Real Weddings from Your South Wales Wedding

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!"

Country Romance

Holly and Matt met over a decade ago. "Matt saw me dancing the night away in Cardiff while he was studying at university, and the rest is history," says Holly. "Matt popped the question during a holiday to Sri Lanka to visit his family. On the second day, Matt and I went for a walk on the beach, and while I was busy taking photos of the sea, Matt got down on one knee! I was so shocked, I just kept asking: 'are you serious?'. I obviously agreed and he put the most beautiful ring on my finger.

Meant to be

Jordan and Craig met through a mutual friend during a night out in Cardiff. "There was an initial spark, but we only met briefly, so we didn't know each other's names," says Jordan. "A few days later, I received a friend request on Facebook from Craig. We were attracted to each other, but the beginning of our relationship was not what we had planned as I had just gone on holiday and ended up stranded in Gran Canaria as a result of the Ash Cloud.

Truly romantic

Lauren and Gaz met in the summer of 2017. "Gaz was volunteering at my cattle ranch in Wyoming," says Lauren. "We were just friends until he went to leave, and sparks began to fly. When Gaz returned to the UK, we stayed in touch and after a few days, he had already booked his flight back to the ranch. His second stay was a little more romantic, and by the end of it, I had decided to follow him over to Wales for the winter season while he got his degree."

Fly away with me

Amrit and Ash met during their second year of university. "We were put into a group together in one of our seminars and slowly got to know each other," says Amrit.

"We eventually started dating the following summer. We have the same sense of humour and connected through music. We would often give each other recommendations, and when I had a radio show at university, Ash would send requests in. Once we graduated, we saved up and went travelling around the world for four months. We knew we wanted to be with each other forever, so we decided to move in together. Ash is from North Wales and I'm from the Midlands, so we agreed that wherever one of us got a job, we would move there. Ash got a job in Cardiff, and the rest is history."

Autumn leaves

Katie and Shaun met online six years ago. "We had our first date at Ystradfellte Waterfalls in the Brecon Beacons and quickly became inseparable," says Katie. "Shaun is a very loving and kind person who puts me first, which was something I hadn't felt before and knew it was special. We moved in together after a year, which some may say was quick, but to us, it was so natural. We were on the same page, and I'm pretty sure I mentioned getting engaged within a few months of being together! Shaun put the reins on that for some time, but good things come to those who wait."

By the seaside

Rhian and Rory met on Tinder in 2014. "Rory was attracted to my smile, and I thought he looked cheeky and loved his curly hair," says Rhian. "We spoke via WhatsApp for a few weeks and eventually went on our first date. We knew from that first meet up that we had something special."

Rory proposed during a holiday to Venice. "It was the day before my 27th birthday, and it was a complete surprise," shares the bride. "I'm in charge of packing when we go on holiday, so I was shocked he had managed to keep the ring from me. He had asked my dad's permission before the trip, so my parents knew it was going to happen, however, they started to get a bit worried when days had passed, and there was no news. Rory wanted to find the perfect moment. He tried on a gondola but got told off for moving seats and making the weight uneven! He eventually found a lovely quiet spot on a bridge with no people around and asked me to be his wife."

Once upon a time

Zoe and Dan met on Bonfire Night in 2004. "A friend of mine asked Dan for his number," says Zoe. "Dan shouted asking for a pen and paper as everyone was leaving, and a lady handed it to him and said 'invite me to the wedding.' We didn't contact each other for nearly a year, but we've been inseparable ever since."

Dan proposed on Valentine's Day in 2018. "I wanted to get married before I was 30, so I told Dan he needed to pop the question soon," laughs the bride. "He asked me to be his wife while we were in bed with our three kids."