Our story technically began in 2022, although at the time neither of us had the slightest idea that the other would end up being quite this important. In 2023, Jade joined the Tuks Camerata and decided fairly quickly that she wanted to be friends with Gert. Gert, meanwhile, took a little longer to catch on. In his defence, Jade happened to be friends with one of his ex-girlfriends, so he approached the situation with what he would probably describe as “wisdom,” and what everyone else would probably describe as “suspicious levels of caution.” Thankfully, choir rehearsals, performances, and many hours of singing in close proximity slowly wore him down, and caution turned into friendship. By 2024, we had become very good friends — the kind of friends who could talk for hours, laugh at almost anything, and genuinely just loved being around each other. Then came March 2025, when the Camerata travelled to the United States to headline the ACDA Conference in Dallas, Texas. What was supposed to be an unforgettable choir tour — with stops in New York, Washington DC, Philadelphia, and Missouri — turned out to be something even more significant: the beginning of us. Somewhere between rehearsals, travel days, choir chaos, and spending what was objectively too much time together on buses, our friendship started becoming something more. We grew close very quickly, and by the final week of the tour, Gert had what can only be described as a full-blown romantic revelation. With some very well-timed encouragement from the Best Man, he finally told Jade that he had feelings for her. Jade did not, at that exact moment, burst into song and run dramatically into his arms. She was understandably a little nervous. By then, Gert had become one of her best friends, and the thought of risking that friendship felt mildly terrifying. Unfortunately for her well-structured emotional risk management plan, she had also developed feelings for him. So, after some honest conversations, careful deliberation, and what felt like a fully internal board meeting, we decided: why not just go for it? Not long after that came our first kiss, the evening before the choir flew back to South Africa. And for the sake of historical accuracy — and because Gert insists this must be recorded — Jade initiated it. A week later, on 2 April 2025, Gert arrived back in South Africa, where Jade was waiting to fetch him at the airport. He walked through the doors carrying a box of Maltesers and a piece of paper with a hand-drawn bouquet on it, and asked her to be his girlfriend. It was equal parts adorable, improvised, and deeply on-brand — really setting the tone early for romance, creativity, and making a plan with the resources available. Part 2 of this story will be told by Gert at the wedding... but through it all, we truly believe that the Lord was writing this story long before we understood it. Our relationship has been such a beautiful testament to His goodness, faithfulness, and perfect timing.