Our Story

The Meeting:

In September 2017 Lou had just started working in the Behavioural Science team at Public Health England. Zac, meanwhile, worked in the portacabin directly above her in the Medical Entomology and Zoonotic Ecology team. Word has it Zac first noticed Lou at a fire drill during her very first week of working there. But it wasn’t until Lou joined a regular lunchtime kick about that she first noticed him. One thing naturally led to another and while Lou watched Zac half naked in a shower, sponging off the chemicals she had just rubbed on his body, she began to wonder if participant no. 8 might just have the data she was looking for…

Fast forward to February 2018 when our paths (intentionally) crossed on a night out in Salisbury. We played pool at The Mill followed by a boogie in the Chapel! Our first date was pretty magical, watching the sun set at Old Sarum where we talked until we were half frozen before heading into town for a delicious Thai dinner. Many more dates followed – picnics back up at Old Sarum, pizza nights, snowball fights, and one infamous rendezvous involving maggoty champagne!

The Engagement:

We were in Lou’s beloved Bude celebrating four wonderful years together. Zac casually asked Lou, “if you could stay anywhere in Bude, where would it be”? Without hesitation, Lou replied: “The Pink House”. Shortly after, on our way back from the Breakwater, Zac took an unexpected detour, heading confidently through the back gate of the house directly opposite the enviable pink one. Much to Lou’s horror, he trespassed straight up the stairs, unlocked the door and waltzed right into the living room, exclaiming “Happy anniversary!”. It was near enough.

The next day, February 17th 2022 – the calm before mighty storm Eunice arrived – we caught the bus to the distant satellite dishes and strolled along the beautiful coastal path back to Bude. The walk was filled with conversations about love, life, and the future. That evening, Zac treated Lou to an exceptional seafood dinner. Lou, unaware of what Zac had planned, suggested heading to the Breakwater after dinner for some bubbles. Zac, silently thrilled, knew everything was falling into place…

We begin the walk to the Breakwater and, when we get to the far end of it, decide to climb up to the flagpole. On reaching it, Zac turns around, switches on some fairy lights and gets down on one knee, presenting an unusual-looking ring (now an emblem of our wedding). Lou says “yes” (of course) but has a question of her own: ”why are there fairy lights up here?!” (given that the only time Zac had been out of her sight was for a short stint after dark about an hour before and during a high tide that was building up to the biggest storm in their living memory). With a grin, Zac confesses he’d broken Bude’s one golden rule: NEVER cross the Breakwater at high tide.

The most powerful storm in over 30 years, Eunice, arrived right on cue in the early hours of the following morning, bringing hurricane-force winds and torrential downpours, shoving over Bude’s much loved Triangle tree and plenty more besides. Reflecting on it now, it feels like the perfect preparation and metaphor for married life. No matter what storm comes our way, we’ll face them, building our foundations, and growing stronger, together, as a team.

The Journey

Our journey began in Salisbury, but just six months after we started seeing each other, Zac quit his job at Public Health England, and moved away from Salisbury in pursuit of his ever-beckoning compulsions to get creative. Despite the distance – first to Oxford, then to Brockenhurst – we knew nothing could keep us apart. When tragedy struck in late 2020, it sent Zac back to Salisbury, and we’ve been building our lives together there ever since.

We’ve always shared a love for the outdoors, whether it’s heading off with a backpack and a tent and seeing where the trail takes us, setting off on our bikes with our panniers full to the brim, or heading to one of our favourite camp spots in Dorset with just a blow up bed in the back of Zac’s van. These adventures have brought us unforgettable memories, like a hairy moment on a mountain in Slovenia, a nerve wracking 4 hour boat journey with no toilet, serious stomach bugs and plenty of smartphone-savvy fellow passengers in Indonesia, or experiencing the thrill of a long downhill after a grueling uphill cycle in Scotland. Somehow, we always get through it – with smiles (occasionally grimaces) on our faces, even when Zac promises it’s “just one more hill”…ten hills later (can you tell who wrote this section??).

Our journey has taken us across the world: ceilidh dancing in Scotland, trekking Morocco’s mountains, wandering through Spain’s cork forests, walking (part of) the SW coastal path in Cornwall, cycling across New Zealand, road-tripping in Australia, backpacking in Indonesia…and yet, there’s still so much of life we can’t wait to explore together. Most of it’s right here at home.

It hasn’t always been easy. We’ve faced loss, grief, and moments of heartbreak. But through it all, we’ve lifted each other up, grown stronger, and deepened our love.

Just as we are building this wedding from scratch – with grit, creativity, teamwork, and community – we’re committed to building and sharing our marriage on the same foundations. We are so excited to celebrate this next chapter with you and feel so grateful to have you in our community, as individual parts of our story.