Engagement Party

St. Vincent de Paul Church

Wedding Day

The English Barn at Lily Creek Farm

Reception

Ceremony

Winter

Our Wedding

It’s a dangerous business... going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to ―&nbsp;J.R.R. Tolkien

"I&nbsp;could&nbsp;never&nbsp;marry&nbsp;an&nbsp;American!"&nbsp;I&nbsp;declared&nbsp;to&nbsp;my&nbsp;sister&nbsp;after&nbsp;being&nbsp;in&nbsp;the&nbsp;States&nbsp;for&nbsp;two&nbsp;days&nbsp;as&nbsp;part&nbsp;of&nbsp;a&nbsp;two&nbsp;week&nbsp;vacation&nbsp;in&nbsp;the&nbsp;country's&nbsp;southwest.&nbsp;A&nbsp;glaring&nbsp;deficiency&nbsp;in&nbsp;gourmet&nbsp;coffee&nbsp;(particularly&nbsp;espresso),&nbsp;the&nbsp;preference&nbsp;for&nbsp;an&nbsp;inferior&nbsp;"imperial&nbsp;system&nbsp;of&nbsp;measure",&nbsp;as&nbsp;well&nbsp;as&nbsp;price&nbsp;tags&nbsp;being&nbsp;exclusive&nbsp;of&nbsp;tax&nbsp;had&nbsp;certainly&nbsp;clouded&nbsp;my&nbsp;judgement&nbsp;at&nbsp;the&nbsp;time.&nbsp;That's&nbsp;not&nbsp;to&nbsp;say&nbsp;the&nbsp;USA&nbsp;doesn't&nbsp;have&nbsp;its&nbsp;advantages,&nbsp;it&nbsp;certainly&nbsp;does,&nbsp;but&nbsp;psychology&nbsp;being&nbsp;what&nbsp;it&nbsp;is,&nbsp;I&nbsp;hadn't&nbsp;yet&nbsp;taken&nbsp;all&nbsp;of&nbsp;these&nbsp;into&nbsp;account... Any&nbsp;bloke&nbsp;worth&nbsp;his&nbsp;salt&nbsp;will&nbsp;tell&nbsp;you&nbsp;that&nbsp;the&nbsp;fastest&nbsp;way&nbsp;to&nbsp;dissuade&nbsp;him&nbsp;from&nbsp;pursuing&nbsp;a&nbsp;woman&nbsp;is&nbsp;to&nbsp;"set&nbsp;him&nbsp;up&nbsp;with&nbsp;her".&nbsp;The&nbsp;simple&nbsp;reason&nbsp;is&nbsp;that&nbsp;there&nbsp;is&nbsp;no&nbsp;opportunity&nbsp;for&nbsp;the&nbsp;natural&nbsp;development&nbsp;of&nbsp;friendship,&nbsp;facilitating&nbsp;opportunity&nbsp;to&nbsp;observe,&nbsp;determine&nbsp;her&nbsp;quality&nbsp;and&nbsp;then&nbsp;undertake&nbsp;the&nbsp;skirmishes,&nbsp;like&nbsp;a&nbsp;chess&nbsp;game&nbsp;of&nbsp;sorts,&nbsp;to&nbsp;attempt&nbsp;to&nbsp;win&nbsp;the&nbsp;heart&nbsp;of&nbsp;a&nbsp;woman&nbsp;whom&nbsp;you&nbsp;admire&nbsp;so&nbsp;much&nbsp;you&nbsp;know&nbsp;you&nbsp;are&nbsp;not&nbsp;worthy&nbsp;of.&nbsp; Thus&nbsp;it&nbsp;was&nbsp;that&nbsp;after&nbsp;much&nbsp;encouragement&nbsp;to&nbsp;meet&nbsp;this&nbsp;"Anne&nbsp;Marie"&nbsp;I&nbsp;was&nbsp;determined&nbsp;not&nbsp;to&nbsp;yield&nbsp;to&nbsp;the&nbsp;external&nbsp;pressures&nbsp;and&nbsp;ignore&nbsp;their&nbsp;suggestions. The&nbsp;reason&nbsp;I've&nbsp;come&nbsp;to&nbsp;understand&nbsp;we&nbsp;use&nbsp;the&nbsp;term&nbsp;"never&nbsp;say&nbsp;never"&nbsp;is&nbsp;we&nbsp;always&nbsp;forget&nbsp;the&nbsp;Good&nbsp;Lord&nbsp;has&nbsp;a&nbsp;sense&nbsp;of&nbsp;humour! ―&nbsp;Stefan

Famous Last Words

I&nbsp;was&nbsp;never&nbsp;one&nbsp;to&nbsp;believe&nbsp;in&nbsp;love&nbsp;at&nbsp;first&nbsp;sight.&nbsp;Until&nbsp;one&nbsp;day,&nbsp;when&nbsp;on&nbsp;an&nbsp;ordinary&nbsp;October&nbsp;morning&nbsp;a&nbsp;friend&nbsp;of&nbsp;my&nbsp;brother's&nbsp;arrived&nbsp;on&nbsp;my&nbsp;doorstep.&nbsp; Having&nbsp;heard&nbsp;several&nbsp;times&nbsp;that&nbsp;there&nbsp;was&nbsp;someone&nbsp;I&nbsp;needed&nbsp;to&nbsp;meet,&nbsp;my&nbsp;curiosity&nbsp;trumped&nbsp;my&nbsp;prejudice&nbsp;against&nbsp;being&nbsp;"set-up"&nbsp;when&nbsp;I&nbsp;noticed&nbsp;my&nbsp;family&nbsp;chatting&nbsp;with&nbsp;two&nbsp;friendly&nbsp;faces...&nbsp;with&nbsp;Australian&nbsp;accents.&nbsp;Venturing&nbsp;to&nbsp;introduce&nbsp;myself&nbsp;then,&nbsp;I&nbsp;never&nbsp;realized&nbsp;the&nbsp;full&nbsp;extent&nbsp;of&nbsp;where&nbsp;that&nbsp;first&nbsp;brief&nbsp;meeting&nbsp;could&nbsp;take&nbsp;us! Autumn&nbsp;at&nbsp;our&nbsp;family's&nbsp;homestead&nbsp;supplies&nbsp;us&nbsp;with&nbsp;an&nbsp;ample&nbsp;amount&nbsp;of&nbsp;activities&nbsp;to&nbsp;accomplish&nbsp;before&nbsp;winter&nbsp;sets&nbsp;in,&nbsp;including&nbsp;homemade&nbsp;pumpkin&nbsp;pies.&nbsp;As&nbsp;Providence&nbsp;would&nbsp;have&nbsp;it,&nbsp;there&nbsp;I&nbsp;found&nbsp;myself&nbsp;boiling&nbsp;down&nbsp;pumpkin&nbsp;for&nbsp;dessert&nbsp;after&nbsp;a&nbsp;full&nbsp;day's&nbsp;work,&nbsp;hoping&nbsp;to&nbsp;entice&nbsp;our&nbsp;guests&nbsp;to&nbsp;stay&nbsp;for&nbsp;a&nbsp;bit&nbsp;of&nbsp;pumpkin&nbsp;pie,&nbsp;topped&nbsp;with&nbsp;homemade&nbsp;whipped&nbsp;cream.&nbsp;The&nbsp;evening&nbsp;turned&nbsp;into&nbsp;a&nbsp;very&nbsp;memorable&nbsp;occasion,&nbsp;filled&nbsp;with&nbsp;pleasant&nbsp;conversation&nbsp;and&nbsp;laughter. ―&nbsp;Anne

As soon as I saw you, I knew an adventure was about to happen ― A.A. Milne

After&nbsp;that&nbsp;first&nbsp;meeting&nbsp;I&nbsp;was&nbsp;intrigued.&nbsp;Anne&nbsp;seemed&nbsp;to&nbsp;be&nbsp;a&nbsp;girl&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;highest&nbsp;quality,&nbsp;beautiful,&nbsp;God-loving,&nbsp;intelligent&nbsp;and&nbsp;from&nbsp;my&nbsp;limited&nbsp;experience,&nbsp;an&nbsp;excellent&nbsp;cook! Travelling&nbsp;to&nbsp;Switzerland&nbsp;for&nbsp;Nicholas'&nbsp;wedding (with whom&nbsp;I'd&nbsp;forged&nbsp;a&nbsp;lifelong&nbsp;friendship&nbsp;in&nbsp;the&nbsp;crucible&nbsp;of&nbsp;boarding&nbsp;school),&nbsp;here&nbsp;again&nbsp;I&nbsp;met&nbsp;Anne.&nbsp;Sitting&nbsp;next&nbsp;to&nbsp;each&nbsp;other&nbsp;at&nbsp;the&nbsp;table&nbsp;of&nbsp;honour,&nbsp;I&nbsp;had&nbsp;the&nbsp;opportunity&nbsp;to&nbsp;learn&nbsp;a&nbsp;little&nbsp;more&nbsp;about&nbsp;Anne.&nbsp;I&nbsp;was&nbsp;most&nbsp;impressed&nbsp;by&nbsp;her&nbsp;manner&nbsp;with&nbsp;her&nbsp;little&nbsp;brothers&nbsp;and&nbsp;sisters,&nbsp;whom&nbsp;she&nbsp;took&nbsp;delight&nbsp;in&nbsp;looking&nbsp;after&nbsp;through&nbsp;large&nbsp;parts&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;day. ―&nbsp;Stefan

International Reconnaissance

Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go – T. S. Eliot

Providence&nbsp;had&nbsp;it&nbsp;that&nbsp;we&nbsp;would&nbsp;be&nbsp;there&nbsp;for&nbsp;each&nbsp;other&nbsp;through&nbsp;thick&nbsp;and&nbsp;thin&nbsp;from&nbsp;the&nbsp;very&nbsp;start.&nbsp;After swapping a series of thought-provoking messages culminating in the exchange of an essay, on the advice of a friend and as a bit of a test, I asked him if he'd finish the last nine days of a 54-day rosary novena with me. Speaking&nbsp;on&nbsp;the&nbsp;phone&nbsp;for&nbsp;several&nbsp;hours&nbsp;for&nbsp;the&nbsp;first&nbsp;time,&nbsp;I&nbsp;was&nbsp;convinced&nbsp;this&nbsp;would&nbsp;be&nbsp;worth&nbsp;the&nbsp;wait!&nbsp;As&nbsp;my&nbsp;sister&nbsp;was&nbsp;counting&nbsp;down&nbsp;the&nbsp;days&nbsp;to&nbsp;begin&nbsp;her&nbsp;new&nbsp;journey&nbsp;in&nbsp;the&nbsp;convent,&nbsp;closing&nbsp;her door&nbsp;to&nbsp;the&nbsp;world,&nbsp;a&nbsp;new&nbsp;door&nbsp;had&nbsp;opened&nbsp;in&nbsp;mine.&nbsp;The&nbsp;same&nbsp;day&nbsp;she&nbsp;crossed&nbsp;the&nbsp;threshold&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;Franciscan&nbsp;house,&nbsp;following&nbsp;her&nbsp;vocation,&nbsp;my&nbsp;dad&nbsp;had&nbsp;agreed&nbsp;to&nbsp;let&nbsp;us&nbsp;pursue&nbsp;this&nbsp;international&nbsp;relationship. I&nbsp;was&nbsp;entering&nbsp;a&nbsp;new&nbsp;realm.&nbsp; It was then the realisation of&nbsp;the&nbsp;challenges&nbsp;this&nbsp;decision&nbsp;would&nbsp;pose&nbsp;began to sink in. Undaunted, we&nbsp;continued&nbsp;calling&nbsp;for&nbsp;4&nbsp;months,&nbsp;not&nbsp;letting&nbsp;a&nbsp;day&nbsp;go&nbsp;by&nbsp;without&nbsp;hearing&nbsp;the&nbsp;other's&nbsp;voice&nbsp;at&nbsp;the&nbsp;end&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;line.&nbsp; We both prayed that there&nbsp;would be a&nbsp;light&nbsp;at&nbsp;the&nbsp;end&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;tunnel... ―&nbsp;Anne

COVID Dragons

After 3 rosary novenas I was granted an exemption to travel from Australia to the USA. I can honestly say that all that has happened has been nothing short of miraculous. Expecting to be back in Australia at the end of three months I threw some clothes in a backpack and boarded a plane. 40 hours of travel later, I was pinching myself in disbelief that I was actually able to give Anne a hug that would signal the end of our long distance relationship! If anything, the long wait helped me to cherish every moment spent with Anne even more. It was certainly not something that could be taken for granted! So it was that I got to know Anne better; the better I got to know her the more she exceeded all my imaginings (if that were even possible)! I was convinced, but she had a retreat coming up so after giving her the advice to be generous, God was generous in return and learning she was advised our relationship was to be "encouraged" I plucked up the courage and asked her if she'd marry me! ―&nbsp;Stefan

Miracles Do Happen

Our Story

Photos

Wedding Party

Q + A

The hotel will release the block 3 weeks before the wedding. If you would like a discounted room here please book before then!

Anne & Stefan

Anne & Stefan

Registry