Our names are Kate and Jordan and this year marks our fourteenth year together, and our first as a married couple. We live with our dog Oscar in Sydney’s Inner West. We are absolute best friends- even after fourteen years together, we still want to spend as much time as possible together and our favourite thing to do in the whole world is to sit in our garden and have a glass of wine together.
We met in our late teens, in our last year of high school. We were introduced by friends, who were dating at the time, and so began a very slow courtship process. At 19 years old, we dated for a year and then split up for a year. The timing just wasn’t right. We were both young and still finding out who we were. At 21 years old, our paths crossed again and it felt as though it was meant to be. We spent our twenties travelling, living in share houses with friends and partying together, before settling down in our early thirties, buying a house and making it our own.
We are not a traditional couple, and having been together so long, neither of us wanted a traditional wedding. Neither of us wore traditional wedding outfits, we didn’t have bridesmaids or groomsmen, no first dance or wedding cake. This was a wedding PARTY.
As foodies, we sourced the very best food and excellent wines and we had the privilege of having a live singer, Andrew Loadsman (who you may remember from The Voice TV show) and the best celebrant, Todd Mayhew, who kept the vibe fun in his pale blue safari suit. We were married in Jervis Bay amongst coral peonies, smokebush, jewel-toned hydrangeas, and sorbet coloured sweetpeas and delphinium.
It is hard to find someone these days who has had no experience of cancer. It is an unflinching, uncaring, indiscriminate disease and it takes so many great people far too soon. But just as we have had experiences with loss associated with cancer, likewise we are so blessed to say that, thanks to the wonders of modern cancer research and medicine, we still have so many of our dear family members and friends still with us. Kate’s godmother is a survivor, as are many family friends, and Jordan’s dad, who beat Prostate cancer.
And beyond this, many more people that were at our wedding thanks to the wonder of modern cancer treatment and we are so grateful for that. So grateful in fact, that we chose not to ask for money for ourselves, but rather to donate that money toward cancer research. If our wedding money can go toward saving just one person in the future it will be worth it.
Cancer research is one of the most important facets of modern medical science and technology, and it is absolutely integral in keeping people alive. We all need to work together to solve cancer. It takes all of us, and even small donations help.
These days we are all blessed with so much. Many of us are already living together before we get married and have no need for the toasters and blenders and crystal glasses that have traditionally been wedding gifts. Honeymoon funds or wishing wells are a popular trend at weddings these days but as you continue through life, you won’t miss that money you got for your wedding – but you will miss the people that shared that day with you. What is more important than anything, if you can afford it, is to give that money where it can genuinely make a difference.
Learn more about Donating in Lieu of Gifts
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