“I had been single for quite a long time,” says Angelique, about her decision to join Christian Connection. “It was definitely outside of my comfort zone… I like to meet people in person but I was at a point where I was like, ‘Look, I’ve sort of tried everything’. The insistence and encouragement of my best friend made me join.”

Jamie had similar feelings. “I’d been single for a long time as well,” he says, “friends were encouraging me to give it a crack.”

They both found joining simple. “It was pretty straightforward,” remembers Angie. “Very easy to see how to join how much it was going to cost, when you could cancel it. You need transparency, because it’s an investment.” Jamie found it was “a very easy process. It doesn’t take long at all.”

Once signed up, they completed their profiles. Angelique says, “The most important thing was making sure that the message came across that I was looking for a genuine, authentic, long-lasting relationship. Being completely honest and upfront from the get go.” She thought that would “either put off people or it will be like, ‘Yeah, this is exactly what I want’. And that’s what happened with us. On our first conversation, I pretty much said to him, ‘Look, I’m here to get married’.”

Jamie appreciated her directness and shared her goals. What was important to him was “transparency and honesty,” he says, “no mucking around. I was looking for that long term, serious relationship. We both wanted to settle down. We talked about starting a family, [and] above all else, someone that loved the Lord.”

When he first spotted Angelique’s profile what stood out were “her beauty, her beautiful eyes. Gorgeous smile,” remembers Jamie, and more shared qualities: “We are from the same background as well. We already had heaps in common.” Angelique agrees: “Reading through and seeing how similar our backgrounds were, and what he’s been through in his life and how God’s changed his life, I was like, ‘Oh, I want to know more…’ Our first phone call, it was very obvious to me that he was just a completely genuine, authentic person. That made me feel instantly comfortable.”

She confesses, though, that distance almost prevented their connection! “I actually wasn’t even going to give him a look. I was living in Melbourne and Jamie was in Adelaide. So it was at a point in my life where I was like, ‘Oh, I could do a long distance thing…’ Something about him made me want to put myself out there.”

After they first connected on CC – Jamie sent the first ‘like’ – they started messaging and then chatting, finding ways to build their connection despite the distance.
“Jamie had already asked me to be his girlfriend before we met actually met in person,” says Angelique, “And then we met in person probably four weeks after that. From then, it was long distance and the back and forth, which is not for the faint hearted, but it’s worth it. Definitely.”

On their first date in person, Angelique visited Adelaide, where Jamie arranged to visit a little village called Hahndorf. “It was beautiful,” remembers Angelique. “It was the perfect first date. I think that we realised we were falling in love with each other that day.”

As they got to know each other, they had several comical moments. “He locked his keys in the boot of his car with my luggage,” remembers Angelique, “We were supposed to be going to the airport. So I had to go home without my luggage because we couldn’t get it open in time.”

“We went on a tram ride. There was a door where I got my foot stuck and almost fell through the window,” recalls Jamie. “That was the second or third date. Praise Jesus she’s still with me.”

Their connection continued to deepen. “I knew very early on that he was the right one for me,” says Angelique. “I thought if he feels the same way, then I’m sold.” Jamie was already convinced. “Angelique has a presence about her like no one else that I’ve ever met,” he says. “I’m usually very, very reserved to begin with, but Angelique ignited something in me that was very, very special and very real.”

Angelique adds, “I never thought that there would be someone out there that had all the qualities that I was looking for, and things that I didn’t even know that I wanted. Our love languages are the same. We just were so similar yet different, but our differences complement each other’s differences.”

As their connection grew, Jamie made a plan. Angelique remembers, “Jamie had been sending me messages asking me what type of rings I liked. He was coming down to Melbourne for New Year’s Eve and we had booked a beautiful New year’s eve party at a restaurant that was on the water. You could see the city skyline. He had messaged me and said, I’ve transferred you some money, I want you to go and get your nails done… And I started to get suspicious instantly. And a little bit nervous…. I rang him, and he was still in the car. And I said, where are you?… He said, I’m on my way to the airport.”

“Misread my boarding time…” recalls Jamie. Angelique continues: “So he actually was not at the airport, and the flight was boarding and so I knew he was going to miss the plane. He was saying to me on the phone, ‘I know it’s all good. We’ll get there in time’. And I’m like, Okay, no worries. As soon as I hung up, I went straight onto the airline website and booked another ticket, because I knew he was gonna miss it.”

“I was through like a hurricane running through Adelaide Airport,” says Jamie.

“And he missed the flight,” says Angelique, “and then he rang me and he was so upset and he’s like, ‘I’ve just missed my flight’ and I’m like, ‘yeah, I know. So you just need to go down to gate like whatever gate it was that I booked you the next one for you.”

When Jamie finally arrived – just in time – he put his plan into action: “Right before midnight he proposed, down on one knee, and then we watched the beautiful nice fireworks. The best view ever. It was magical… really, really beautiful.”

“The proposal was a massive, memorable moment,” she says. “I just remember thinking, I can’t believe this is happening… I got to a point where, you sort of have hope but I was 38 and I’d never been in a serious relationship before… Is that gonna happen?”

Soon after came the wedding!

“We wanted people to feel like they were part of our family and just enjoying the celebration,” says Angelique. “Jamie’s Godfather plays the piano accordion so he entertained our guests during the canapes. And that just felt like everyone said they felt like they were in Tuscany or something being serenaded. So it was really fun.”

Life since the wedding has settled into a happy place. “It’s so beautiful to be able to come home and have someone to come home to,” says Jamie, “and share a beautiful meal together.”

To single Christians who want to meet a life partner, he says, “Be open, be honest, be brave, get yourself out there. And just step out in faith.”

Angelique adds, “Really consider what is a non-negotiable. You may have a preference, but it’s not really a deal breaker, because a lot of people confuse their preferences with non-negotiables. That can really stop you from meeting someone who could potentially be an amazing life partner. My biggest advice would be don’t be afraid to think outside the box.”

WATCH more #MetOnCC couples’ short stories here and in-depth interviews here

Enjoyed James and Victoria’s story? Read more #MetOnCC stories from Christian Connection couples here

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