Real Weddings from Your South Wales Wedding

Classic Elegance

Lauren and Rob met through work in 2015. "I thought he was really charming and we got on really well," says Lauren. "Our relationship grew and in 2023, Rob proposed while we were in Cardiff. We went back to the fi rst hotel that we stayed in together and I had no idea that he was going to pop the question. It caught me by complete surprise."

Summer Loving

Megan and Simon met in their third year of university. "I was running a social for some of the students and a mutual friend introduced us," says Megan. "Simon immediately caught my eye, and the three of us ended up getting dinner before the social started. We started out as just friends, but there was a clear connection there from the beginning; we had the same sense of humour, enjoyed the same movies, were both close with our families and loved dogs. A few months later, we had our fi rst offi cial date on Valentine's Day and the rest is history."

Monochrome Magic

Harriet and David met through mutual friends. "We lived in neighbouring villages and when a friend shared our numbers, we started texting," says Harriet. "I had absolutely no interest in David to begin with, then he convinced me to go on a date with him, to which I reluctantly agreed. He made me laugh like no one has before and that was it! We've been inseparable ever since! We definitely believed we were each other's other half and it's still the same nine years later!"

Meant To Be

Holly and Cory met while working at a nightclub when they were 18 and 19. "We were completely lost in the world, not knowing what we wanted to do in life," says Holly. "We'd have never thought that 12 years later we'd have a house, be married and have two children!"Cory proposed during a break away. "I had planned a trip to New York as a surprise for his 30th birthday," shares the bride. "We went to Central Park at Thanksgiving, which was full of people and there wasn't an inch of it without a tourist with a camera. We walked for hours while Cory tried to fi nd the right place for us. Finally, we found a place called the Cop Cot. Sitting there, we decided to say what we were thankful for, in true American tradition. We discussed the journey we'd been on as a couple, our two beautiful children and just as we were about to leave, Cory explained he had one more question before we left. New York will forever be our special place."

Festival of Love

Rob caught Saz's eye while she was out at a bar with her friends. "We exchanged a few words and ended up matching on Tinder a couple of months later," says Saz. "We bonded over our love of festivals, music and rugby. We are both very outdoorsy people. We go hiking and camping quite a lot and have attended lots of festivals and concerts together.

Fall In Love With You

Haley and Kristian met while Haley was working at a pub in Neath. "I became friends with a regular called Ryan," says Haley. "I didn't know at the time that Ryan had a brother, so when Ryan walked into the bar one day and I asked him about his trip away to Butlins and he told me he'd just returned from Egypt with his girlfriend, I was confused! Later on, Ryan came in again and was dressed in a different outfi t! It turned out Ryan and Kristian are brothers and looked exactly the same to me. It was then that Ryan introduced me to Kristian, and well, that was when our story began. We were both in relationships, so we just enjoyed being friends. Kristian was so nice to me and he became my best friend.

A Never-Ending Love

Bethan and Sam met through mutual friends. "We messaged each other for a few months and eventually went on a date," says Bethan. "We went to Winter Wonderland in Cardiff and instantly clicked with each other. After we met, Sam went back to his local pub and met up with his friends, and when they asked how it went, his response was, 'I'm going to marry her.' We went on several dates after this; however, lockdown then happened in March and we made the decision to move in together rather than not see each other."

Where The Wildflowers Grow

Rachael and Sam met through social media. "Sam had not been in New Zealand long and we instantly struck up a friendship," says Rachael. "We chatted for a few months before we finally organised a date. It was truly love at first sight. All though our connection was instant, our relationship was a slow burn, as I have two daughters who were six and ten at the time. I had to make sure Sam was a keeper before he met Ava and Amelia, but he had me at hello, and his morals, ethics and loyalty would last me a lifetime."

At One With Nature

Beth and Alex met on a dating website. "We have both been married before and gone through difficult separations and divorces," says Beth. "Alex was incredibly charming and to this day, I still call him my Charming Mr Alex. We had a lot in common, as we both love the outdoors and enjoy walking, paddleboarding, the beach and coastal areas. Our love for life was what really shone through. We had an immediate connection and I know it may sound cheesy, but I know that we were meant to meet. He is what I had been waiting for my entire life! He treated me like an absolute lady from the start and spoilt me rotten in every way and still does. He completely swept me off my feet and the first year was a total dream come true. It is incredible to meet someone who respects you so much for who you are and who will love you unconditionally. I feel so lucky to have met Alex and to now have the family that I do with him."

Woodland Roamnce

Jess and Sam met nine years ago via a dating app. "I moved to Oxford after meeting Sam and we started a long-distance relationship with him in Pembrokeshire and me in Oxford," says Jess. "I would get the train to Pembrokeshire after my night shifts and he would drive up every Friday night after work and drive back every Sunday. We travelled long distances for three years before Sam moved to Oxford."

Love Is In The Air

Verity and Ed met for coffee and instantly hit off. "I thought Ed was very handsome with a lovely, warm personality," says Verity. "In the first month or so, we were only able to meet up on weekdays as Ed was working night shifts. When Ed had a day off in the week, he would make and bring lunch to my workplace."

Making Waves

Sarah and James met at a bar in 2015. "I'd decided to have a spontaneous drink with one of my good friends, Jess, after work," says Sarah. "It's fair to say that Jess had a few too many to drink by the time we met James. I was ordering drinks and when I turned around, I saw an overly sociable Jess had started chatting with James' friends. One of his friends pointed James out to me and asked if I was single. I'd sworn off men at that point and Jess was engaged, but we continued to chat and eventually I got talking to James. I could tell he was a very kind, interesting and intelligent soul and we got on well immediately."

Out Of The Blue

Abbie and James met on Tinder and quickly became friends. The couple spoke for three months before going on their first date. "We are both family-oriented and have the same interests," says Abbie. "We were able to talk for hours and get to know each other well before starting to date. We became a couple in March 2017 and have been together for more than six years."James popped the question at Rhossili Sunflower Arch in August 2020. "We had spoken about getting engaged for over a year prior to this," shares the bride. "Despite this, it was a total surprise on the day when he proposed."

A Day To Remeber

Lisa and Nigel met each other online. "I was attracted to his devilish good looks," says Lisa. "We have similar personalities and the same goals in life. Our relationship grew, and Nigel asked me to marry him during a family holiday to Tenerife. Everyone knew he was going to ask except for me, so it was a big surprise!"

Childhood Sweethearts

Hannah and Lee met online in 2014, when they were 16 and 17 years old. "We arranged to have our first date in Bristol," says Hannah. "We had a long-distance relationship, as Lee was from Somerset and I lived in South Wales. Over the years, our relationship blossomed and we bought our first house together in April 2020."

Love At First Swipe

Catherine and Steve met on a dating website in 2011 and had their first date at a pub in Brynmill, Swansea. "We were both single parents, so we had that in common," says Catherine. "We hit it off right away, and I loved his eyes and that he liked my laugh."Years later, the happy couple went to look at wedding rings together. "I liked one, but it was very expensive, so we decided to leave it and go home," shares the bride. "That weekend was our anniversary, and we celebrated by going back to the pub where we first met. Steve proposed to me that night with the ring that I had fallen in love with."

You are my sunshine

Rachel and Ghandi met at a friend's party. "At the party, Ghandi asked how my son was doing (from a previous marriage), and the rest is history," says Rachel. "There's a 17-year age gap between us, which on paper shouldn't work, but as Ghandi says, he's Peter Pan and has never grown up, so that helps!

Enchanted Romance

Sam and Beth met in 2013 while they were both working part-time at Homebase. "I worked on the customer service desk, and Beth was on the shop floor," says Sam. "I was newly 'out' in the LBGT world and noticed Beth during one of our shifts. Beth was quiet and no one knew her name, so I plucked up the courage to go over and invite her on a night out with the girls.

The one for me

Jess and Daniel first met in college and have been together ever since. In 2018, close to Christmas, Daniel surprised Jess by proposing at Disneyland Paris. "It was a massive shock," adds Jess. "How our daughter kept it quiet, I'll never know!"

You are my sunshine

Adrien and Matthew met through a mutual friend. "I saw a photo of Matthew and wanted to know if he was single," says Adrien. "We are complete opposites! Matthew is a calming influence, and I'm the life of the party, but it turns out opposites attract. "Matthew proposed in December 2018. "It was two days before my birthday,"shares the bride. "We were at home when he got down on one knee and presented me with a ring that he had helped design. I cried and, of course,said yes! I then called everyone despite it being midnight!"