Muddy love leads to marriage for shooters on the pull

Muddy Matches works its magic for a beater-turned-seeker who snared herself a keeper!

“It has been an odd year for us but it’s ending on a positive note”. That’s the honest assessment of shooting fan Lexie, who married her muddy Mr Right, and muddy match, Will last month in a rearranged wedding – packed with muddy twists – in the middle of a pandemic.

Lexie met Will whilst online dating with Muddy Matches in August 2018 and the pair have been on an country life adventure ever since, with their shared passion for a shoot right at the forefront; from first date to the day she said ‘yes’ when her soulmate was down on one knee.

“Will’s profile caught my attention as it showed a photo of him out pigeon shooting,” Lexie tells us. “It was important I found someone who shared my love of shooting”.

“Our first date was at the Midland Game Fair where we agreed to meet at the Clay Pigeon stand and had a go at the rabbits, then walked round the show together”.

It was the beginning of a lasting romance between a rural-intentioned pair who admit they ‘don’t have muddy jobs’ but live a life less concrete. However, after moving in together ten months after matching with each other online, their country credentials are strong.

“We live in suburbia but we really work well together as we are both obsessed with being outside as much as we can, either bike rides, running, fishing or shooting together” Lexie adds.

“We both love our shooting as well as beagling, fishing, boating, walking and outdoors lifestyle. It’s mostly shooting or fishing though.”

“On roughly our fourth date, I decided to take Will on my shoot where I beat to see if he got the muddy seal of approval from the shoot captain and my shoot family.

“He survived the constant banter and being sent in the hardest lines beating through the woods. He definitely proved to be a keeper!

In fact, it was after one long day out shooting and beating together in December 2019 that Will took the step to propose. “It was perfect; a long day outside then Will proposed whilst we relaxed at home. It was just the two of us”.

The pair settled on a date, 5 months ahead in May but, 10 months on, tying the knot has proved troublesome due to COVID-19 restrictions.

“Our wedding was rearranged from late May to 30th October. In the end, it was absolutely perfect with mild autumn weather with leaves and mud underfoot. I ruined my bridal shoes but it really didn’t matter after everything we’d been through.

“It was a horrible and stressful situation during COVID-19 with uncertainty and a constant change in numbers but we wanted to get married as that was the most important thing.

“We went ahead with only 13 members of family there and a few friends waved through the window of the church”.

There were muddy touches too. Lexie adorned a traditional white dress with a tweed bow and added pheasant feathers to her bouquet and the table decorations; a small but symbolic sign of their shooting roots.

“The tweed was meant to be for the flower girls’ sashes but they unfortunately didn’t make the final 13 we were allowed to have present” Lexie tells us.

And as for the future together in whatever the new normal looks like? “There are no dogs in the relationship yet… but we are planning it. We want to get a black Labrador and hopefully move to buy a house further into the countryside.

“We are just pleased that we found each other in the end and couldn’t be happier.”

Muddy Matches wish Lexie and Will a very happy, muddy future life together.