Eighteen years old and not long out of High School, Kate and Grant met in South Africa at the pizzaria where Kate waited tables with Grant's best friend Ryan. That Friday at a local night club - Grant was in a miserable mood, but Kate knew what she wanted - she persuaded him to dance with her. The last two people on the dance floor, they shared their first kiss just as the lights went up.

Their first "date" was a house party at Grant's mums house.

Nine months later Grant fled the country to the UK on an Ancestral Visa, (Grant and Ryan had planned this move in their last years of secondary school) Kate followed Grant three months later on her British Passport. They then found themselves living together in Tunbridge Wells working in hospitality.

The "Heathrow injection"

Kate and Grant lived together in the flat above the Beau Nash pub (where Grant worked) and for a time, Ryan did too!

When Grant stopped working at the Beau they moved into a new place together, with Ryan.

Four eventful, emotional years later they moved again when the landlord sold the property but this time Ryan could not come with :(

Grant became a British Citizen in 2012 (Kate remained one of course).

2013 they went to Sicily where Grant persuaded Kate they should try scuba diving. Unfortunately poor weather prevented them.

2014 Kate and Grant at last took the opportunity try Scuba diving for the first time in Tunisia, five times.

2015 They certified as Open Water Divers in Cape Town South Africa

2016 They certified as Advanced Open Water, and Enriched Air divers in Sharm El-Sheikh Egypt

2017 They dived in Thailand

2019 Hurghada Egypt

November 2021 post "pandemic" they fled to Mexico - one of the first countries to come off the "red list". Kate and Grant have returned every year since, for many reasons not least the best diving they've experienced. Cenotes have historical spiritual and symbolic significance for the Maya culture. It'd be accurate to say the same is true for Kate and Grant since their first cavern dive in centote Tajma-ha.

The morning of Saturday 24th June 2023 Grant persuaded Kate to ride pillion on a jolly. This was her second time on the back of Grant's bike, and would be her first riding on a dual carriageway. It was emotional.

They stopped at The Peacock Inn, in Goudhurst which was Kate's father's local as a young man. In the parking lot, on one knee and still wearing his helmet, Grant asked Kate to marry him. Kate, crying in hers replied "yes".

Kate and Grant have decided to celebrate their marriage somewhere they both love being, surrounded by the beauty of nature in a country they found filled with beauty, rich in culture and tradtition - Mexico, in the Riviera Maya.

Understandably, many of their very dear friends and family are unable to make it because they're on a live-aboard dive trip in Egypt, or because of the challenges associated with a destination wedding namely proximity and the relative cost.

Fortunately however a few of their friends are able to attend and Kate and Grant are extremely happy to be able to share this spiritual and symbolic day with them.