Beautiful Shoreham Beach & Brighton Bandstand Engagement: Mike & Amy

The Meeting

It was a night like any other at the Students’ Union at Royal Holloway University. Mike and Amy were each out with their respective societies. Mike was with the Swim Team and Amy, having not been in a sports club at the time, opted to assume the role of ‘Shark Fighter’ along with a few of her friends.

Amy’s friends, Zach and Poppy, told Amy that she had to go and introduce herself to someone that she did not know. This was very much out of Amy’s comfort zone, and thankfully her friends chose well.

This introduction lead swiftly to the VK bar where they consumed several bottles of sugar-laden drinks. The dance-floor was soon host to the professional dance stylings of Amy, and the chaos of Mike’s dance moves.

Amy and Mike exchanged numbers and from there, their whirlwind romance began…

Words by Amy or Mike. Images by Gyan Gurung Photography.

The Proposal

Mike took me back to Royal Holloway to celebrate my birthday and had planned to surprise me when we arrived. Mike had elaborate plans of possibly sneaking into the Picture Gallery, alas his plans were foiled by an array of fresh-faced college kids and their parents looking around our beloved Royal Holloway!

Mike eventually accepted that he had to share the University with other people so we headed back to our spa. Mike asked if we could come back later that evening and walk around the grounds which I thought sounded lovely. When we returned that evening, we went to all our old favourite spots such as the Victorian library and the forest bridge nearby.

Upon our return, Mike headed to the chapel which, at first glance, we thought was locked. Luck was on our side however as the doors were unlocked! We walked down the aisle of the chapel hand in hand, admiring the hand painted ceiling. Mike told me to take a picture of it and when I turned round he was down on one knee. I will never forget that feeling of utter joy.

Mike and I exchanged words that neither of us can fully remember, that are trapped in time, locked away in that magical moment, as they should be. We held each other in our arms and felt truly and utterly complete.

The Marriage

We are getting married on the 28th October back at Royal Holloway University. Our Ceremony will be in the Picture Gallery and our reception will be in the Founder’s Dining Hall. We are incredibly lucky to be able to get married at a place that has so much meaning and importance to us.

As we are going to be back where we spent many days studying together, we decided to have a literary themed wedding.

We knew it was love when

Mike…

I knew it was love when I felt that I didn’t need to pretend to be something I wasn’t. I was truly myself around her, not just myself, a better version of me, a me that felt full to the brim rather than a me that was lacking. Amy’s love and encouragement has never wavered to this day; she makes me feel like I can do anything and I can never thank her enough for that.

Amy…

I instantly felt so comfortable around Mike. Being with him felt so natural and as though I had always known him. From the moment we met, we did not stop laughing together. He made me happy in a way that I did not know was possible.

I remember a couple of months after we met, I had made Mike laugh and he said to his friend “that is why I am going to marry her.” I believed him. It was so instant that I felt that this was exactly what I wanted for the rest of my life. Someone who made me laugh and smile every single day, who loved me for exactly who I was.

Such beautiful images from Gyan Gurung, and what an adorable couple and love story – my heart is melting!. Loving the love quotes and we can’t wait to see your wedding!

Loving the love quotes too, and we just can’t wait to see your wedding.