THE STORY OF US
THE HOUSE RULES COUPLE ON THEIR LOVE JOURNEY
It may have been many years in the making – almost 12 to be precise – but the wedding of House Rules favourites Lisa and Andy was undoubtedly well worth the wait.
For the affable Adelaide couple, who tied the knot on May 26 last year, the biggest day of their lives was simply picture-perfect. And married life, it seems, has been a happy whirlwind of love, laughter and, of course, renovation challenges ever since!
“We’re coming up to 13 years together in August,” says Lisa, adding with a laugh, “so it’s been a very long innings!”
“We met,” says Andy, “after Lisa added me on Myspace, back when it was the thing, and I thought she was pretty and accepted her friend request. We met up at a local bar in Glenelg, and I guess the rest is history.”
What are firefighter Andy and former flight attendant Lisa’s recollections of that initial meeting?
“I’ll never forget it,” says Lisa, 30. “I was 19 at the time and the first thing Andy said to me was ‘Hello, poppet!’ – which was really cute. We hit it off from day one.”
Adds Andy, 32: “Back then, I was getting ready to go into the military, so I was doing a lot of lead-up training. I remember thinking when I met Lisa, ‘I can’t believe I’m chatting to such an amazing and good-looking girl!’ – and it turns out she had an amazing personality to match.”
For the couple’s first date, they headed to the cinema – to see The Simpsons Movie.
“How romantic!” Lisa exclaims with a laugh, to which Andy adds: “Lisa’s always been good in that she caters to my ‘kids’ taste’ in movies.”
Says Lisa: “But it’s always been very easy between us. We just thought it was meant to be.”
Andy then popped the question to his long-time
love while they were holidaying in Mexico.
“I had the ring in waiting for a few years and had to dust it down a little bit and make it shiny again,” chuckles Andy. “I was ready to get married about six years into our relationship, but Lisa wasn’t quite.”
Says Lisa: “I had this weird misconception that you really had to ‘grow up’ to get married, but it turns out, you don’t – you can still be playful and fun, and your relationship can still be youthful. And I also thought, ‘if it’s not broke, why fix it?’ But I always knew that we were going to be together forever.”
The couple’s wedding in South Australia’s scenic Waterfall Gully was a relatively intimate affair celebrated by 60 close family and friends.
“It was really amazing – a little wedding, which was just how we wanted it,” says Lisa. “It was the best day. Nothing went wrong.”
Says Andy: “It was actually raining right up until our wedding and then miraculously, as cheesy as it sounds, the clouds parted and it was sunny and beautiful. Lisa looked absolutely amazing in her wedding dress and was laughing with happiness as she walked down the aisle.
“You couldn’t wipe the smile off her face.”
Since their nuptials, the couple have spent “more time on House Rules than they’ve been married”, notes Andy. But they wouldn’t have had it any other way.
“We’ve had the best time on the show and made some amazing friends,” says Lisa.
As for the future, Andy laughingly reveals he’s “barking up the kids tree now – it’s pretty much like marriage all over again!” To which Lisa replies with a huge smile: “Maybe in four years or so, but definitely some time in the future. We’re really looking forward to what comes next.”