We first met during our time at Green Bay High School, where we shared several friends in our different social circles. It was far from love at first sight, with a long process of us getting to know each other. When Ben moved schools at the start of 2008, we continued to interact outside of school, developing a strong friendship over the next two years, culminating in the two of us going to a school ball together. This was the catalyst for us to realise we thought of each other as more than just friends, and it didn't take long for us to start dating after that.

During a road trip around the South Island, we spent a night at Mt Cook, where we walked up the side of a mountain at dusk to watch the stars come out. Ben had been planning to use this trip to propose, with the hope that he could pop the question under the stars, isolated from the world in this beautiful location. Thankfully, the weather played along with a cloudless night, which gave a spectacular view of the night sky. After some star gazing, Ben eventually said, "I have a question to ask, and I think I already know the answer, but... Will you marry me?" I, of course, said yes.

What does the future hold for us? Well, naturally, I'm going to become a famous author, and Ben's band will really take off and they'll tour the world. We'll eventually settle comfortably in a nice, modest cottage somewhere out in the Scandinavian wilderness, with our 50 cats for company. I will use my spare time to immerse myself in the arts, and Ben will probably be playing video games and drinking coffee and whisky until the end of time. Jokes aside, we hope that you, our family and friends, will help us make many more happy memories on our wedding day, and beyond that into the future.