Our Story
It all started in December 2019, when Jamie and Hayley matched and started chatting. Things were going well… perhaps too well.
Then, without warning, Hayley decided to simply stop replying. Normally, this is where Jamie would take the hint, preserve what little dignity he had left, and call it a day.
But for some strange reason, on this occasion, he decided to message again.
And thankfully, Hayley replied.
One message turned into many, which turned into dates, which turned into something neither of them quite expected… and here we are planning a wedding.
So, technically, this whole thing happened because Jamie refused to take the hint.
The rest, as they say, is history. ❤️
How We Met - December 2019
The plan was simple. A few drinks in Birmingham. Nothing too dramatic.
Naturally, it turned into a night full of drinks, dancing, and the beginning of something neither of them quite saw coming.
As the night went on, Jamie began to realise that Hayley seemed to know an awful lot about his life. Some might have described this as slightly concerning stalking behaviour. Jamie, being the eternal optimist, simply saw it as a very keen interest…
Then came the dreaded last-train decision: go home, or carry on the night?
Both were keen to stay out, but Hayley had one condition… Jamie had to make sure she got home safely…
Being the gentleman he is, Jamie happily agreed. And so, the pair stayed out until the early hours before eventually making their way home.
Little did Jamie know, however, that the real test of the evening was yet to come.
The following morning, Auntie Donna arrived to check that Hayley had made it home safely, and reading this story so far, we can all agree that Hayley was clearly very well taken care of… Luckily for Jamie, Auntie Donna was completely oblivious to the fact that he was even there.
And that, thankfully, is how Jamie survived the first date and the first encounter with the family.
The First Date - January 2020
Jamie had pretty much moved into Hayley’s house from day one. Things were going well, and the pair were getting to know each other, and everything seemed to be heading in the right direction.
Then came a slight curveball.
COVID-19.
As the entire world went into lockdown, Jamie and Hayley were faced with a fairly important decision. Two people who had only known each other for a matter of weeks, suddenly faced with the prospect of being stuck in the same house indefinitely.
Do they call it a day?
Or do they take the slightly more sensible (or crazy!?!?) approach of moving in together, locking the doors, and seeing how long it takes before one of them loses their mind?
They chose option two.
And so began the ultimate relationship test. Living together 24/7, with absolutely nowhere to escape to. No pubs, no restaurants, no holidays, not even a trip to the shops without it becoming an exciting event.
There was, of course, the legendary one hour of permitted exercise per day. Remember that? For Jamie and Hayley, this quickly became less about exercise and more about getting out of the house before they started arguing over what to watch on Netflix.
Thankfully, despite being thrown into the deep end almost immediately, the pair continued to grow closer.
And, as it turned out, spending lockdown together was perhaps the best test they could have had.
They survived. They even enjoyed it. And most importantly, they realised they actually quite liked living together.
So, while most people were using lockdown to learn new hobbies, bake banana bread and lose track of what day it was, Jamie and Hayley were busy finding out whether they had a future together.
Luckily, they did.
The Ultimate Test - March 2020
Life went back to normal - kind of
Jamie and Hayley continued to get to know each other, slowly discovering that surviving lockdown together was, in fact, a pretty good sign.
And then, eventually, the world started to open back up again.
After months of being told where they could and couldn’t go, the pair were finally let loose and determined to make the most of it.
They started exploring a little more of the UK, taking trips to the Lake District, Bournemouth and Torquay, making memories along the way and proving that you don’t necessarily need to leave the country to have a good time (and we weren’t allowed!).
There was also the small matter of Eat Out to Help Out (remember that one too?). And Jamie and Hayley took that responsibility very seriously. Any excuse to go out for food was embraced. If the government was offering to pay for part of the bill, who were they to argue?
Between the trips, the meals out and simply enjoying being able to leave the house again, the pair’s relationship continued to grow.
What started as two people who matched on an app had somehow turned into two people travelling around the country together, eating suspiciously cheap meals and building a life neither of them had planned.
And, so far, neither had run away.
The first house - June 2021
July 2021 marked another big milestone for Jamie and Hayley. They bought their first house together.
They were now officially committed, living together and, most importantly, financially tied to each other. There was no going back now.
Of course, having your own home together also meant discovering some of the more… interesting parts of each other.
Anyone who knows Hayley knows she can be quite particular about how things should be done. And if she isn’t happy about something, you’ll know about it.
Although, to be fair, she doesn’t always need to say anything. Her face usually says it for her.
For Jamie, this was his first house, which meant he finally had the opportunity to put his DIY skills to the test.
The problem was, he didn’t actually have any DIY skills.
From Jamie’s perspective, the rules were simple: if the picture is on the wall, that’s a win.
Sure, it might have needed an extra hole or two. And yes, perhaps the shelf didn’t technically need to be level…
But it was up. And in Jamie’s defence, he did use a spirit level…
At some point during his many failed projects, whatever he was working on was definitely level.
It just never seemed to be level when Hayley came over to inspect it.
To this day, Hayley still gets slightly nervous whenever she sees Jamie holding a drill.
But Jamie wasn’t the only one who had to make a good impression in Hayley’s life. There was one very important lady whose approval mattered just as much.
Dotti. 🐾
Born in November 2017, Dotti had been part of Hayley’s life since 1st February 2018. And Hayley always made it clear that if Jamie was going to be around for the long haul, there was one very important box he needed to tick.
Dotti had to approve.
After all, winning Hayley’s heart was one thing, but winning over her four-legged best friend was a whole different challenge.
Thankfully, Jamie passed the test.
And as their relationship grew, Dotti became part of their life together, long before their family began to grow.
But despite the wonky shelves, questionable measurements and numerous DIY disagreements, the house became their home and another important step in building a life together.
Although Jamie has since learned one very important lesson:
If Hayley says, “What have you done?”, put the drill down and walk away.
Lyla - October 2021
Then, on the 1st October 2021, came perhaps the biggest and most special moment of all.
Lyla was born. ❤️
It’s difficult to put into words just how incredible that moment was. Becoming parents for the first time is a feeling like no other. A mixture of excitement, nerves, love and the sudden realisation that you are now responsible for a tiny human.
And somehow, from all the madness that had come before, Lyla was the perfect addition to their little family.
Some might have looked at Jamie and Hayley’s story and thought having a baby relatively early in their relationship was a bold move. But for them, it simply felt right.
After all, they had already survived being stuck within four walls together through a global pandemic, bought a house, argued over DIY and paint colours; surely adding a child to the mix wasn’t that big of a challenge.
They were ready.
And then there were three.
Of course, Lyla wasn’t the only little one in the house who would need adjusting to this new chapter. Dotti was now officially a big sister, too!
As their family grew, Dotti remained a loving and constant part of it, and she’s been wonderful with the children ever since.
Lyla brought a whole new kind of happiness into their lives, and from that moment on, the adventure became even more special.
Although, as they would soon discover, nothing quite prepares you for being a parent.
Ivan - November 2022
Then came 17th November 2022.
Yes, you read that correctly. Just 13 months after Lyla, along came Ivan. ❤️
Whatever Jamie and Hayley were thinking at the time, even they probably weren’t entirely sure.
And as you can imagine, life with two children under two was every bit as chaotic as it sounds.
Sleepless nights, constant nappies, feeding, crying, more crying, and the occasional moment where Jamie and Hayley probably wondered if they had completely lost the plot.
And just like Lyla, he was the perfect addition to their little family.
It certainly wasn’t easy. There were stresses, challenges and plenty of moments where a full night’s sleep seemed like a distant memory. But every difficult moment was more than worth it.
Because suddenly, their little family of two had become a family of four.
And although Jamie and Hayley may not have quite understood what they were letting themselves in for with two under two, they wouldn’t have changed it for the world.
After all, they had already survived lockdown together.
By September 2023, Jamie and Hayley had been doing the whole “two under two” thing for a while and, naturally, they thought they were getting the hang of it.
So what better way to test that theory than to take the kids abroad?
To Turkey.
Without all the home comforts you normally rely on when trying to keep two small children alive and entertained…
What could possibly go wrong?
The expectations were simple. A bit of splashing around in the pool, followed by relaxing on the sunbeds, eating plenty of food and having a few drinks.
You know… Just like holidays used to be before they had kids.
Oh, how wrong they were.
Without a doubt, this was probably the most stressful period of their relationship. Forget being locked in the house together during Covid, that was nothing compared to being trapped in a Turkish hotel, trying to parent two young children in the heat, without all the things you suddenly realise are absolutely essential when travelling with kids.
The relaxing holiday they had imagined quickly became a full-time parenting prison!
There were tantrums, stress, exhaustion and probably a few moments where they questioned exactly why they had thought this was a good idea.
But, somehow, they survived.
Although the holiday wasn’t quite the relaxing break they had pictured, they did manage to make some fantastic memories as a family.
And so, after a holiday that was supposed to involve sunbeds, food and drinks, Jamie and Hayley finally arrived home completely exhausted, carrying two sleeping children and wondering whether they would ever be brave enough to go abroad again.
Turkey - September 23
The Proposal - December 24
After everything they had been through together, Jamie knew there was only one thing left to do.
Buy a ring.
He had been saving for quite some time, and eventually the day came to actually make the purchase. There was plenty of deliberation, plenty of thought, and no small amount of pressure. Because, as we already know, Hayley’s face does not hide a thing. So if she didn’t like it, Jamie was going to know.
Eventually, the decision was made. The ring was bought. There was no going back now. The next challenge was arguably even harder:
Where on earth do you hide an engagement ring?
Somewhere completely random could mean Hayley finding it by accident. Somewhere too obvious would, well… be obvious. So Jamie settled on a middle ground.
An office drawer.
For context, the office had plenty of drawers. Some were full of complete junk, and there were certain drawers Hayley regularly went into. Jamie, after what he presumably considered a thorough risk assessment, decided the ring would be safe in one of the less-used ones.
And for a while, it was. Until one day… Hayley needed something from the drawers. She started looking. She opened one drawer. Then another. And, completely by accident, she opened the drawer above the one containing the ring.
Unfortunately, when she opened it, the drawer containing the ring decided to come along for the ride. Hayley closed the drawer she was looking in. And there it was.
The ring.
Right in front of her. So much for the perfectly executed hiding place. Thankfully, whatever Hayley thought at that moment, the surprise wasn’t completely ruined. Jamie still had one more plan.
The Proposal
Arranging the proposal was never going to be easy, especially with two young children running around. So Jamie decided there was only one way to do it properly:
Get Lyla and Ivan involved.
The plan was set. Hayley was run a nice bath, and while she was upstairs, the preparations began. Downstairs, the house was transformed. Candles were lit, petals were laid out leading from the bath, and everything was put in place. Then came the moment. Jamie, Lyla and Ivan were all waiting. And when Hayley came down, the three of them were there, all on one knee.
Jamie looked at Hayley and finally asked the question he had been waiting to ask.
“Hayley, will you marry me?”
And after everything, the matching, the ghosting, the first date, lockdown, buying a house, two children under two, Turkey, the DIY disasters and everything else life had thrown at them…
There was only one answer.
Yes. ❤️
And just like that, Jamie and Hayley were officially engaged.
Oscar - March 25
By March 2025, you might have thought Jamie and Hayley had already packed enough into the previous five years.
They had survived lockdown, bought a house, battled through DIY projects, had two children, attempted a family holiday to Turkey and, somewhere along the way, even got engaged.
So naturally, there was only one thing left to do. Add another child to the mix.
Because apparently, two children under two wasn’t quite enough. By this point, Hayley was practically a professional when it came to childbirth, so why not take things up another level? A pool birth. And not just any pool birth… A pool birth at home.
On the 16th March 2025, just before Lyla and Ivan were due to head off to school, along came Oscar. ❤️
And then there were five.
Anyone who knows Oscar will know that he has been the perfect addition to the family. He was the little person Hayley and Jamie didn’t necessarily know they needed, but now couldn’t imagine life without.
Having three children in three and a half years is certainly not for the faint-hearted. There have been sleepless nights, chaos, noise and more than a few moments of wondering how on earth they were going to manage it all. But there is something pretty special about having three children so close together.
Lyla, Ivan and Oscar are growing up together, experiencing everything side by side and, most importantly, becoming the very best of friends. And so, after everything they have been through, the family was finally complete.
Jamie, Hayley, Lyla, Ivan, Oscar… and Dotti, of course.
Their little family, complete with four little paws, plenty of love and more than enough chaos to go around.
And what started with a match on a dating app in December 2024 has somehow turned into all of this.
Not bad for two people who nearly didn't make it past the first conversation.
Cyprus - June 26
June 2026. Cyprus.
After the events in Turkey, Jamie and Hayley had made a promise to themselves: Never go abroad again until the kids were at least five.
So naturally, they booked a holiday to Cyprus. Because apparently promises are made to be broken. There was, understandably, some concern.
Would this be another Turkey?
Would they once again find themselves exhausted, stressed and questioning every life decision they had ever made?
Thankfully, the answer was a very definite no. This holiday was different. There was one very important development since Turkey…
Holiday Club.
Yes, that’s right. Lyla and Ivan were finally old enough to go to the holiday club, and they absolutely loved it.
More importantly, so did Hayley and Jamie. For the first time, the kids could actually go and do their own thing while Mum and Dad had some proper time to themselves. There was even a crèche for Oscar.
Although, unfortunately for everyone involved, Oscar wasn’t quite as impressed with that idea.
Still, with Lyla and Ivan a little older and Oscar now up and about, the family were finally able to enjoy a holiday together without feeling like they were running a 24-hour childcare operation. It was relaxing. It was enjoyable. It was exactly what a family holiday should be.
Cyprus had done something that nobody thought possible.
It healed the scars of Turkey.
Jamie and Hayley could finally go abroad again without fear. And with that, the family holiday chapter had been restored.
Next stop, Lindos 2027.
