His Version: We met at a braai at my house. To this day, it remains the best delivery ever made to my doorstep. The conversation was a little limited when we first met, but somehow, I managed to convince this beautiful woman to fall in love with me. Her Version: I went to a braai at Marco's house, thanks to a cousin who was determined to play matchmaker. After hearing so much about him, I was excited to finally meet him and made sure I was wearing my best outfit for the occasion. But in the end, we probably exchanged about two sentences the entire evening since nerves got the better of us. However, his sister and I somehow managed to have a full conversation and agreed that one day we'd be family. Turns out she was right!
His version: We took a trip to Velddrif and spent a beautiful day out on the boat. The sea was calm, the weather was perfect, and there may have been a little too much rum involved along the way. Her version: Our first trip together was to Velddrif, and it was also the first time I met Marco's dad. We spent the day out on the boat with friends, spotted a submarine, and probably drank a little more than we should have. Having grown up on boats, there's always been something special about being on the water for me, but being there with Marco felt different. It felt safe and familiar.
His version: It took a while to convince Jen to move in with me, but I've learned over the years that persistence usually pays off. Her version: It only took three men, two girls, one oversized trailer, and what felt like a hundred trips back and forth. The day was chaotic, exhausting and involved far more boxes than expected. In the evening, we opened some wine, and Marco cooked a delicious home-cooked meal to celebrate the start of our next chapter.
His version: Our first dog, Jäger, didn't quite turn out to be the perfectly trained Border Collie, but at least we gained a four-legged vacuum cleaner. Her version: One afternoon, he arrived home with the newest member of our family and instantly became the proudest dog dad imaginable. This dog was supposed to be the smartest, most obedient Border Collie around. Well... that was the plan... Thanks to Jäger, Marco finally learned how to use a washing basket!
His version: My lovely wife-to-be helped me catch my dream fish. For a while, it looked like it wasn't going to happen, but she stepped in and helped me sort out the finances so I could make it a reality. That's the day I knew she was a keeper. Her version: We were in Mauritius. I was convinced I was going to get seasick, so naturally we both took two motion sickness tablets. Unfortunately, the tablets almost knocked us out before the fish had a chance to. On our way back, that rod finally went, and the smile on his face said it all. It was one of the happiest moments I've ever seen him have, and I felt incredibly lucky to be there to experience it with him.
His version: Our proposal was probably the most stressful experience of my life. From racing against the sunset to trying to get Jenna into the perfect position, I was completely panicked. Luckily, at Gourikwa Nature Reserve, I got the best answer I could have hoped for: Yes! Her version: At the top of a hill overlooking Gourikwa, Marco got down on one knee and completely caught me by surprise. This was made even better by the fact that I was dressed as though I was about to spend the day fishing rather than getting engaged! For once in my life, I was completely speechless. After an easy 'yes', we spent the evening celebrating with champagne as we began the next chapter of our lives together.