Elsa, you've spent years sharing the love stories of so many NMJ couples. How did it feel when it was finally your turn? Has planning and living your own wedding changed the way you think about those stories?

This is something I'll always treasure about my time here at Natalie Marie Jewellery. Before joining the team, I wouldn't have described myself as particularly romantic, but over the years I've had the privilege of reading and sharing the deeply personal stories of so many of our beautiful couples. Hearing about the first meetings, the small rituals they've created together, the moments that unexpectedly brought couples back to one another years later. It completely changed the way I think about love. It made me realise that perhaps very little is left to chance, and that finding someone to spend the rest of your life with is somewhat fate and really does happen for a reason.

Watching so many couples move through this chapter made me incredibly aware of just how fleeting and special the engagement and wedding season truly is. There is a real sense of mourning when the excitement and flood of emotions settle once it's all over - the wedding blues are absolutely real!! Because of that, I consciously tried to slow down and savour every stage, knowing every late night and every little detail would be worth it in the end.

When the time finally came to plan my own wedding, I completely immersed myself in the process. It became the perfect excuse to indulge every creative idea I'd been collecting over the years. I obsessed over every element, not because it had to be perfect, but because I wanted it to feel intentional, to feel like us. Looking back, the planning itself has become one of my favourite memories - my family gathered around the dining table for countless late nights, bringing every DIY idea to life and backing me every step of the way. Seeing it all come together on the day was incredibly surreal.

Knowing I now get to share my own NMJ Lovers story feels just as surreal.

Take us back to the beginning. What first drew you to one another, and when did you realise this was the person you wanted to build a life with? 

We first met in university, Patrick got the courage to ask the three blondes behind him to join him and his wingman in our group assignment on the first day of university, I was the chosen lucky one! The thing that drew me to Pat was trust. From first meeting Pat and growing closer to be best friends in that first year the sense I could trust him with anything and always felt really cared for. Even just as friends he went out of his way for me to know he was proud of me which is something I never really thought as a really special thing to find in a partner but its now something that is my favourite part of being with Pat. Genuine compassion and care, someone who will back me 100% even when my self confidence waivers, love in a totally different form. 

We became incredibly close friends during that first year of university and after about a year became glaringly obvious we weren't really just friends. What drew me to Pat wasn't a defining moment, but the quiet consistency of who he was and how he cared for those around him. Even as friends, he always went out of his way to support me. He was dependable, endlessly kind, and somehow always knew how to make me feel capable. He gave me confidence and a sense of security that I had never expected. The kind of care that asked for nothing in return and made me feel completely safe.

At the time, I didn't realise how rare that was, but looking back, it's become my favourite part of loving him. His genuine compassion, and the quiet way he stands beside me through everything have always made me feel deeply cared for. I knew I wasn't just choosing someone I love in so many ways, I was choosing someone that I would want beside me for the rest of my life.

Over the years, your relationship has moved through so many seasons together. Looking back, what do you think has been the constant that has carried you through each chapter?

Elsa: There is something really special about growing up alongside the person you end up spending your life with. We've experienced so many firsts together, from starting our careers and moving into our first home to building a life together while figuring it all out along the way. Looking back, there's a real comfort in knowing we've been by each other's side through every stage. I honestly could not imagine a day without him. 

We've always backed one another. We've celebrated the wins, helped each other through the harder moments, and encouraged one another to keep growing. That has been constant throughout our relationship, and I think that's what has carried us through every season.

Pat: I think the constant throughout our relationship has been that, no matter what season we’ve been in, we’ve always felt like we were on the same team.

When I look back, it’s pretty special to think about how much of our lives we’ve grown through together. We met at university, when we were both still figuring out who we were and where we were heading, and somehow we ended up becoming each other’s biggest supporters through every step since.

There have obviously been plenty of changes and challenges along the way, but the thing that has never changed is the way we show up for each other. Elsa has always believed in me, pushed me to be better, and supported me through every goal and challenge I’ve taken on. I hope she knows I feel exactly the same about her.

I think the reason we’ve made it through every chapter is because we’ve never just been partners - we’ve genuinely been best friends. We’ve celebrated the good moments, laughed our way through the ordinary ones, and leaned on each other when things haven’t gone to plan.

When I look back at everything we’ve built, the constant has always been choosing each other, and knowing that whatever comes next, we’ll face it together.

Elsa, after years of seeing beautiful engagement rings pass through the studio, what was it like seeing your own for the very first time? Did it feel different knowing it was yours?

I first spotted my now engagement ring during a design meeting when our incredibly talented team presented the final One of a Kind collection for December. I tried it on but unlike the others, I couldn't stop. After weeks of asking to wear it "just one more time", I was obsessed.

Having tried on hundreds of engagement rings over the years, I thought I knew exactly what I wanted. This ring completely changed my mind. It felt timeless in a way I knew I'd never tire of, with a bold bezel setting that gives it such beautiful vintage character while also making it incredibly durable. I loved that I could imagine styling it differently through every season of life, knowing it would always feel like me.  When the collection launched online and the ring sold almost instantly, I have to admit my heart sank. What I didn't know was that plenty of secrets had already been exchanged behind the scenes. 

The team had actually sold the ring to Pat and managed to keep the entire thing hidden from me. I was suspicious for a while, but after months passed - and a few trips away came and went without a proposal - I convinced myself I'd imagined it all. Pat completely surprised me a few months later on a beautiful weekend away down south, just the two of us. 

It was the most unforgettable moment. I don't think I've ever cried and smiled so much at the same time. Every day since, I love the ring a little more. It's become so much more than my favourite piece of jewellery, it's a reminder of one of the happiest moments of my life, and I still catch myself looking down at it with the biggest smile.

Your jewellery has become part of some of life's biggest milestones. From your engagement to your wedding day. When you wear these pieces now, what memories do they bring back to you? 

Each piece has become so much more than jewellery. My engagement ring immediately takes me back to the moment Pat proposed. My wedding jewellery now holds an entirely different kind of meaning. Every time I wear those pieces, I'm taken back to the morning of our wedding, getting ready with my mum and bridesmaids before walking down the aisle, and all of the joy, nerves and anticipation that came with those moments.

I love that jewellery has the ability to carry memories in such a tangible way. These pieces will continue to be part of anniversaries, celebrations and everyday moments long after the wedding itself.

When you think back to your wedding day at Settlers Rest, what is the moment you'll return to most often in the years to come? If you could bottle one feeling from your wedding day forever, what would it be?

Without question, it would be the overwhelming feeling of love and gratitude. Not just for one another, but for every single person who shared that day with us. And also perhaps the ABBA flashmob performed by my family… 

As we looked around, it struck us that there will likely never be another moment in our lives where every person we love - our families, our oldest friends and the people who have shaped us - are all together in one place, celebrating the same chapter. That's an incredibly rare thing.

For all the planning, the details and the inevitable stresses that come with a wedding, that was what mattered most. The feeling of being completely surrounded by love.

If I could bottle one feeling, it would be exactly that. It was the happiest day of our lives, not because everything was beautiful, but because we spent every moment laughing, dancing and celebrating with the people we hold closest. That's the feeling we will carry forever.

Wedding Photography - Anna Liisa Photography @annaliisaphotography_

Wedding Videographer - Rolling Dawn @rollingdawnfilms

Wedding Content Creation - By That Social Girl @bythatsocialgirl

Wedding Stylist - Maison G Studio @maison_gstudio

Wedding Venue - Settlers Rest @settlers.rest

Wedding Cakes - Kristy Can Bake @kristycanbake 

Makeup - Holly Wright @miss.holly.makeup

Hair - Pretty Parlour @theprettyparlour