it off. What started as a holiday romance, it took them both by surprise when a relationship blossomed on returning to England. "Ben proposed four years later on a return holiday to Cyprus, which was a complete surprise to me," shares Gemma. "It was at the same place we had met, which was where he'd been with his family on holiday from a young age, so it was a place special to him. We were away with friends and family who'd been with us from the start, which made the engagement celebrations even more special!"

I do, I do, I do

Louise and Stephen met while out one evening after work in a wine bar in Fleet Street, London. "We quickly discovered a mutual love of good wine and good bread. Oh, and obviously attraction to each other!" shares Louise. "We met the following week, on three separate evenings. We spent the evenings, chatting, really listening to each other, laughing and getting to know each other. And there was an instant feeling for both of us, that this person gets me, and we both knew pretty quickly during those first few dates that our lives were going to look very different from how we had envisaged and that we would each have a starring role in each other's lives!"

It's A Family Affair

Amy and Dan met when they were 17 and hit it off straight away. "I worked in a tearoom and Dan worked in a fruit and vegetable shop and delivered to us. Dan was the guy that all the ladies fancied so I thought there was no chance; he was handsome with dark hair and chatty, I thought: he's a bit of alright!" Dan adds, "Amy was always chatty too, she never stopped talking; plus, as she worked in the tearooms I would always get a free breakfast!"

If Music Be The Food Of Love, Play On!

Jess and James met through mutual friends in 2012 and found mutual interests in music and festivals for a relationship to soon blossom. James proposed to Jess on 17th December 2021 on a cold Christmas getaway to Berlin, Germany, which was a surprise to the unsuspecting bride-to-be. The big date was set, 13th May, 2023, with Reach Court Farm setting the scene.

Disco Fever

Sophie and Sam instantly clicked 10 years ago when they met on a night out at Kent University; Sophie was a student and Sam was out with his rugby team. After starting a relationship Sam later proposed while the couple were in Thailand after a day of exploring the Phiphi Islands on a secluded beach. "He felt like it was the right moment, after carrying the ring in a box on a wobbly boat for the entire day!" shares Sophie. "It was near the beginning of the holiday, so it gave us a good excuse to celebrate for the remaining duration!"

Such a perfect day

Beth and Rob met during their teenage years, having bumped into each other on various nights out. As they grew up, they went their separate ways, but their paths crossed again in 2018 and they began to date. In 2021, Rob proposed in a beautiful cove at sunset in Ibiza.

Lessons in love

Clare and Mitchell met at school but not as pupils, as teachers. They didn't hit it off right away and didn't much care for each other at first. But during one summer break, they realised that they actually did enjoy each other's company and fell in love – they say absence makes the heart grow fonder!

Our Best Shot

Hannah and Steve met in a bar in Kavos, Greece back in 2018. Hannah had gone away with her best friend and Steve was on holiday with two of his mates. They got chatting over shots and soon discovered not only that they lived just 10 minutes away from each other, but also that they shared a mutual friend. The two spent the rest of the holiday getting to know each other, then having arrived back in the UK they met up the same evening to go for a meal. They couldn't stop talking, it was the start of something wonderful.

You'll be in my heart

Georgina and Sam were childhood sweethearts having met at school. "We both took business class together and everything just fell into place, "Georgina says. When the time was right, Sam proposed while the two were on holiday in Mexico. It was a total surprise for Georgina, and they spent a wonderful evening together, just the two of them, celebrating. The pair fell in love with The Old Kent Barn and its rustic yet modern feel. Georgina explains, "We knew it would be perfect for our winter wedding with a Disney twist, with the white, snowy trees and high ceilings there. We also loved the fact that everything was in one location and it even had benches rather than chairs."

Making history for Becca and Pete

Becca and Pete met at school, aged 15, when they were sat next to each other in geography. They connected straight away and the rest is history. Well, not quite! Becca tells us, "We officially became a couple on the school field in March 2012 and have stuck by each other's sides ever since. We're truly the best of friends. We have the same sense of humour and have always mirrored each other's hopes and dreams."

It was always you

Chloe and Jamie were 16 and 17 respectively when they met, having been introduced by a mutual friend. Chloe found Jamie funny despite his shyness and the fact he only managed to give her one-word answers during the entirety of their first conversation. However, by their second meeting he'd come out of his shell and that's when they really hit it off. "Even to this day, almost nine years later, no one makes me laugh like he does," Chloe shares.

Fantastically floral

Leah immediately knew that Lee was someone she wanted to be friends with when she met him while working in the restaurant at Brandshatch Place Hotel & Spa. The friendship grew through mutual support and in time blossomed into a relationship.

The couple went to Nerja in Spain on holiday with best friends Riley and Ilona in September 2019 and while visiting The Balcon De Europa, which looks out onto the Med, Lee popped the question. "I had an inkling it might happen, but I was still overwhelmed when it did and I didn't answer him for a really long time!" Leah remembers.

Love wins for Lizi and Jack

Lizi and Jack met during their third year of university, at one of the first social nights after the Christmas break. Lizi says, "I didn't take to him immediately, but he won me over when I realised we were both as socially awkward as each other! His Geordie accent was, and still is, a winner for me."

Love in the wilderness

Ant proposed to Amy in front of the tree that first Christmas morning in their new home. Once the season and their incredible news had been celebrated and decorations were packed away, thoughts turned to wedding venues. They discovered Wilderness Weddings at Preston Court and were instantly attracted by the peacefulness and natural beauty of its outdoor setting. Ant says, "We love how relaxed it made us feel. The ceremony area really sold it for us, with the water in the background. We also loved how there was a clear flow through the venue and could easily picture how our day there would be. During our first visit Amy cried as she loved it so much, so it had to be done!"

Keen to know more, we got the lowdown on W-day from groom, Ant...

Made for each other

Becky and Mike met at a friend's 21st birthday party almost a decade ago. They discovered they were born on the same day of the same year in the same hospital, "So maybe our paths crossed way back then," Becky says.

Mike had originally planned to propose on a ski trip in March 2020, but as the country was plunged into the first lockdown at the time, the holiday was sadly cancelled. He still managed to keep his intentions quiet though and eventually succeeded in popping the question while on a break in The Cotswolds. During a beautiful autumnal walk from Stow-on-the-Wold to Bourton-on-the-Water, on a little bridge crossing a stream, right in the middle of nowhere, he asked Becky to be his wife. "We cried tears of joy – I've never been so surprised in my life, it was such a beautiful and happy time," Becky says.