What happens when you hire an airport hangar, decorate in leopard print and ask all your friends to bring their classic 50s cars for a DIY wedding unlike any other?
Take a look at Cole & Chris' big day captured by Hannah Millard https://www.camerahannah.co.uk
It was their mutual love of drag racing that brought Chris and Nicole together. They had both found the sport independently and crewed for different nostalgia race car teams.
They were in the same circle of people for a few years and would see each other at races and events. Nicole can remember when she first spotted Chris and had zero shame in admiring from afar, thinking “phwooooar - he’s a bit of alright”
Chris obviously thought the same about Nicole, because one Saturday night after a few drinks Chris tried flirting with her. He was far too drunk so Nicole shot him down, but the next night he tried again and had a little more success. He’d clearly bought a new shirt in an effort to impress Nicole and it worked because they hit it off that night and the next day Chris texted Nicole to ask her on a proper date.
Nicole was playing hard to get but about three weeks later she finally agreed and they headed to Hayling Island for the day.
It was the day after her birthday and Chris turned up with a birthday card and a bottle of gin! They explored the island and had a great time together, talking and getting to know one another better. In fact, they got on so well that they sat at the top of Portsdown Hill talking until the early hours of the morning.
For their second date they spent the day at Retro festival and at the festival Chris met and impressed Nicole’s mum. They watched the bands, they drank, they talked, and Chris showcased his skills riding the rodeo bull.
That night Chris met Nicole’s family and stayed at hers and of course they all loved him. She distinctly remembers her mum sternly whispering in her ear that day “do not fuck this one up”...... and thankfully she did not.
They say that you know when you meet the one and Chris felt certain about Nicole very quickly. She was kind and caring, with a bubbly and fiery personality and he couldn’t stop himself from falling in love.
It was a few months into their relationship…they went on a weekend away with Nicole’s dad to the Hot Rod Drags and Chris fit perfectly into the family. It was seeing how amazing Chris was around her family and how much everyone else liked him too that made Nicole fall for him too. Well that and the fact that when she’d had a bit too much to drink and was sick at the end of the night, Chris cleaned it up without batting an eyelid. Now that’s true love!
Nicole tells me, “Chris is incredibly handsome and cool! He’s thoughtful and caring and he works incredibly hard. He’s alwayyysssssss dirty….dirt in his fingers, in his hair, on his face…..legit everywhere, and he leaves dirty finger prints wherever he goes! But it’s a part of him, so she loves him for it.
He’s always there for her, whether it’s to help her reach things from the top shelf, put the towels away in the airing cupboard or even to do a bit of DIY.
But seriously…. It’s just the little things he does every day to show her that he cares. He always messages her a kiss when he arrives safely at work and he always checks what she’s up to on his lunch hour.
He shows that he loves her every day, as well as making sure to actually say the words every day and share a sweet kiss before bed.”
Life has gotten much busier over the years but they’ve learnt to cherish the little things. The fancy dates have been replaced with Friday nights watching Movies, Nic makes sure to leave little notes around the house to make Chris smile and she always makes the morning tea before they both head out to work. Chris de-ices car and makes her warm and toasty before she goes to work.
They get on so well thanks to their shared interests and their no bullshit attitude. They both know what they want and are incredibly happy to have found someone who wants the same things in life.