Nottingham Forest fans Kris and Kayleigh to marry at City ground

FOREST fans Kris and Kayleigh were the match of the day when they met at the City Ground in August 2011.

It was love at first sight when Kris Smith saw his now fiancee Kayleigh Martin at the Forest Capital One Cup match against Notts County.

The couple, both of whom have been Forest supporters since the age of four, are taking their romance back to its very beginning: the football ground, where they will get married in April.

"The first time I met Kayleigh I just thought she was beautiful," Kris, 26, said. "She has natural beauty."

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Kris found himself on a seat next to Kayleigh at the match – a coincidence he is most grateful for.

"It could have been somebody else in that seat, but it was me," he said.

"I felt very lucky to have ended up with that seat. Otherwise I would have never met Kayleigh."

The two exchanged numbers and Kris called her to arrange their first date.

They went for a walk around Leicestershire, where Kris was living at the time, and things developed from there.

"I didn't think he would actually call me," said Kayleigh, who grew up in Gedling village.

"When we went for a walk, I realised I really liked him.

"We started seeing each other more and more and started going out after only about a week."

Kayleigh, who was working as a trainee nursery nurse at Bear Care, in Daybrook, moved in with Kris in Leicester for a short while, before they moved back to Gedling, where they are renting a house.

"Everything in our relationship went pretty fast," Kayleigh said. "But it just felt right."

The couple kicked off the next stage of their relationship when Kris popped the question. But he didn't ask in the usual way. As they were about to embark on a cruise from Southampton with Kayleigh's family in January 2012, Kris gave her a piece of paper.

"The sheet had a heart in the middle, a ring stuck to it with some blue tack and writing which said 'Will you marry me?'" said Kayleigh.

"He gave it to me and I said yes. I hadn't expected it at all, it came as a complete surprise."

The couple's cabin was packed with family members who witnessed the proposal and most had tears in their eyes by the end.

The decision on where to get married was an easy one for the couple.

"We decided to get married on the Forest ground straight away."

The wedding is due to take place on Saturday, April 27, at a cost of around £2,300.

The price includes a wedding breakfast for the family, which includes drinks, an evening buffet, a DJ and a wedding planner.

"I can't wait to get married," Kayleigh said.