How we met: Megan and Pat, Kantara House

Megan and Pat met in an English pub in 2018. Megan had walked into the local pub straight after running a marathon (‘Her words,’ says Pat. ‘It was actually a 10km run for charity.) She was wearing running shorts and a singlet, no makeup, and drinking a well-earned pint! Pat was an Aussie bloke on a European tour and was in the pub after watching his brother play footy while Meg supported the other team!

‘The first time we met, she was at her worst, but I knew there was a spark there and I had to see her again,’ says Pat. ‘Meg’s mum was there on our first official date – thanks Mum!’

Megan remembers telling her mum he looked ‘dishy’.

‘Little did I know that was him looking at his absolute best,’ says Megan with a wicked laugh. ‘We can laugh with and at each other every day. It’s what we love about each other.’

They lived 17,000 km apart, both had work commitments and totally different lives. And when Pat returned to Australia, they learned to plan their work breaks around being able to say ‘goodnight and I love you’. For two long years, they were forced to express their love in words alone, rather than being able to physically hold each other.

‘People said we could never make it last long distance, says Megan. ‘We made lots of sacrifices, we beat the statistics and we’re still so in love.’

‘Meg adapting to Aussie life could be made into a sitcom,’ says Pat with affection. ‘She is ready to vomit if she sees a cockroach, or to move house if there’s an ant on the porch. She’s afraid of storms. Yet she chases snakes in public places while holding her snake chart to help her identify them.’

The weekend Pat proposed was on a trip to Coffs Harbour. Before they left home, Pat said he had to drop into the office to send an email.

‘Surely someone else can press “send” on an email,’ Megan told him. But what she didn’t know was that Pat was phoning her mum, Amy, and brother, Ben, in the UK to ask for their blessing to propose.

And of course, they said YES!

Pat hid the ring in the luggage in the car and while, at Megan’s insistence, they stopped at the Big Banana, played mini golf and tobogganed, his eyes were constantly on the car and their luggage.

‘We planned a picnic on the beach with some wine and cheese says Pat. ‘And Meg wanted to buy the cheap crackers (to save $1) whereas I was trying to make it special.’

Pat succeeded in making it a romantic, candlelit picnic on the beach, and proposed while her favourite song played in the background. She said yes.

They both knew they wanted Megan’s family to be at the wedding, so they waited until the borders re-opened to international travellers, and then planned their wedding in just 55 days.

‘I had always wanted to get married at Kantara House,’ says Megan. ‘From the first time I saw a photo of the Charlotte Chapel, I fell in love. Then plot twist … I ended up working there, managing other people’s weddings, so everything fell into place perfectly!

Venue Kantara House Flowers Lauren Alyce Floral Design Dress Kel-Leigh Couture Suit Peter Jackson Hair Alicia’s Personal Hair Design Makeup Makeup Artistry by Karly Photography Euphoria Films Videography Euphoria Films DJ Stevie Lee Music Cake Cake and Plate