How it all started:

Laura and I met in Liverpool in the summer of 2011. She was working part-time as a barmaid while studying at college, and I was on leave from the Army. With me being away quite a bit, our time together was spent travelling up and down the country and abroad camping, holidays, dates, and of course, drinking!

Laura started university soon after, and before we knew it, she was pregnant with our first daughter. We bought our first home in January 2015 and welcomed Isabelle in June. That Valentine’s Day, we stayed at a 160-year-old Tudor hotel called Hollin Hall, nestled in the hills of Lancashire, with Tudor and Gothic interiors. It was there that I asked Laura to marry me.

Still serving, I was posted closer to home and spent two years locally before we found out we were going to be a family of four! With Laura’s graduation to celebrate (with a plus one!), a holiday to España, and a camping trip to Cornwall with a very pregnant Laura, it was our last trip as a trio before we welcomed Florence in October 2017. I returned back down south shortly after and made the decision to leave the Army in 2019.

That same year, we welcomed a hairy new member to the family a Fox Red Labrador called Rusty, aptly named by Laura and the girls. With camping trips to boot, we made it through the pandemic and came out the other side, just in time to expect our third daughter in the summer of 2021. Matilda arrived in June that year, and we were complete as a family of five.

One autumn evening in 2023, we finally decided to book our wedding, and after scanning brochures and scouring the internet, we stumbled across a small venue called Vasilias Nikoklis Inn, nestled in the foothills of Paphos. And that was it, no second-guessing. We knew it the moment we saw it.

We set the date for 14th May 2025 in the paradise that is Paphos, Cyprus. Although we’d never been to the island, we placed our trust in a lovely lady named Sasha Leptos, a wedding planner based in Cyprus. One introductory email and a nervous Teams meeting later, she told us to sit back, relax, and that we wouldn’t need to speak again until the following November!

Unbeknownst to us, however, Sasha would go on to work her magic and produce the most memorable day of our lives literally unforgettable.

Since the big day, we’ve fallen in love with Cyprus the people, the culture, the food, and the weather. We’re already planning to return for our 1st wedding anniversary in May 2026 and hope to catch up with the legends Sasha and George for some limoncello and great food!

Wedding Day write up (Laura) 

After being engaged for ten wonderful years, we always knew we wanted to get married abroad. We explored several venues, unsure of the exact location until we discoveredVasilias. The moment we saw it, we fell in love. It was everything we had imagined and more: charming, intimate, and full of character. We knew instantly it was the one.

We booked our wedding through Best of Cyprus Weddings with the amazing Sasha, 18 months before our big day. From the very beginning, Sasha was faultless. She guided us through every step of the planning process, ensuring every detail aligned perfectly with our vision. Thanks to her dedication and expertise, we were able to bring our dream wedding to life. Honestly, we couldn’t have done it without her.

We were joined in Cyprus by 38 of our closest family and friends, and having them there to celebrate with us made everything even more special. The morning of the wedding, as we arrived at the venue, I was completely overwhelmed. Seeing the décor, the flowers, and all the thoughtful little details, everything we had spent months planning finally come together was truly magical.

The ceremony was deeply emotional, there wasn’t a dry eye in sight. The whole day felt so personal, so full of love, and so “us.” It was the most intimate and joyful celebration of our love, surrounded by the people who mean the most to us.

It was, quite simply, perfect.