It was the summer of December 2019, and neither of us were even supposed to be at our mutual friend’s wedding. Sandy had just returned from filming a documentary in Baja, California, completely jetlagged and planning a quiet night in. I (Dana) had just come out of a relationship and wasn’t exactly feeling the whole celebrating love thing. Yet, fate (and some very persistent friends) had other plans.

And so, under the warm summer sun, at a wedding we both weren’t meant to attend, I spotted this cute guy taking his seat across the aisle before the ceremony. I turned to my friend and whispered, "Oh, that guy’s cute." to which he immediately shut me down with a, "Darl, he's got a girlfriend." I turned back just in time to see him chatting with another girl. "Yeah, you’re right—next!"

The celebration was in full swing, and as the night carried on, seats shuffled, tables merged, and I found myself at the same table as Sandy, taking Polaroid pictures with friends. Suddenly, he turned to me and asked, "Can we take a Polaroid together?" Confused, I hesitated—wasn't he taken? Turns out, the girl from earlier was just another guest seated next to him on the seating chart. With that mystery solved, I agreed, and we started chatting.

I asked him for his star sign, and to my delight, we were both Libras! A full birth chart later, we were discussing his moon, rising and the rest (mentally noting how ridiculously compatible we were). The night became a blur of laughter, some serious champagne, and endless dancing (of which all our friends will have stories about!). But in true cinematic fashion, the fun night ended and we never exchanged numbers. We left the wedding knowing only each other’s first names—Dana and Sandy.

Luckily, fate stepped in. The next day, I got a message from Sandy saying what a lovely time he had and asking if we could meet up again. The timing wasn’t on our side—I was heading to Texas for six weeks, and by the time I returned, he was off to Europe for another documentary. Still, we kept in touch loosely, with him even inviting me for tea upon his return.

That tea never happened. Enter that thing that kept the entire world indoors in 2020.

With nothing but time on our hands, we started chatting more, getting to know each other through lockdowns and long-distance conversations. When restrictions eased, we finally met up for nature walks—and spent hours just talking, laughing, and realising how much we enjoyed each other's company.

By May 2020, we officially became us.

Fast forward four incredible years later and we have our beautiful cuddle bear Cashew and in July of 2024 we officially got engaged in a cozy winter chalet in Blackheath, Blue Mountains.

Who would have thought, we met at a wedding 5 years ago and now we’re having our own. We can’t wait to celebrate the next chapter of our story, surrounded by the people we love the most, as we get married in 2025!