Long distance relationship blossoms into life-long committment

The pair would often cross paths with mixed friendship groups at the local pubs and rodeo.

Teish said she held a New Year's eve party in her parents backyard where a group of her friends were invited.

"Matt was a part of that group," she said.

"But then later that week he asked me out for dinner that Friday night and he cooked me dinner.

"Then we kept doing that every Friday night for a few weeks until I moved up to Roxby."

Her family worked on chicken farms for her whole life so she had grown up on farms.

Teish said she had just graduated her Bachelor of Nursing degree and had won a post grad position at Roxby Downs.

"We just started going out and then we decided that we would try to make it work and I moved away," she said.

"I lived up there for a year and then that's when COVID happened so we had to try a long distance relationship.

"We didn't know whether or not we could see each other - just like all the stuff that people went through - we went through just like everyone else."

She said she then started working as a nurse at Clare before moving in with Matt.

"We've been together since January 2020," she said.

"I hadn't been out with anyone else and he asked and that was it - I knew he was the one."

Teish said Christmas of 2022 Matt got her a present of a weekend away at Point Turton which they took in August.

"The weekend before the trip, dad asked me if Matt was ever going to propose so I thought the weekend was just a holiday," she said.

"It was a big surprise for me - Matt is good at surprises but I try to work everything out beforehand so he did a good job with that.

"Matt went to work on the Friday and then I met him in Clare after work - and we had the ute already packed."

She said her family always went to Port Rickaby at the same time every year.

"Matt said "Why don't we stop at Port Rickaby on the way?" and I thought he was crazy because we were already going to get into Point Turton late enough and potentially wouldn't be able to check into the cabin," she said.

"We got to Port Rickaby and I was just excited we were there - as I went to get out the car he asked me to stay in the car and I looked at him and thought that's a bit weird - we're not that kind of couple.

"We were in the cruiser with the old locks and I had some stuff on my lap and must have lent on the lock so he couldn't open it - so I was laughing at him.

"Then I unlocked the door and moved some more stuff away from my feet and as I turned to get out Matt was getting down on his knee."

Teish said the proposal happened overlooking the jetty and the beach of Port Rickaby but still in the cruiser.

"Matt would be the fifth generation on the farm where his parents live but he is one of 10," she said.

"So we had the reception at Ryelands Farmstay, Tarlee, and it was 10 minutes from the church.

"Its a working shearing shed - it was nice and relaxed and it was the atmosphere that we really loved."

She said the church they were married in was Bethel Lutheran church which had family ties back to her ancestors.

She said they had many personal touches throughout the wedding with one of her close girlfriends who had just become a florist and did their bouquets.

"Another girlfriend I worked with from Clare made our cake," she said.

"Instead of doing a signing board, one of my bridesmaid's husbands helped me make a large H and her sister burnt our names into it and made the cake board - so all our personal touches were done by people we knew and so that was special."

Teish said she wasn't really into dress shopping but when she tried on her dress with her sister and grandma she felt like she was getting married and that dress became the one.

"I rhinestoned my boots and they were so shiny," she said.

"I got these stickers for the bottom of the shoes which said "I do" and "me too"."