Built in the everyday moments

Some love stories are written in grand gestures.

Ours started with a dog park, a cooler box, and a beer.

We first met in 2018 at Walkhaven Dog Park at our friend Mike's birthday. Curtis arrived with his dog, Storm, and was about to buy drinks from the venue. Dianne, who to this day says she felt sorry for him, offered him a beer from her cooler box.

And somehow, that one beer became the start of something neither of us saw coming.

From there, we became really good friends. Dianne would often invite Curtis to Hogshead in Douglasdale for Sunday afternoon tequila sessions — and, as most people know, Dianne's ability to handle tequila is something to behold. Curtis joined sometimes, and other times he "chose not to" — although the truth is, he was probably just weighing up the next day's tequila hangover.

It was only after Curtis's birthday in 2019 that we started spending more time together. The friendship grew, the connection deepened, and before long, it became clear that this was becoming something more.

On 1 January 2020, just as the world was about to change, Dianne moved in with Curtis. Three months later, lockdown arrived. If anything can test the strength of a relationship, it is being forced to live side by side, 24 hours a day, in a 72-square-metre home.

But instead of breaking us, it built us.

During 2020, we decided to buy a home together — not because we had to, but because we desperately needed the space. Our bond became stronger, more certain, and undefeated. Not long after moving into our new home, we welcomed the greatest blessing of our lives, our son Callan, who was born on 11 July 2022.

In 2023, Curtis got down on one knee on a beach and asked Dianne to be his forever person. The moment was made even more special with Curtis's best man, Archie, and Callan's godmother, Michelle, there to witness it.

Soon after, we opened our own business, Splash Co — and let us tell you, we never expected that adventure to become the gift that never stops giving. Running a business, being parents, and still working our normal day jobs quickly taught us that adulting is definitely not for the faint-hearted.

But through every late night, every challenge, every laugh, every big plan and every small win, we have built a life we are incredibly proud of.

Some love stories are written in grand gestures. Ours has been built in the everyday moments — the laughter, the chaos, the family memories, the business dreams, the teamwork, the late nights, the big plans and the small wins.

Through every chapter, the constant has been us — building a life together one ordinary day at a time. Somewhere in the middle of all the chaos and teamwork, we realised this was already forever.

And now, in 2027, we get to say "I do" in a beautiful beach setting, surrounded by the people who mean the most to us.

Most of our friends know that our happy place has always been the beach — especially Mozambique — and one of our dreams is to travel more, explore more, and see as many beautiful places together as we can.

So it feels only right that the next chapter of our story begins by the sea, with the breeze, the sand, and a weekend full of memories.

If you are reading this, it means you are extremely special to us. We would be honoured to have you with us as we celebrate our love, our family, our journey, and the beginning of forever.

— Curtis & Dianne