Mandah & Vaclav

Their Love Story

Mandah and Viv's love story began online, with neither of them particularly looking for anything serious. But after just five minutes of conversation, Viv knew he wanted to get to know Mandah better. He wasted no time asking her out, and their first date on 4 July 2024 at Miss Moneypenny's was certainly one to remember.

Champagne, oysters, caviar and a restaurant bill that had Viv questioning whether he'd accidentally bought the place! Thankfully, the connection was worth every cent. They clicked instantly, and by the following evening, they were already enjoying date number two. From there, Mandah introduced Viv to Prosecco, Viv introduced Mandah to jet skis, and one of those introductions ended with Mandah in hospital with a broken ankle. Not exactly the adventure they'd planned, but it was an early reminder that Viv would be there through the good times and the not-so-good ones.

Since then, life has been anything but ordinary. They've travelled, explored, bought a converted bus called Penny Lane, purchased a home, attended plenty of drag shows and somehow managed to turn almost every outing into another story worth telling. There have been breakdowns, questionable decisions, jet ski adventures, long-distance animal rescues and even a few moments where one of them may have considered leaving the other on the side of the road! But beneath all the chaos is a genuine partnership built on trust, forgiveness, laughter and having each other's backs.

Viv loves Mandah's determination, kindness and passion for animals, while Mandah adores Viv's generosity, dependability, gentle nature and ability to make a brilliant cup of tea. And with a growing collection of rescue animals, a few misplaced belongings and approximately 32 lip glosses, there's never a dull moment.

Neither of them was necessarily looking to get married again, but together they found something they hadn't realised they were missing: a best friend and someone they genuinely wanted beside them for whatever life brought next.

When it came to proposing, Viv had the ring ready and even carried it through a romantic evening of ballet, dinner and a walk under the stars. But after Mandah had worked 60 hours in three days, he decided the timing wasn't quite right and brought the ring home. The next evening, after friends had given him a little grief about missing his opportunity, Viv took matters into his own hands. Knowing exactly how to get Mandah's attention, he playfully pushed her buttons, stood up and said, "Kiss me like you want to marry me," before dropping to one knee. After all the adventures, laughter and chaos, Mandah said yes!