Childhood sweethearts Ella and Ben met at school and became best friends, hanging out together and chatting online most evenings. By the age of 14, they were boyfriend and girlfriend and have been together ever since. "Ben has always made me laugh and I adore him for that," says Ella.
After meeting online, the first time Joseph set eyes on Francesca, he knew straight away that she was the one. "Joseph says that as soon as I opened the door to him and smiled for the first time, he knew he was going to marry me, however I took a little longer to realise this," admits Francesca.
A shared loved of the countryside and laid-back lifestyle helped cement the bond between Charlotte and James. They'd known each other for years and had been in the same friendship group since going to Kesgrave High School together. They kept in touch through mutual friends and met up socially, but it wasn't until after Charlotte graduated from university and moved back to Suffolk, that they started dating.
Although Ella and Hamish both grew up in Haverhill and knew each other through mutual friends and parties, it wasn't until after Ella moved away to university in Wolverhampton that they actually began talking. "It started with a text from Hamish wishing me a happy New Year," remembers Ella. Romance blossomed and after a year working away, on and off, Hamish booked a sunshine holiday in the Maldives for the two of them. "Despite many of my friends saying that he must be planning to propose, I was in complete denial," says Ella. So, as they headed out for dinner one evening, when Hamish stopped to take a sunset photo and got down on one knee to ask her to marry him, it came as a complete surprise. "We spent the rest of the evening FaceTiming, calling and messaging our friends and family before sitting down and writing out our guest list!"
Growing up in the same town, Ellie and James already knew of each other but it wasn't until Ellie posted a Game of Thrones photo up online that they actually started talking and the spark was lit. "As we were chatting we realised we had both moved back to Norfolk after being away at university so we went for a drink that night and got on so well it just went from there," Ellie reveals.
James proposed to Ellie in New York
Summer love turned into forever after for Alex and Charlie. They met when they were both 19 while working as waiting staff during the summer holidays in the restaurant at Norfolk's Dunston Hall Hotel. "We had lots in common and it felt like our paths should have crossed may times before," says Alex. It was meant to be and after nine years together Charlie asked her to marry him at the same place where they shared their first kiss.
It was fourth time lucky for Becky and Max when they eventually tied the knot at Hintlesham Hall in Suffolk. After having to cancel three previous wedding dates due to Coronavirus, their big day finally came on 17th June this year – and what a day it was! Despite restrictions and disappointments along the way, including having to slash the guest list by almost half, they married in style and celebrated with a cool cocktail of soft pastel colours mixed with a dash of boho and Mediterranean vibes and a good measure of gin!
Julie and Craig didn't let distance get in the way of romance even though, when they first met online, they were living a three-hour drive away from each other. He was based in London and she was in Nottingham and after getting to know each other over the phone they spent the next two years alternating between their homes every weekend before finally settling down together in Grantham.
Steffi and Richard met while they were out celebrating friends' birthdays and soon realised they shared a number of mutual pals. Steffi also recognised him from when their paths used to cross during their regular cycling commutes in different directions. They hit it off and the rest, as they say, is history.
It was love at first sight for Sophie and Chris. After chatting online for while they decided to meet face-to-face and the rest, as they say, is history. "I know it sounds cheesy, but it's true," confirms Sophie. "We had our first date in Ipswich town centre at a little coffee shop and ended up talking for hours. We hit it off straight away as we had so much in common and we both wanted to meet again. After that it didn't take long for us to feel like we'd known each other for years!"
