Real Weddings from Your Hampshire and Dorset Wedding

See how other local couples celebrated their big day with inspirational weddings and bridal stories from Real Weddings features in Your Hampshire and Dorset Wedding.

Real Weddings: Festival Vibes

Festival Vibes

These lovebirds met through a mutual friend but became closer thanks to their shared love for the gym and lifting weights, a hobby they still do together today. Henry proposed shortly after the pair purchased their first house together. He organised a treasure hunt that finished with candle-lit lanterns in the garden and a sign saying, "Will you marry me?" – it was an easy "yes" for Cheryl.

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Real Weddings: Blooming Beautiful Day

Blooming Beautiful Day

These lovebirds met at college through a mutual friend before discovering their shared personalities and sense of humour. Fast forward the years, Aaron proposed at home on Chelsea's birthday. It was a surprise, although they had been together for a decade.

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Real Weddings: Blooming Beautiful

Blooming Beautiful

Dulcie and Bobby first met at college and ended up attending the same university. Their friendship grew stronger over time, retaining a comforting link to home. "We always had so much in common, sharing the love of the same books (Harry Potter, obviously), TV shows and movies", says Dulcie. She continues, "We lived together for our second and third years, where our friendship grew into something more during this time. We ignored and denied it for a while but eventually took the risk and never looked back. Fast forward time, we have shared 12 years of love, 16 years of friendship and one year of marriage!"

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Real Weddings: Love All Around

Love All Around

These lovebirds met through mutual friends in the summer of 2010 when they were just 16. "Lewis was a cheeky, pretty boy but also very loving and caring", shares Lucy. Lewis proposed in August 2021, during a barbecue at Lucy's parents' house. She says, "It was a complete surprise; we were taking a group photo when Lewis ran out to the front and got down on one knee!"

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Real Weddings: Love At First Sight

Love At First Sight

These lovebirds met at Michigan State University, where Brandon completed his degree and Kayleigh finished law school. After a quick first date over coffee, the couple continued to talk but lost touch over time. In January 2020, right before COVID-19, they ran into each other at a bar. They met up for lunch the next day and have been inseparable ever since.

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Real Weddings: Bold and Beautiful

Bold and Beautiful

These lovebirds met at work during the Covid-19 pandemic, which meant they could only have walking dates. Amy comments, "Joe had made a picnic for us both with Pimm's in plastic water bottles on one of our first walks– how classy! I instantly knew this was the man for me."

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Real Weddings: Truly traditional

Truly traditional

Charlotte and Andrew first met while working in Austria during the ski season. They fell in love with the mountains and, of course, with each other while creating the most amazing memories. Andrew proposed at the pair's favourite waterfall in Scotland called The Hermitage. He was taking photos using a tripod and managed to capture the moment he popped the question.The lovebirds set the wedding for July 2022 and created a fun day surrounded by loved ones.

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Real Weddings: Take two

Take two

Tom and Jemma met through a mutual friend at an ice skating rink and hit it off immediately after Tom fell over. Jemma says, "The more we talked during the day, the more we wanted to see each other again. We exchanged numbers, and the rest is history!" In December 2020, Jemma and her mum went for a walk at Lulworth Cove, where they bumped into Tom's parents. Jemma comments, "I didn't think anything of it until I saw Tom waiting for me at the cliff side to propose! I was shaking and couldn't believe what was happening!"

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Real Weddings: My precious

My precious

Charlotte and Ben met on a dating app, and their sense of humour first attracted them to each other. The bride's strapline was 'looking for a gladiator', and Ben's opening line was 'will a spartan do?' It's safe to say they were the perfect match and ended up dating. In 2019, Ben proposed during a weekend away to Ilfracombe with their dog Max. On the last night of the trip, they had a lovely shellfish dinner before taking a stroll along the pier during a gorgeous sunset.

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Real Weddings: Seasonal splendour

Seasonal splendour

Sean and Kirstie's adventure began more than 10 years ago after their friendship blossomed into something beautiful. The pair became inseparable and created many amazing memories together over the years, which led Sean to ask a very important question. Back in 2019, Sean originally planned to take Kirstie for a picnic in Burley at sunset but the motorway was closed. Kirstie says, "He had told me we were going out and to get ready but didn't say where. I was getting ready when he said we must go now as the motorway had opened much earlier than expected.

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Real Weddings: A dreamy day

A dreamy day

Elisha and Adam met through mutual friends at school and have been a couple ever since. No matter how much time they spent together, they always managed to make each other laugh and have made so many amazing memories over the years.

Adam proposed on Christmas day after hiding a ring in a cracker to surprise Elisha – of course she said 'yes'. The pair set the wedding for July 25th 2021, and created a memorable day surrounded by loved ones.

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Real Weddings: I love you

I love you

Abbie and George first met online before going on a date in London, where they got to know each other better. There was a spark straight away and the pair headed for a romantic walk around Tower Bridge and the Tower of London. Abbie loved how kind and friendly George was; he always managed to make her laugh. He says, "I first saw Abbie stood reading a book while she waited for me at the station as I was running late. It made me chuckle to see her innocently stood there reading amongst the chaos." He adds, "Once we got chatting, I knew she was someone that was going to be in my life forever."

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Real Weddings: Timeless elegance: Beth and Joe

Timeless elegance: Beth and Joe

Online dating has become extremely popular over the last few years, and happened to be where Beth and Joe first met. On their first date, the pair headed to a gin bar to get to know each other more. Beth comments, "We both felt so relaxed in each other's company – we just clicked! We would do and say certain things simultaneously; we really are the male and female version of each other."

The lovebirds were on holiday in Dubai when Joe proposed. While enjoying cocktails at Burj Al Arab, which held many sentimental memories for Beth, she ordered a Genie in a Bottle cocktail which came with three wishes. She says, "The waitress brought over a treasure chest, which I thought was snacks, until she slowly opened it. Inside was the ring, and Joe dropped to one knee." The whole thing was captured on camera to show their friends and family back home.

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Real Weddings: Lady in Red

Lady in Red

Maddie and James first met when she moved to London for her first job as a junior doctor. "A mutual friend cunningly arranged for us to attend the same party knowing we were both newly single and had a shared love of art, nature and general goofiness," Maddie recalls. The matchmaking worked and they got together as a couple. However, when the time came for James to pop the question, things didn't quite go to plan. Three days into a two-week road trip in California he intended to surprise Maddie with a romantic proposal during a 5am hike in Joshua Tree National Park. The idea was to trek to the top of the highest rock and persuade her to pose for a photo looking out over the edge, to then find him down on one knee when she turned round. He hadn't counted on her being frozen to the spot with crippling vertigo though! "Poor James had to get back up to retrieve me. Luckily photo attempt two was more successful and we enjoyed a special moment together on top of the rock as the sun came up. I later had an image of the rock engraved on to a silver signet ring for James as a memento," adds Maddie.

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