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Helen met Dan when he joined the company she worked for. Over time they became friends, eventually best friends. Six years later, they realised their strong connection was something more and became a couple. “We call ourselves split-aparts (Plato's theory of soulmates) and constantly share the same thought at the same time. It's kind of spooky actually,” Helen says. “We laugh at the same things and are impossibly co-dependent, which in turn makes everyone else laugh at us!”

Dan proposed in 2023, exactly 10 years to the day they met for the first time. He chose to do so on a beach in Christchurch, Dorset, the setting for their first break away as a couple. He'd intended to do it on the cliff top with a picnic he'd prepared but as they sat down to eat, they were besieged by tiny black flies. Undeterred he suggested they go down onto the beach instead. “I had no idea what was about to happen,” Helen says. “First, he presented me with a book of the cute little notes he'd written every day for me since we'd been together. He told me it was a 10th anniversary present. The final note ended, 'Our relationship has changed volumes – from colleagues to friends, to best friends, to split-aparts. Today, 10 years later, marks the day it changes once more...'” As she finished reading, she turned to find him holding a box containing the most beautiful ring and asked her to marry him. “Yes, I cried,” she says.

The couple had their hearts set on an al fresco ceremony and found several beautiful locations including barns. They loved them all, but accommodation was sometimes an issue. They had set some quite specific criteria and Cottesmore Hotel Golf & Country Club ticked all the boxes. When they saw the wedding lawn, they fell in love straight away. “The entire place feels like this most amazing, relaxed barn-like venue,” Helen says. “It feels so exclusive, and is so pretty, rustic and relaxed while still having a very fresh modern feel. Any guest would be as at home in chinos and a shirt as they would in a tuxedo.” So, they wasted no time in securing their date 19th July 2024.

Discover the story of the day in the Feb/Mar25 issue of Your Sussex Wedding, free to download now at www.your-sussex.wedding/free-download

Ronan proposed to Gráinne outside the house where they first kissed in White Street, Brighton. The couple live in Ireland, but met in Brighton, which was where it all began for them back in 2011.

The pair refer to Brighton as 'their special place,' so it was here they wanted to marry. “The Doubletree by Hilton Brighton Metropole is a classy venue on the seafront, where a lot of our memories together began,” Gráinne explains. So, with the venue chosen, the date was set for 6th September 2024.

Discover more about the couple's big day in the Feb/Mar25 issue of Your Sussex Wedding, free to download at www.your-sussex.wedding/free-download

"My first memory of George is him drunkenly giving me a fireman's lift during freshers week at university,” Alice says. The two lived in the same halls accommodation and were part of the same friendship group. It wasn't until they moved into a shared house of 10 people for their second year that they grew closer. The two shared the same taste in music, which led to George offering Alice his spare concert ticket to see The Killers. Despite trying to convince their families that they were just friends, George asked her out a few weeks later.

George popped the question on their first night on holiday in Spain. He found a private spot complete with stunning views that he knew from previous family holidays growing up. “I was caught completely off guard, as we'd been so busy that I was hoping for an uneventful bit of rest and relaxation!” Alice remembers. Needless to say though, once she'd said “yes” she was both excitable and emotional for the rest of the week. “I wouldn't have changed it for the world,” she says.

The couple began their venue search locally and Southend Barns immediately became a top contender. “When we were welcomed to the venue the first thing we noticed was the wonderful attitude of the wedding coordinators who showed us around,” Alice remembers. “They were genuinely interested in our story, and you could tell that they really cared about making our day special.” A stunning, sophisticated barn venue, the duo also found themselves attracted by the fact that it didn't require too much additional decor.

The chefs were open to the idea of a fully vegan, bespoke menu, which was important to the couple. “They even seemed excited by the challenge,” Alice recalls. “They were also exceptionally considerate of the environment. Big celebrations can often be very wasteful, which is something we wanted to avoid.”

Alice shares her memories of this super-special day in the Feb/Mar25 issue. Download it now at www.your-sussex.wedding/free-download

Michelham Priory is a seven-acre historical estate with medieval gate house, Tudor house and Elizabethan wedding barn, all surrounded by the UK's longest moat. It's a tranquil island in the heart of rural East Sussex with delightful grounds for you and your guests to enjoy.

Find out more about this local lovely and other characterful hotspots in the Feb/Mar25 issue of Your Sussex Wedding.

Download it now at www.your-sussex.wedding/free-download

Couples are set to begin marching down the aisle at one of Sussex's most iconic heritage attractions as Newhaven Fort unveils a new range of wedding packages for 2025.

Find out more on our Nearlywed News pages of the Feb/Mar issue, where you can also catch up on other news from around the county.

Download Your Sussex Wedding now, free at www.your-sussex.wedding/free-download

Over the past decade, Viv Lambert, founder of Sussex Dove Release, and her daughter, Laura, have done hundreds of dove releases with their flock of more than 50 birds. "They have the same homing instinct as messenger and racing pigeons and can reach speeds of 80-90mph," Viv explains. "They live in purpose-built sheds in our gardens in Hove, fly free all day and return at bedtime. In fact, they're far easier to raise than teenagers!"

On your big day, two doves in a flower-adorned display cage stand on a white column. Next to this, a heart-shaped white basket holds up to three extra doves to be released after the first two representing those family or friends who can only be with you in spirit. On release the doves circle to orientate, providing a lovely uplifting sight as well as a great photo opportunity, before joining together for their flight back home to Brighton.

Check out www.sussexdoverelease.co.uk

For our A-Z of wedding entertainment ideas, download the Sept/Oct24 issue, free at www.your-sussex.wedding/free-download

Stanmer House is a venue shoot coordinators Harleigh Slaughter and Zoe Miles from Inclusive Events have wanted to work with for years, so when they started talking to the events manager a date fell into place and everything came together beautifully.

The main wedding space here is grand decorated mainly in white, so the temptation may have been to fill it with plenty of colour. However, Harleigh and Zoe decided to take a different approach and keep things more neutral. Words that came to mind for them were elegant, classy, and simple, maintaining the character of their surroundings. This was about showing off the space as much as it was about showing off everything else that goes into a wedding. Each of the suppliers involved had the moodboard and were given creative freedom to build something in line with the vibe – Harleigh and Zoe believe creative people work best when given some room to play.

“In terms of the image style, we needed to tell a story,” the duo told us. “Our favourite way to do that is through movement and intense close ups that capture the way the room makes you feel. We wanted the images to feel like you weren't just seeing the story unfold, that you were in it.” Mission accomplished we say!

Check out this stunning shoot in the Oct/Nov24 issue of Your Sussex Wedding, free to download at www.your-sussex.wedding/free-download

The Hove Club is a beautiful 19th-century manor house located in the heart of Hove, mere mintues from the beach. The elegant Grade II listed property was built around 1897 and now makes for a dream wedding venue. “We wanted our shoot to show the stunning features of the building and the stunning garden,” says shoot coordinator Anne Youles from The Bridal Hair Company. It features a modern bride with an oh-so pretty colour palette of white, lilac and a hint of purple.

Check out the full shoot in the current issue of Your Sussex Wedding, free to download now at www.your-sussex.wedding/free-download

Catherine and Mike are both police officers and met through work. The first team Catherine joined after training college was Mike's and there was an instant spark between them. The more they got to know each other the more they realised how similar they are. When they both had Valentine's Day off in their shift pattern, they seized the opportunity and went on their first date. Shortly after, Covid hit and the couple moved in together; it made sense as being key workers, they both had to continue working throughout the pandemic. “Long walks and many games of Scrabble and Monopoly kept us sane!” Catherine remembers.

Post-lockdown, the two had just come back from a month in Australia when Mike booked them a night away. They went on the Bluebell Railway before taking a romantic walk in Ashdown Forest close to where Mike grew up. It had been raining a few days before, so the ground was still pretty boggy underfoot. Poor Mike had to wait for a while to find a dry patch for him to get down on one knee and pop the question! He'd packed a bottle of fizz and some festival cups so they were able to share a celebratory drink before heading to beautiful Lewes to stay the night. “The ring Mike chose for me was perfect – a sapphire with a diamond halo,” Catherine shares. “It's the ring I've loved since I was a child. My mum and sister have matching versions.”

Gote Barn was the first venue the two looked at and instantly fell in love. “The rustic beams adorned with fairylights on the grounds of a working farm gave it such a magical feel,” Catherine explains. They knew they wanted a venue where they could have both the ceremony and reception in one place and was large enough to accommodate all of their guests, and Gote Barn fit the bill to perfection. “We had the option to choose all of our suppliers, which was important to us as we wanted to support local businesses,” Catherine tells us.

To find out more, download the latest issue free at www.your-sussex.wedding/free-download

Tegen and Sam met at the University of Brighton. Sam lived with a mutual friend and she first laid eyes on him at a gathering at her digs. Although they didn't speak much that night, when Sam posted a few days later that they'd be hosting a barbecue over at theirs, Tegen responded to ask if she could join them. Unfortunately, the barbie didn't go ahead, but Tegen invited Sam over to watch films and chill with her housemates instead. “I fell in love with him the third time I met him,” Tegen shares. “I arranged to take our housemates down to the beach one day and picked Sam up on the way. When we got to the beach we were inseparable.” They spent the next week together and became official a month later. “I fell in love with his ocean blue eyes, curly hair and dark sense of humour,” Tegen continues. “Since then, he's been such a gentleman, he always takes care of me, and we always put each other first above anyone else. He's my safe space, home and heart.”

In the summer of 2022, Sam booked Tegen a spa day at Nutfield Priory in Surrey as a treat, and booked her a full body massage. He also told her that he'd booked something extra and that she should go to the hotel reception after her treatment. When she did so, the desk staff simply said “follow me.” When they went up in the lift Tegen was thinking there was a restaurant and he'd booked her an afternoon tea, but they stopped in front of the Byron Suite. “The lady opened the door and I found rose petals and candles leading up the spiral stairs to the top of the tower. It was only then that I realised what might be about to happen!” Tegen remembers. “As I walked up the stairs my stomach was full of butterflies and I was so excited and nervous.” When she reached the top, Sam was down on one knee by a heart of rose petals. They both cried happy tears, as of course, the answer was “yes.”

Tegen had no idea, but it turns out he'd been plotting the proposal with her friends for about six months. He'd even asked his grandparents if he could propose with a family heirloom, made in 1909. Tegen is the fourth bride to wear the 19ct gold diamond and sapphire ring. Tegen had her heart set on an al fresco wedding with a woodland, elven feel. So, they visited The Ravenswood and discovered that it was the one. “On the day I really felt like an elven princess with my Prince Charming waiting for me,” Tegen says.

To find out more, download the latest issue free at www.your-sussex.wedding/free-download