Tristan & Trish say "I Do"

Talk about a surprise wedding !!!

My monthly blogs hit a winter hiatus and instead of trying to play catch-up, I have decided to write a blog about a momentous and magical event that happened on Saturday, 23 August 2025 and then normal monthly blog service will resume with spring next month!

Having been engaged since 15 July 2024, Tristan and Trish had originally planned their wedding for the end of October 2025, the date was then moved to June 2026 and so a winter wedding seemed to be on the cards.

It has been a year of 'big things' for this gorgeous couple - they moved into a beautiful rental property, a lovely house with bedrooms with Trish's daughters (Layla, 13 and Mia, 12) and a cottage which doubles-up as the office for Tristan's landscaping company, If Only Landscaping. Trish celebrated her 40th birthday, had various overseas adventures for her work and, Tristan's, If Only Landscaping, grew exponentially.

A selected group of family and friends, handpicked by Tristan and Trish, were invited to an event on 23 August 2025 at their home.

There was a special WhatsApp group called "Celebrations" and regular posts and countdowns were posted on the group and requests for rsvps so catering numbers could be finalised.

It is apparent, from this experience and others, that to rsvp is no longer considered de rigueur (a sentiment echoed at a birthday lunch Johan and I attended on 24 August, where our lunch companions agreed that it is sadly the norm for people to not rsvp regardless of a deadline date and requests for responses - it is like responses are pending "a better offer", such a sad indication of society today and just rude).

There was a great sense of anticipation and speculation. I had a very strong albeit sneaky suspicion that the event may just be a wedding but not wanting my expectations to be dashed, Johan encouraged me to tamper down any expectation. With anything in life everyone knows it is best to have zero expectations and something which is regularly repeated in the recovery support group we are part of; however, I am human, I am a Mama Bear and I have emotions - and after all, Trish and Tristan were engaged. In a phone call with Tristan a few days before the 23rd August, he made a comment which strengthened my sneaky suspicion but I did not share this with anything. My lips were sealed!!

I had found, with the guidance and advice of my good friend, Angie, a beautiful dress online which seemed perfect for the mysterious event. Johan and I drove to collect the dress and once home it fitted and looked good so my outfit could be ticked off the my invisible list. Having not had a manicure let alone have my nails painted this entire year, I treated myself to a manicure and pedicure and on the Saturday morning the pampering continued with having my hair blow-dried by Roxy and my make-up applied by Lillian, a professional make-up artist who comes to Roxy's hairsalon for requested bookings. Roxy has been a member of our family for more than 15 years - Morgan started his hairdressing career (after completing his apprenticeship) alongside Roxy and she quickly became him and Tristan's big sister and my little sister. Naturally, she had been invited to the mystery celebration event but sadly had to work until 4pm that afternoon so I was under strict orders to let her know as soon as possible what the big announcement at 1.30pm was - was it a new puppy perhaps? Roxy planned to pop in at Tristan and Trish's later that afternoon and she did though sadly we missed her, as I was my Mum's chariot ride home.

My Mum, upon receiving the invitation, had voiced that she was not going to go - her walker and the steps at the house are a step too far for her (pun intended). So some weeks ago, I spoke to Tristan and said that I did not want any 'intel' but if he wanted his Nana at the celebration event, he had to speak to her and, in the interim, arranged with Morgan's beautiful girlfriend, Isabel, to fetch Nana and Saziso and to drive down the driveway of T & T's house to the cottage area where it is more level and access into the garden is easier and not such an obstacle for 93 year old Nana and her walker. Tristan did speak to his Nana telling her that he needed her to be there on the Saturday and she was! By the time Johan and I arrived, Nana was firmly and comfortably installed in some shade and was being cared for by her grandsons, Bonnie (T & T's housekeeper) and Saziso.

Arriving at the house we were greeted by two of Tristan's If Only Landscaping team and ushered through the gate and around the house into the garden. As we walked by I did clock a cake and cake boxes and the benches and haybales, wooden beribboned arch and floral decorations down a demarcated 'aisle' confirmed those sneaky suspicions of mine!

Morgan teased us that the set up was for him and Isabel as they were engaged and getting married, but nobody was buying that! Mike and Josh, from Inverse Media, arrived and setting up for photographs and videos which was further confirmation that a "big event" was going to take place (in case any further confirmation was needed). Mike and Josh are the social media gurus for 7 Sins, Morgan's hair studio, and they could easily operate as secret agents as they had been booked for weeks and had kept this assignment top secret from Morgan and me - I had seen them both at 7 Sins in the weeks prior to the "big event"!

The excitement was tangible as all the guests arrived; Bella, T & T's french bulldog was running around and having a blast with all the activity. Baby Connor was dressed in an adorable black and tuxedo onesie and his cousins, 5 year old twin girls were dressed in matching gorgeous outfits.

Tristan waiting patiently for his beautiful bride

We were urged by Morgan, in his capacity as Emcee, to take our seats. We had front row seats along with Mandy, Trish's Mum, and Carol, Trish's paternal Gran. I thought my heart was going to leap out of my chest, it was pounding so hard and as "I can't help falling in love" started playing and Malorie (bridesmaid), Cheri (Maid of Honour) and Trish walked down the aisle, I was so tearful and fumbling for my tissues. The wedding officiant, Jules, was a very jovial and personable guy who, in my opinion, spoke so beautifully very succinctly.

A rather grainy photo of Morgan in his role as MC - he was brilliant!

Trish and Tristan's adorable french bulldog, Bella, was very much part of their wedding

Trish and Tristan exchanged their own vows, Tristan was so emotional so the tears from Marshmallow-Mama continued (if either of my sons are tearful that is me finished; I was the same with my late Dad - I remember him crying when he told Morgan and Tristan how his Dad had died when he was 5 years old and after 2 days he had to go to his Mom, his Ouma and Auntie, and asked why they did not tell him that his Dad had been killed in an motor vehicle accident. My Dad was so intelligent, he clearly missed nothing - he was 77 years old when he recounted this story, on the day Morgan's and Tristan's Dad had passed away. Tristan was 8 and he was so distraught to see his Grandpa crying that he cried; that set me off too). Beautiful, powerful and emotional vows done, rings were exchanged and I had a brand-new gorgeous (inside and outside) daughter in-law and my 'baby boy' was a married man! Trish's wedding band is my late Dad's wedding band and throughout the wedding and the festivities, I felt the presence of my Dad - call me batty but I felt it. My Dad would have loved Trish - he would have admired her incredible business acumen, her intelligence, her gentle strength and presence, her curious mind and her critical thinking.

Trish's wedding dress was so stunning!

Mr & Mrs T & T Price!!!

The new Mr and Mrs Price went into the cottage to sign the register and the guests assembled in a line to blow bubbles at the newly-wedded couple and to be able to personally congratulate the bride and groom. Tristan and I had a very special and memorable moment together as we hugged each other, both of us overflowing with all sorts of happy emotions - love, happiness, joy, delight, relief and acknowledging how Tristan's life has done such a positive and amazing 360 degrees in the last 5 years and 8 months.

Poses for photographs and group shots were done before everyone returned to the benches and haybales for speeches.

Trish, Tristan and Nana

Me, Tristan, Trish & Mandy

Morgan so excited for his brother that he had to lift him up - no mean feat!

I had been awake at about 3am and bizarrely lay thinking about patchwork quilts, the love and labour that goes into making them and how relationships, friendships and marriages can be a patchwork quilt - Morgan's godmother who was akin to my second Mom, who was a lifelong friend of my Mom and very much an unofficial Gran to Morgan and Tristan, Doreen, made beautiful patchwork quilts, maybe that is why I was thinking of patchwork quilts (Doreen sadly passed away, about 18 months ago, after suffering from alzheimer's for a number of years, she was in her early 90's). Doreen too would have definitely given Trish her official "stamp of approval". Very unprepared and emotional, I made my little speech and tried to be eloquent about my theory of the patchwork quilts - some squares are beautifully stitched and lovely to look at, some may be sewed more roughly and are rather ugly, another may be made of soft satiny material and so on; the smooth, the beautiful, the rough and, at times, not so pretty, aspects of life, friendships, relationships and marriage, never forgetting that every stitch made is made with love and a person can on their own or together snuggled under a patchwork quilt gaining comfort, warmth and contentment from it. I stumbled, I oohed and ummed my way through my emotional thoughts, my crazy thinking and I stuttered through an Italian wedding toast (I had done a bit of homework in a 'just in case' moment). Tristan and Trish's speeches were so polished and beautiful, as were the speeches from Morgan, Mandy, Cheri and Malorie. All I can say is that Tristan's speech really put my make-up to the test but it survived and still looked great - thank goodness. Isabel was a pillar of strength and support for me, for which I am forever grateful. Johan's contribution was to do a magic trick for the married couple; a brilliant trick and they now have a playing card with both their signatures on it as part of their wedding memorabilia.

Their were platters of delicious finger foods to enjoy, everyone had brought their own drinks, the striking cake was cut, the single ladies lined up to catch Trish's bouquet and Tristan removed Trish's garter and it was thrown to the single guys, with much hilarity and mirth. We all were requested to put our fingerprints into a frame and to also write on beautifully designed paper an inspirational quote and/or message, put it into an envelope with the writer's name on the envelope and the anniversary year, the envelope was to be opened which we thought was such an unique and special thing to do. Even Tristan's 93 year old Nana wrote a message for Trish and Tristan.

Saturday, 23 August 2025 was certainly a memorable day, the surprise and intimate garden wedding so very special and if I am still floating on Cloud 9, I wonder where the newly weds are floating! They did go away for a 4 day little honeymoon to a luxury game lodge and not only witnessed spectacular sunrises and sunsets but saw cheetah, elephants (including at least 1 baby elephant - so cute), giraffes, hippos, rhinos, lions and lionesses; maybe even more.

Tristan & Trish on their honeymoon

I wrote a brief message to family and friends the evening of THE wedding of the year and the overall response I got was that people had goosebumps reading my brief account of the surprise wedding. I am so glad that some of the incredible emotion and upswelling of love had that response as I still get goosebumps and am emotional just thinking about the wedding of my youngest son and awesome, Trish. We are, as a family, so truly grateful that Tristan and Trish found each other and may they enjoy infinite years of their unconditional love growing stronger, every-increasing love and support for each other, for Layla, Mia and, of course, Bella Princess Price, and "Possa la vostra vita insieme essere piena di amore, risate, e felicità infinita ("May Tristan and Trish's life together be full of love, laughter, and endless happiness").