Our Story
They met on OkCupid.com in July of 2006. Melissa was 19 and Christopher was 21. What started as a pen-pal relationship grew into (yes, they admit it) unhealthy infatuations for one another. They would each look forward to checking their inbox for their weekly correspondance which consisted of insanely long emails (about 5-6 pages in Word at 10pt font kinda long.) What did they talk about? Absolutely everything: quirky habits, life-stories, friends and family, nature, weather, movies....everything. Slowly the weekly emails weren't enough contact, so they graduated to MSN conversations AND emails...and eventually youtube video-letters, AND MSN conversations AND emails and then phone conversations, etc. They both talked about a hypothetical future life where they were together and had a house with a picket fence and a puppy and they were happy.
It got to the point where it was painful to go very long without speaking to one another and that is when Melissa knew things had gone too far. They could not keep entertaining these infatuations and living in this pretend world where they could be together because she doubted they would ever actually meet in person let alone have a relationship....it was like the biggest game of Pretend that needed to come to an end. But, when she went to try to end their correspondances for good....the thought of "why not?" occured to her.
"Why not meet? Why should I give up on being with someone who is absolutely everything I'd ever looked for in a man just because he is so far away? Why go looking for someone with the same character in Texas when I've already found it? Why not go to Australia?"
And so it began....
In June of 2007 Melissa made her first trek to Australia. Christopher wooed her with chivalry, charm and his million-dollar smile and she him with her beauty, effervescence, and zest for life; it was then they decided that--in spite of the obvious distance--they would make this relationship work. They were in love.
The Engagement
Just one year after she had made her first trip to Australia and two years after they had first exchanged emails, Christopher began concocting a plan. Melissa's third trip to be with him was drawing to a close and he kissed her goodbye that morning as he always did before work. Only this day was different...he drove the 2 hours into Mackay and boarded a plane to Brisbane. He sat down with the team at Hardey Brothers Jewellers and picked the perfect diamond for what he knew would be the perfect ring for Melissa. He planned to propose. He returned to Mackay that evening and barrelled through to Moranbah to make it home only 30 minutes late to dinner hoping Melissa to be none-the-wiser to where he had been that day. If she knew he had not been at work, she didn't show it.
The Proposal
Two weeks later, Christopher surprises Melissa with a weekend trip to Brisbane. They take a taxi into the Brisbane CBD from the airport and pull up in front of the Hilton hotel, the same hotel where they had their first kiss, where they first exchanged I-Love-You's. Melissa was very excited because she hadn't known where they would be staying let alone in one of the executive suites!
After dropping off their luggage, Christopher and Melissa spent the day doing her favorite things: shopping, drinking Starbucks coffee, shopping and shopping. As the sun began to set, Christopher guided Melissa down to South Bank amidst multitudes of people. She knew they would be seeing the Riverfire that night, but not what it entailed. She was blown away by the spectacular fireworks display. It was unlike anything she'd ever seen!
He took her back to the hotel so she could change into the nice dress she'd been told to pack before taking her out to Pier 9 for some of the best sea-food of her life and a bottle of very nice wine. When they returned to the hotel room, Melissa was confused by a platter of dessert with "Congratulations!" spelled out on it and a dozen roses on the bed. She turned around to joke to Christopher how someone must have gotton the wrong room and he was already down on one knee asking her to marry him! She squeeled out a YES and pulled him up into a hug and a kiss and then inspected the outstanding ring. Always the photographer, Christopher proceeded to take some photos of the moment....and the rest is history!
