Meet The Couples Marrying On The Same Day As Prince Harry And Meghan Markle

The 15th December was just a normal day for most of us: Christmas shopping, eating too many mince pies and watching Elf on Netflix.

But for a handful of brides across the country it was the date they discovered they would be sharing their big day with the biggest royal wedding since Will, Kate and Pippa’s bottom took over our screens in 2011.

While millions tune in on 19th May to watch Prince Harry tie the knot with actress Meghan Markle, meet five blushing brides who will be walking down the aisle too that day.

From princess proposals to birthday brides, find out exactly what these couples have planned for their big day and what they REALLY think about sharing their wedding day with the royals.

“I Won Our Wedding Cake In A Harry And Meghan Competition”

Lisa-Jayne Wright, 35, and Neil Fitzsimmons, 41, will be tying the knot six years after meeting on a night out in Llanelli. They have been planning their DIY wedding since May 2016.

Venue: Ashburnham Hotel, Llanelli

Budget: £10,000

The Proposal: I asked Neil to marry me on the 29th February 2016 as it was a leap year. We waited a week to tell everyone, as we wanted our two children to be the first to know. We took them out for a meal to tell them the happy news.

Wedding Plans: There will be 60 guests during the day and about 120 in the evening. We are going for a rustic theme with Cadbury purple as our accent colour.  We are having a DJ and photobooth for the evening.

I made all our invitations. For the centrepieces we are having 4 rustic jars (2 with candles, 1 with flowers and 1 with mini heart mints) and I decorated all the jars myself. Our favours are personalised bottle openers for the men and lavender seeds for the women, plus the name places are wood cut-outs.

What Was Your First Reaction To Finding Out You Were Sharing Your Wedding Date With The Royals?

I had a funny feeling that they were going to pick that date, in fact I entered a competition to win flowers, a cake and wedding stationery for our wedding day. I had to guess the day I thought they would get married and I put our wedding date and ended up winning. It’s something that we will always associate with our special day, so it will be memorable for us and our guests.

Will You Be Incorporating The Royal Wedding Into Your Big Day?

I’m sure our best man will mention it in his speech at some point. All our plans are the same, but I was thinking of asking our photo booth supplier if we could have a picture of Harry and Meghan as one of our backdrop options!

What Have Your Guests Said About Sharing The Day?

They have teased us that the Royals have copied us! We have had our wedding date pencilled in for over a year now, so everyone has known our date for ages. As the Stag Do is taking place in Liverpool, Neil’s friends have asked if Harry will copy him for his stag location as well!

Any Wedding Planning Tips For Meghan?

Attended as many wedding fairs as you can, they give you a loads of good ideas and it’s lovely meeting new people. Also, trust your own judgement as it’s your special wedding day so don’t compromise on anything you don’t want to.

READ MORE: Incredible Wedding Dresses Under £1,000

“It’s Also My 38th Birthday!”

Melanie Sanderson will have double the reason to celebrate as she turns 38 on her wedding day. Melanie and her partner Ian Fox, also 38, have been planning their wedding since May last year.

Venue: Barmbyfield Barns near York

Budget: We don’t really have one, we’ve planned our wedding to include everything we would like (within reason!)

The Proposal: Ian proposed at Whitby Abbey in August 2015. It was early evening, we’d had a nice walk around Whitby and enjoyed fish & chips when he took me by surprise getting down on one knee.

Wedding Plans: We’re having a barn wedding so everything is quite rustic/country garden. It’s a DIY wedding which we both really wanted. We’re having a fairly informal day; it’s most important to us both that our guests come along and have a really good time without the formality of a sit-down meal etc. We’re having cream scones, fish & chips, cheese, cake and ice cream, and we have hired an illusionist for afternoon entertainment then a saxophonist to play alongside the DJ in the evening.

How Do You Feel About Sharing Your Wedding Day With The Royals?

When they announced their engagement we both said to one another how we bet it would fall on the same day…and we were right. It’s quite exciting that they chose the same day and I’m really looking forward to watching it. A few guests have joked that they won’t be able to attend ours now as they’ve been invited to the royal wedding!

Will You Be Screening The Wedding Or The FA Cup Final On The Day?

Erm…no! Ian’s not into football, thankfully. I won’t be offended however if anyone has a sneaky peek at the match on their phones! Our wedding is at 3pm so I suspect the royal wedding will have been on already by that time.

Any Wedding Planning Tips For Meghan?

To remember to enjoy the planning and don’t get stressed – although easier said than done for her when she’s in the media spotlight.

READ MORE: Disney Hen Party Ideas Fit For A Princess

“I Got My Own Disney Princess Proposal”

Leanne Longo, 26, and Sam Spencer, 27, met at their first job after university, although they discovered Leanne’s Nan had had a picture of Sam on her wall for four years since he did a joint skydive with her cousin. They have been planning their wedding for a year.

Venue: Nutfield Priory Hotel and Spa, Surrey

Budget: Ideally £15,000… However who knows the final figures!

The Proposal: Our first trip to Disneyland Paris together. Walking back from our first visit to the park, I took a picture of the beautiful Disney Lake, I turned around and Sam was down on one knee. Oscar (Sam’s boy, then 5 years old) also asked if I would marry him and his Daddy! It was very sweet, and more perfect than I could have imagined.

It made our trip and made everything more emotional: I cried when I saw Mickey, the castle, the parade and the Disney dreams fireworks show at night. I had to announce our engagement quickly as I already had an engagement party planned for us for a few days after our return home!

Wedding Plans: A small, intimate wedding with family and close friends of 50-70 guests. I am not a crafty bride in the slightest but took on the challenge of making invitations myself. After many trials and errors, and a whole lot of tears, I did it! We are lucky to have family helping: groom’s mum Wendy is doing all of our stationery with her amazing calligraphy skills, Sam’s grandad is doing our strawberry jam favours, and my mum has helped all along the way!

We are also lucky we have a close family friend who is an amazing cake maker. The cake design is a nod to Disney – a very princess/fairytale cake full of sparkles! Our theme always had to have sparkle, royal elegance, simplicity, with a hint of Disney sprinkled here and there!

What Was Your First Reaction To Finding Out You Were Sharing Your Wedding Date With The Royals?

Completely over the moon! As soon as it was announced, I had a feeling and little hope it would be our day. I followed every little detail released, from finding out it was spring, and then a May wedding. Everything made me think they would choose our day!

It was Sam who rang me to tell me the breaking news. I was shopping with my mum and was so excited I kept telling every shop assistant who would listen! Now people keep updating me with any news they find out – extended pub opening hours, weather updates and even asking if I will be doing a bride’s speech like Meghan!

We’re now planning a few secret surprises for our guests which I can’t let slip yet…

Do You have Any Worries About The Wedding Overshadowing Your Day?

None at all! It will feel like lots of other people are celebrating our wedding. I feel very lucky to share our special day. The best man has already joked that Sam has no excuse of forgetting anniversaries and such now! My mum and Nan are as excited as me. The groom’s dad obviously told us how upset he was to have to turn down Prince Harry’s stag do!

Any Wedding Planning Tips For Meghan?

Ask family and friends for help! I am very lucky to have my friend who will be doing my bridal hair and my bridesmaid who has been there numerous times with wine and a gossip when I need to de-stress.

Avoid stressing and getting very worked up over small details, and I would definitely say remember why you are getting married! Even Sam and I have had to sit together and remind ourselves we are doing this to spend/share our lives together and to show our love and commitment to one another. It is our day and I am trying to make the most of this busy, crazy, stressful time as I am sure I will miss it once our day has been and gone!

READ MORE: High Street Copycat Versions Of Meghan Markle’s Ring You Need To See

“I Didn’t Know Whether To Be Happy or Annoyed At First”

Katie Taylor, 28, and Kieron Massey, 32, were introduced by a mutual friend before bumping into each other a year later in a pub, and the rest is history. They booked their wedding to coincide with their 10 year anniversary and started planning in January 2017.

Venue: The Moat House Hotel, Staffordshire

Budget: £18,000

The Proposal: Kieron told me the day before that we needed to go to Birmingham on Christmas Eve to finish some Christmas shopping. That morning we went out for a nice breakfast and he took me to the Jewellery quarter and told me to pick a ring. Nothing over the top but for us as a couple it was perfect. I was very happy that he let me choose my own ring, so I feel I found the perfect one.

After telling our families, we posted a picture of the ring on Facebook with the caption, “Well pop the champagne, I’m changing my last name”. I’m most looking forward to officially becoming Mrs Massey as we have a daughter together and I can’t wait to share the same name as my daughter.

Wedding Plans: We are having 60 day guests and 100 night guests. We haven’t got a theme as such but we knew we wanted somewhere that had water as we thought that would make lovely photos to look back on to remember our day. Our venue is on the canal and has two lakes so was the perfect setting for our wedding.

What Was Your First Reaction To Finding Out You Were Sharing Your Wedding Date With The Royals?

My initial thought was I didn’t know to be happy or annoyed. I thought it will definitely be a date to remember, but my other thought was that will our wedding be overshadowed by sharing the day with them. As our wedding was booked first, it’s kind of took the limelight of our day.

Thinking about it now, it will be something nice to tell my daughter when she grows up that we shared the same wedding day as the royals.

Will You Be Incorporating The Royal Wedding Into Your Big Day?

I haven’t included anything yet, but maybe a mention in the speeches or possibly hanging up some bunting or even having a throne chair for the bride and groom!

What Have Your Guests Said About You Sharing The Day?

All of them have been great about it and said how exciting to be sharing the same day. My mom even said maybe you will make the papers for sharing the same day!

Any Wedding Planning Tips For Meghan?

The one thing I’ve learnt is just remember it’s you and your partner’s special day so do what will make you both happy. It may not please everyone but as long as it’s everything that you both want as a couple that’s all that matters.

READ MORE: The Ultimate Guide To A £25,000 Wedding Budget

 “I Can’t Wait To Watch While I’m Getting Ready”

Sam Edwards, 30, and Michael ‘Jonty’ Johnson, 36, met on match.com and were putting their crazy golf skills to the test at Alton Towers by date two. They got engaged in June 2017 so have only given themselves 11 months to plan the wedding.

Venue: St Peters Church, Alton, Staffordshire

Budget: Around £5,000

The Proposal: We were enjoying the hottest day of the year with my mum, Jonty’s parents, my best friend and our cocker spaniel River before we went out to join our other friends at the local beer festival in Alton Village. Jonty walked over to the other side of the garden and asked me to come over to him. He pointed at a plane that was flying about and said, “What’s that?” I looked up and saw a banner at the back of the plane that said, “Samantha, will you marry me?”

I couldn’t believe it! I looked down and he was on one knee with a beautiful ring in his hand. When I finally got over my speechlessness, I said yes! And then 20+ friends and family joined us – they’d been waiting outside the house for the last 30 minutes! After much champagne we went into the village to join the beer festival and celebrated all night.

Wedding Plans: We always wanted a small wedding, we’re having around 40 in the day and 100 at night. We’re staying local, and getting married in the village church where we live and having our reception at the village pub where we spent our engagement day.

Jonty is a tree surgeon so is using logs to make the cake stand for our “naked” wedding cake. We’re having pizza for the wedding breakfast and an ice cream stand for dessert. The theme is quite casual – we just want to be married and share it with family and friends, we’re not to fussed about canapés and favours!

What Was Your First Reaction To Finding Our You’re Sharing Your Date With The Royals?

We were excited! We were both at work when it was announced and we got loads of text messages telling us we were sharing our wedding date. I was also happy that we weren’t getting married until 3.30pm so I can still watch the wedding while I’m getting ready!

I think it makes the day even more special – it’s fit for a prince after all! We’re hoping the village will have some extra celebrations to add to the atmosphere.

Any Wedding Planning Tips For Meghan?

Enjoy it, keep it simple and make it about the two of you and no one else!

READ MORE: How To Host A Bride-To-Be Breakfast Like Meghan

If all this talk of the royal wedding has got you thinking about plans for your own, then check out these regal wedding venues fit for royalty and these Disney princess inspired wedding dresses.