See how other local couples celebrated their big day with wedding stories and ideas from Your North East Wedding Real Weddings features.
Jules and Gary met at school, but there certainly wasn't an initial attraction! "Gary was loud, obnoxious and argued with the teachers," says Jules. "After sixth form we lost touch, not catching up until we found ourselves in the same school Facebook group nine years ago. By then I was a single parent, and Gary was married to his lovely wife. Tragically, she died of cancer a few years later, and our Facebook group rallied round to help Gary though this terrible time.
Sarah met Andrew after her best friend, Alison, suggested she sign upto dating site Plenty of Fish. "I'd been on a couple of rubbish dates, before a message from Andrew popped up," says Sarah. "I checked out his profile and saw him standing in front of a fire engine, so that got my attention pretty much straight away! We had our first date in Corbridge back in 2012, sitting for a couple of hours in a coffee shop chatting away. We then went for lunch in a local pub and spent the afternoon getting to know each other more. To be totally honest, the minute I saw him I was smitten!"
Simone met Jade while out walking their dogs. "Jade had two foxhounds, Marley and Cruiser, and I have two jackhuahuas, Rupert and Hugo," says the bride. "We often stopped to talk to each other, but it was a few years before we found ourselves single at the same time, arranging to take a walk along the beach for our first date.
Caroline met Danny in the last place she ever expected to meet anyone – at work! "We worked on different floors and never crossed paths, until one day I was asked to take notes for a senior manager in a disciplinary meeting," she says. "When I walked onto their floor, I saw a gorgeous man walking towards me – then he opened his mouth and his Yorkshire accent finished me off! After the meeting Danny asked what my plans were for the weekend, and I got so flustered I waffled a lot of drivel. It couldn't have been that bad, though, as he asked me out the following week."
Shelby and Chris: You were made for me
Shelby and Chris met through a mutual friend, when Chris was serving in the armed forces back in 2017. "It was an instant attraction," remembers Shelby. "We both knew straight away that we were soulmates. I messaged Chris via Facebook and the rest was history!
Gemma and Laurens met at a Salvation Army summer camp in the Netherlands. "Laurens had attended every summer for years, while I was there for the first time as a volunteer," remembers Gemma. "We sat next to each other at breakfast and chatted about our mutual appreciation for Geordie Shore – despite Laurens' broken English! We became friends, and over the next 12 months, Laurens WhatsApped his way into my heart. After a year as a long-distance couple, he moved to the North East to be with me."
Unbeknown to Gemma, Laurens had asked for her dad's blessing to marry her back in 2019. "It was right before we moved to Canada for a year for my work," continues the bride. "Unfortunately, the pandemic hit, all the jewellery shops closed, and Laurens' proposal was put on hold. With plenty of time to chat thanks to the stay-at-home rules, we discussed our future and Laurens revealed his thwarted proposal plans. When things started to reopen, we went to a jewellers in Ottawa and designed my diamond and sapphire engagement ring together. However, the proposal itself was a surprise; Laurens got down on one knee at a secluded spot overlooking Maligne Lake during a trip to the Canadian Rockies. It was eight years to the day since we first got together."
The couple set their wedding for the 16th October, 2021, choosing St Peter's Church in Croft-on-Tees for the ceremony, followed by a reception at Rockliffe Hall. Here, Gemma tells us more about their amazing nuptials...
Vinaya and Tom first met while training to become lawyers and immediately clicked. They bonded over their mutual love of soul music, plus red wine, and have been inseparable ever since. Vinaya says, "Meeting when we were a bit older meant that we knew what we wanted in a partner. We knew we'd found the one and spent every day together during the lockdowns." She adds, "Our relationship felt very natural and like it was meant to be – everything has always happened very easily for us."
Patricia and Sean first met online, where they never expected to meet their lifelong partners. After messaging back and forth, the pair set off for their first date at Miller and Carter. Patricia says, "We had a nice meal while talking and getting to know each other more. We hit it off straight away and sealed the night with a romantic kiss."
Sean was captured by everything about Patricia and he loved how good she was with his son, which made him fall in love even more. He proposed on 28th November 2019 at the Palace of Culture and Science in Poland, which was three days after Patricia's 29th birthday and she was so surprised! They were enjoying the stunning views when he pulled out the ring, got down on one knee and asked her to marry him – the rest is history!
Holly and Jonathan first met while studying for a nursing degree at Northumbria University in 2013. After sitting at her first lecture, Holly noticed a good-looking guy sitting in a sea full of women. She says, "I was first attracted to Jon by his handsome looks, his ability to make me laugh and his Biffy Clyro band tee-shirt."
Jonathan knew Holly was special from the start. He says, "Holly is never afraid to get stuck in and she means the world to me. Her positive outlook and willingness to do the stupid things I enjoy doing, like plunging into the North Sea for a spot of surfing, really shows how much she cares."
Bethany and Adam's exciting journey started online on a dating site. After messaging back and forth, the pair realised they shared many mutual friends and couldn't believe they'd never met before. One Friday afternoon, Bethany and Adam decided to have drinks together in Newcastle and discovered that they shared a strong bond. Bethany says, "We were both single-parents and ended up visiting different soft plays with the boys, while getting to know each other better. After a few days out, the boys were inseparable and so were we!"
Time for love for Ben and Rebecca
Online dating has become extremely popular over the last few years; that's exactly how Ben and Rebecca first met. When flicking through Tinder, Ben's profile caught her eye and she wanted to know more about him. She says, "We clicked straight away and our conversations never felt boring or awkward. We met in person a few weeks later and instantly felt comfortable in each other's company – it was like I'd known him for years!"
Love is all around for Graeme and Louise
Graeme and Louise's love story began in 2004 during a trip to Prague with mutual friends where they instantly clicked. Louise says, "We had a strong connection and felt comfortable in each other's company – we knew straightaway that we would be together long term." During a holiday in Copenhagen later that year, the pair became a couple and created many beautiful memories.
