Once upon a time, in a far away land (and a ridiculously late hour) Ashley lounged on the couch in mismatched pj's at a sleepover, evidently not expecting any more visitors.

Meanwhile, Alex was exploring an abandoned criminally insane ward nearby. Little did Alex know, he would conclude the evening dragged along by mutual friends to Ashley's parent's home. Apparently 2am was the perfect time for a social call.

The plan? To introduce Alex to another sleepover attendee, as their mutual friends believed they would get along well. Discussion of plans to attend Mardi Gras ensued amongst the group, and little did anyone know, Ashley would go on to become a VERY close friend for Alex.

Whoever says you can't meet your soulmate if you don't leave the house, hasn't met these two.

Fast forward to 2017, where Ashley and Alex found themselves in an unlikely friendship formed by consistent pulls of the invisible string and chance encounters. (Many of those on train platforms.)

In 2018, they found themselves talking on an abandoned train platform (This abandoned buildings and train platforms thing is becoming a theme here), leaving the world behind and solidifying their feelings for one another.

As their story unfolded, so did their adventures. From 3 weeks in Japan, to moving in together (a feat that involved more boxes and newspaper than either of them anticipated) to their growing furry (and more recently feathered) companions—a bird with a penchant for mimicry and a dog who just loves the vet—because what's a love story without a few adorable sidekicks to keep things interesting?

That said, no love story is complete without its share of comedic mishaps along the way. In the case of Ashley and Alex, their journey to "I do" was paved with five almost-proposals, from a trip away cut short, a cubby house in the loungeroom after a stressful workday and a planned sunset dog-walk on the beach on the ONE day Ashley decided to walk the dog 5km mere minutes before Alex left work.

The final 'Yes' was perfectly imperfect, and came in the form of a florist that unfortunately forgot to read the "Do not deliver before 2pm" from Alex, triggering the realisation that the 'perfect' proposal doesn't exist, and the best kind is impromptu and uniquely them.

And now, dear reader. We share in the first day of the rest of their lives.

See you at the altar!