Penelope and Theodore's love story began like something from a vintage novel. They met at an antique book fair in the Cotswolds, where Penelope was searching for first-edition classics and Theodore was hunting for rare maps and historical documents.
Their hands touched reaching for the same leather-bound volume of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice," and when their eyes met over the worn pages, it felt like destiny. Theodore, ever the gentleman, insisted Penelope take the book, but she suggested they share a cup of tea instead and discuss their favorite passages.
What followed was a courtship that might have made Austen herself proud. Theodore would write Penelope handwritten letters, delivered with pressed flowers from his garden. They spent weekends browsing antique shops, sharing afternoon tea, and dancing to jazz records in Penelope's sitting room.
On their one-year anniversary, Theodore proposed in the conservatory of a grand Victorian mansion during a heritage garden tour. He had arranged with the tour guide to have a moment alone among the roses, where he presented Penelope with her grandmother's restored engagement ring and a handwritten poem declaring his love.
Now they're ready to celebrate their vintage romance with all the elegance and charm of a bygone era, surrounded by the people who have supported their beautifully old-fashioned love story.