Our Story
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We met at a friend's birthday party, just days before I was due to fly to England for a six month working holiday. He was quite put out that I was leaving, and I admit he caught my eye! But off I went, and returned six months later engaged to a Brit. Toby said "You won't marry him. You'll marry me." Ha! Just the sort of thing a 17 year old would say! A few weeks later my engagement was broken, more due to distance than anything else.
I saw Toby as a very good friend, but the relationship grew and soon we were inseparable. I couldn't imagine life without him. Unfortunately we came from different religious backgrounds and I was eventually given the ultimatum "Give him up or leave the church." Well, you can imagine what that does to a person ... I decided to leave. Toby didn't agree with that at all, because my belief was part of me, and part of what Toby loved about me. Sooo, after a lot of to-ing and fro-ing the strain became too much and we parted.
We kept in touch and a few years later Toby told me he was getting married. I wasn't pleased to say the least! Nobody I had met measured up to Toby. Life went on.
Many years later, coming out of a difficult relationship, I decided to ring Toby's father. He seemed pleased to hear from me, told me that Toby was divorced, and he happened to have Toby's number ... what's more, now would be a good time to call! A bit nervously I rang the number, and we ended up talking for over an hour! He was planning on travelling to America within the next few weeks, but seemed quite happy to talk on the phone. We had many expensive calls until he left for the States, and then the calls became more expensive! He decided to return to Australia and we finally met up briefly. On Valentine's Day 1995 I received a call at work (just as I was heading into a meeting) and he asked me to marry him. I didn't have much to contribute to that meeting!
How do you set a wedding date? And where do you hold it? Seemed easier to me to disappear overseas, or just marry on a beach or something. After some thought we decided on the date when Toby had first proposed to me - 8th October - 15 years earlier! We had run out of ideas for venues until we paid a visit to the property his family used to own - it was perfect. The current owners were quite agreeable to having the first wedding at Apple Tree Flat held on their property!
And so, fifteen years to the day of Toby's first proposal, we were finally married. Next year will be our tenth anniversary.
Wishes do come true.
Background courtesy of www.boogiejack.com