We’ve all heard of the classic line ‘it was meant to be’, but just how many of us believe in fate when it comes to relationships?
Here at Wedding Ideas HQ, we’re lucky enough to read through hundreds of real-life stories each month, and it never ceases to amaze us how much chance, luck, whatever you want to call it, plays a part in true love. So to spread the magic, here are three of our favourite stories where fate played the vital role…
1. Wrong number
In 2003, Elizabeth Bennett and Brian Woodward had a chance conversation on the telephone after Brian mistakenly called the wrong number. What makes this love story even more unlikely, is that Elizabeth said he was “really rude” when they first spoke but he called back the following day to apologise.
“A couple of weeks later he turned up at Thetford train station and hasn’t been away since,” she said.
Mrs Woodward, 25, said her husband, 26, and originally from Leamington Spa, was the worse for wear when he made the first phone call and “didn’t know what he was doing”. You can say that again!
The happy couple tied the knot at St Peter’s Church, Ickburgh, Norfolk, on Saturday 8th December, nine years after their chance conversation, and plan to go on honeymoon in the new year.
2. Nice buns love!
A teenage couple who split up 20 years ago are now happily married after a chance meeting in a local bakery rekindled their love interest.
Estate agent Gary Statham and Claire Woodward had not seen each other since 1990, but were reunited after Claire went to work in a different branch of her firm.
Gary walked into the shop to buy some lunch and noticed the woman behind the counter looked very familiar. The pair got together shortly afterwards when Claire sent a letter to Gary’s work asking him out on a date, as he was single at the time. Claire’s mum was extremely excited about the pair getting back together, even after such a long time apart…
“My mum was really, really happy when we got back together because she’d always liked Gary, and even though 20 years had passed she compared all my other boyfriends to him.”
They moved in together a year after their first meeting and tied the knot recently. Gary’s seven-year-old son, Toby, was a pageboy while his daughter Lois, and Claire’s sister Laura, 12, were both bridesmaids.
Gary was over the moon that the love had been rekindled after 20 years apart, saying…
“When I saw her that day, I honestly didn’t think she looked that different – she’s always been beautiful to me. I definitely got more than a filled cob that day – I ended up with a wife.
We had an amazing wedding day at the beautiful Shottle Hall, surrounded by our family and friends. Now it feels as if we are moving into the third stage of our relationship.”
