Excerpts Of Wedding And Proposal Stories

We first met in a Brisbane pub in 2003. We didn’t exchange details at that time but met again at another Brisbane pub around 3 months later. We have been together ever since. Michael proposed on our 5th anniversary together. He had me convinced that it would never happen because he couldn’t afford a ring. Little did I know that he had opened a secret bank account and was saving for a ring. After we had been out for dinner he told me that he had a small gift for me - even though we said no anniversary gifts. He presented me with a beautiful engagement ring.

I was on an Oktoberfest tour in Germany and Ben was my tour guide. I thought he was very good looking and full of personality as I’m sure did most of the girls on the tour. We chatted on the bus home and he mentioned that he had moved out of his share house in London and needed a place to stay or “doss” (backpacker term). I offered my lounge room and he took me up on it and the relationship grew from there. We stayed in London a couple more years and then backpacked around USA, Canada and Sth America before heading home. Whilst in Peru in South America we decided to trek the Inca Trail. After five days of very little sleep, very little food and heaps of walking we reached machu picchu the famous Inca ruins. It was here at sunrise overlooking the ruins that Ben asked me to marry him. Exhausted as we were it was a beautiful proposal and of course I said yes!

Josh and I first met in 2000 through my friend (his sister). He was extremely quiet and we hardly spoke. Later in 2003 our relationship grew so much that we started dating on the 21st December. In the next 3 years we became best of friends, we would do anything for each other. He finally built up the courage to ask my dad out for coffee so he could ask his permission to marry me. My dad gladly approved.

We had a very casual ceremony on the pier as the sun was coming up. It was magical. Our wedding reception was held at the Full Moon Hotel, Sandgate Queensland. We had a buffet breakfast and could not have asked any more of the staff. They were wonderful and made sure everything was perfect.

I only had ten months to organize the wedding and I had to be well organized living so far away. The True Bride website and the Internet were excellent tools for locating suppliers. My mum and my 2 beautiful bridesmaids were an excellent help. Everything just seemed to fall into place. My bridemaids organized a girly weekend away in Gracetown, Western Australia the weekend prior to the wedding, full of massages, yoga and winery tours (I would highly recommend it, I was so relaxed on the big day).

Being the non-traditionalists that we are, we wanted to really develop an understanding between us as to what a wedding meant to us as a couple - and we came to the agreement that it was an opportunity for our close family and friends and Jono and myself to celebrate our love for one another and the relationship we have. Jono and I then decided to create a wedding that would incorporate this meaning, and I believe we successfully pulled it off with many guests saying it was one of the most ‘comfortable’ and ‘laid-back’ weddings they had ever attended.