Cris had just moved down to Cape Town, looking to make friends, when he joined the local boxing gym. There, he noticed Vanessa and eventually mustered the courage to talk to her. He introduced himself, told her he was new in town, and said it would be great to meet up sometime. After hearing nothing, he got lucky when the gym hosted a charity event that everyone was going to attend.
Later that evening, a group of them went out for a drink, where they got to know each other better. A few days later, Vanessa messaged Cris. She was studying for an Italian grammar test. She asked him if he spoke Italian. Cris, never one to lie (he did, of course, he did). He drove off to her place, where Vanessa treated him to a McDonald’s meal. Trying to strike up a conversation, Cris was shut down when Vanessa told him she liked to keep quiet when enjoying her food (a sign of how much of a foodie she is). Luckily, the Italian grammar was simple and similar to Spanish, and Vanessa was quite impressed. Then the load shedding struck, and the two spent the evening chatting by candlelight and getting to know each other.
Later, Cris invited her to spend an evening at the Cape Point Vineyards market, with stunning views, good wine and food. Cris assumed it was a date, but months later found out Vanessa had no idea and thought it was a friendly night out. It took a few more attempts, but he finally managed to win her over, and he officially asked her out in April 2022 to be his girlfriend. Four years later, he finally got down on one knee to ask her to be his wife, and here they are, ready to get married in front of the people who mean the most to them.
