“We cut our wedding cake with a chainsaw”

Heard the one about the agricultural couple who cut their wedding cake with a chainsaw and wore matching blue wellies for the ceremony?

No joke.
When tree surgeon Martin married farmer’s daughter Hannah in 2016, the muddy matches couple took an unconventional route to giving their guests a slice of the unexpected.

It was certainly a unique move on their big day at Markshall Estate in Essex, where Martin works as head tree surgeon, and bride-to-be Hannah arrived in a tractor.

They were fitting touches of a couple who live, and love, a muddy lifestyle together, having met online whilst country-life dating with Muddy Matches over 11 years ago.

Martin connected with Hannah online in 2011; it was the start of a gorgeous countryside connection, and the pair celebrate the roots of their relationship, every day.

“We still have our profile photos in frames around the house” Martin says, of the constant reminder. “We talked for about three weeks, then we decided to meet.”

“Hannah was single again after divorce and her mum told her next time ‘It had to be a farmer’”. As the UK’s original home of farmer dating, she came to the right place.

Martin is as muddy as they come with farming throughout the generations of his family. Agriculture, forestry and general estate management keeping him knee deep in the stuff.

“My grandfathers were farmers, my dad worked on the land as did  my mum and her brother so I’ve spent my whole life around farms.”

“I proposed on a beach on the Isle of Wight, after we had dinner at a pub” he recalls. Now, in his own words, they ‘are living out their ‘rural living bucket list.’

“We moved to a very rural house on a beautiful estate because of a work promotion and we have a dog and chickens. During the lockdowns I was able to continue working as there is a farm shop on the estate. The boys has loads of space to do outdoor activities.”

As for their Muddy Matches dating experience? The personal touch of the team was complimented.

“I found it great,” Martin added. “I just wanted someone like-minded, but I didn’t own a computer. So, I sent all my profile stuff to Muddy Matches, and they did the rest.

“As for Hannah, she loved it. It gave her the confidence to be herself.”