Hitched & hatched
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PRISCILLA ATKINS, 49 GED ATKINS, 47
PRISCILLA Atkins was terrified when Ged got down on one knee and proposed. The pair had gone to Katherine and taken a chopper ride over the gorge. “We were in the helicopter, and then the pilot said there was a fault that he couldn’t fix, and we had to land on top of one of the Crystal Falls,” Priscilla said. “We sat at the top of the falls and I wasn’t sure I was getting back on the chopper. “Then it turned out the whole thing had been organised by Ged and he proposed.” They were a couple who were unlikely to ever meet — until they did. In October 2013, Priscilla was in the market for a new home, while Ged was looking sell his. “I actually bought the house that he sold when he divorced his wife,” she said. Having a problem with the pool filter, the cleaner suggested she get in touch with the previous owner, as the filter was still under warranty if she could find it. The rest of the story was history. Last month, the couple had a beach wedding while on a cruise around the Solomon Islands. “We wanted to get married on the Solomon Islands but didn’t know what to do, so we just contacted the tourist bureau and rocked up on the day to discover what they’d organised for us,” Priscilla said. “The cruise we were on stopped at Ghizo Island and the wedding planner picked us all up. “They put us in a canoe with about 20 of their warriors and rode us into the islands singing their traditional songs. “Then, when we arrived, they carried the boat onto the island and we were married by one of the local pastors.” The couple, who have 10 children between them, only wanted a small, no-fuss wedding, and ended up getting married with only family in attendance. “We didn’t want any stress, just a really cruisy wedding,” Priscilla said. “They even organised a cake and buffet for us, enough to feed 100 people even though there were only eight of us. “Then, afterwards, we all spent the day on the island swimming and all the kids went snorkling and we hopped back on the cruise later in the afternoon.”
ESSENTIALS
MET Blind date THEME Beach wedding CEREMONY AND RECEPTION Solomon Islands