LORIS + JOSEPH: A TIMELESS MARRIAGE
I was 29 and Joe was 34. He had seven years in the War and was trying to put a new life together, and I had broken my engagement to my long-time sweetheart. It was 1954 and we had both been single for a long time.
Joseph and I were introduced through a mutual married friend and set up on a blind date. We were both separately invited to her country club for a weekend of golf and Joe was told not to bring anyone with him.
I was furious with my girlfriend when she told me I couldn’t have an early night with a book. She had told a friend that Joseph shouldn’t bring a date, and he was at the dance waiting to meet me! I reluctantly went.
After being introduced at the club, we danced for a bit, but he was mostly busy organising the band and we didn’t speak much. He announced that he would be playing golf in the morning and as I was too, we could hit off early. So we said good evening to one another and that was the end of the night.
The following day Joe and I talked during our round of golf, and I found him to be such a charming man. He offered to drive me home after the weekend, instead of me going with my married girlfriend. Apparently, I made a big impression on him—he told his mother on the Monday that he had met the woman he was going to marry!
After that weekend, Joe visited my house for three nights. He would meet me after work and walk me home and we’d have long chats at my parents’ place. I liked what I saw—I liked his demeanour and he was impeccably dressed and good looking. It was love at first sight! In those three days we discovered just how compatible we were.
On the Wednesday night, we went for a drive to a romantic spot where Joe declared his love for me and asked me to marry him. Three months later, we were married! He was so right—calm and caring. I never questioned it.
I floated into marriage in a bubble of romance!
We had a small family wedding with a little reception at my mother’s home with the immediate family. My beloved father passed away from cancer during our engagement, and we felt it was more appropriate to have a quiet reception. It was all we could cope with. We drove to the Australia Hotel after the reception which was a major hotel at the time, and that’s where we spent our wedding night as husband and wife. We drove to Surfers Paradise the next day for our honeymoon. It was just like a dream! We were so in love and the three months had been a whirlwind romance.
Our marriage has gone through some very beautiful highs, but equally some very low lows. And we found that through these times we needed to be a tower of strength for one another when the other wasn’t so strong. Coming through the other side each time strengthened our bond with one another. We have such a deep emotional commitment to each other.
