A refugee who moved to Suffolk to escape war-torn Ukraine is set to marry the "man of her dreams" after they met at a bus stop in her new village.

Inna Sudareva, who moved to Lavenham from Odesa with her daughter Lesya in June 2022, met her now-fiancé Roger in autumn of the same year.

The couple hit it off, soon attending Scottish dancing classes together and eventually going on dates. 

The pair are set to be wed at Lavenham Church next Tuesday in a ceremony that will include Ukrainian and British traditions.

Inna, who worked as a teacher in Ukraine and now works at The Swan Hotel & Spa in Lavenham, said: "When I came to the bus stop I saw a man waiting for the bus and I said just said 'hello' and that was how we met.

East Anglian Daily Times: The Church of St Peter and St Paul in LavenhamThe Church of St Peter and St Paul in Lavenham (Image: Newsquest)

"We spoke about the weather and how long we had lived in the village – I had been here one month longer than him.

"I later suggested that maybe he would want to come Scottish dancing and then he agreed and we became friends." 

Inna's host, Nicky McAllister, said: "Roger is just like a boy with stars coming out of his eyes, he loves her so much."

Inna described Roger as 'kind, caring, generous, funny and reliable' and said she is excited for the wedding, and 'not at all nervous'. 

"I feel like I have waited for this man all my life. I found the man of my dreams," she said.

Inna's wedding bouquet will be made up of yellow and blue flowers, representing the Ukrainian flag, and has been arranged by a villager who offered her services for free. 

Mrs McAllister said: "Everyone has been very kind about this – Inna doesn't make a lot of money but she is getting married and we want it to be nice for her.

"She has fitted in so well in the village so people are very helpful. 

"It has made Inna's very difficult journey to come to England end with such a happy note."

Several of her friends who moved to the UK from Ukraine, as well as her daughter Lesya who now lives in Norwich, will be attending the ceremony. 

Inna will be moving in with Roger after the wedding, but said Mrs McAllister and her family have become her "extended family".