On a dating app, hinge, designed to be deleted, needless to say it was.

Well, technically, it began with Abi almost ignoring it.

After matching with Cam, Abi wasn’t entirely convinced and left the message sitting there for a few days before eventually deciding, "Why not?"

One detail on Cam’s profile immediately caught her attention: he was from East London.

Naturally, Abi assumed she was about to meet a motorbike-riding British man with a strong accent.

A reasonable assumption, really.

Except she was wrong.

Very wrong.

Cam was actually from South Africa. As it turns out, there is also an East London there. Who knew?

Their first date was a simple coffee after work before Abi headed off to a games night. For Abi, it was a nice conversation with a nice guy—but she didn’t walk away thinking she had just met her future husband.

Cam, however, left with a very different perspective.

His thought?

"That girl deserves the best... and I’m not that man yet. I need to become that man."

Meanwhile, at games night, Abi’s friend Fredy decided that a full investigation into this coffee date was required. Abi couldn’t understand why everyone was so invested—it was just one date.

All she really knew was that Cam was charismatic, loved his dog, enjoyed hiking, and seemed like a genuinely good person. She just wasn’t sure they had much in common.

Then life got busy.

Abi left her job and didn’t have the emotional space to focus on dating, while Cam continued reaching out and slowly came to the conclusion that he had probably been ghosted.

About a month later, while working in Kaikōura as a line mechanic, Cam decided to send one more message.

Thankfully, the timing was finally right.

Abi was finishing up her notice period, had more space in her life, and decided to give it another chance.

And so began what they now call their “second first date.”

Cam chose Formaggio’s, one of his favourite Italian restaurants. Cam would describe it as a hidden gem. Abi would describe it as a hole in the wall somewhere outside the CBD.

To this day, neither has managed to convince the other.

But this date was different.

Abi was immediately impressed by Cam’s old-fashioned chivalry. He opened doors, ordered for her, chose a bottle of Italian red wine for the table, and paid for dinner.

From there, dinner turned into gelato.

And that’s when one of the great debates of their relationship began.

Cone or cup?

Abi was firmly convinced a cup was the superior choice. Cam, confident in his decision-making abilities, chose the cone.

A few minutes later, his gelato fell straight onto the pavement.

A devastating moment for Cam.

A victory moment for Abi.

She has never forgotten that she was right.

She did, however, share her gelato with him.

They continued walking through the city, talking for hours, until they found themselves at a little rotunda beside the Avon River, surrounded by festoon lights.

Then Cam grabbed Abi’s hand and started dancing.

For someone who is very comfortable behind a camera but not necessarily on a dance floor, Abi was slightly horrified.

But even she had to admit—it was pretty romantic.

They stayed there talking until after midnight, neither wanting the night to end.

And from there, the dates continued.

There were dinners, walks, adventures, and one memorable movie night with friends that somehow turned into the two of them sitting on Abi’s couch talking until the sun came up.

As things started becoming more serious, Cam knew he wanted to make things official.

Abi, however, had high expectations for the man she would choose to date seriously.

So instead of simply saying yes, she invited Cam for coffee and asked the difficult questions. No sugar-coating. No pretending. Just honesty.

Her mindset was simple:

If this was the person God had for her, God would make it work.

And He did.

What happened next became one of the most meaningful parts of their story.

Cam didn’t simply say the right things—he began genuinely pursuing his faith. What started as a surface-level Christianity became a deeper desire to know God, understand truth, study theology, and live with a greater fear of the Lord.

Abi initially wondered if this change was simply because of her, but over time it became clear this was something God was doing in Cam’s own heart.

Not long after, they decided to become exclusive.

The months that followed brought all the things that come with building a real relationship—meeting each other’s families, navigating challenges, sharing countless laughs, and learning what it means to love another person well.

Then came the proposal.

Or more accurately...

The proposal attempts.

The first attempt happened while they were in Nelson for a wedding. Cam had planned to propose at one of Abi’s favourite places, Cape Farewell.

Unfortunately, the wind had other plans.

Plan B became Wharariki Beach, under the disguise of “couple photos.”

But once again, the universe seemed determined to make things difficult. Every beautiful location had people everywhere, making the perfect moment impossible.

Abi, who had already figured out what Cam was trying to do, became convinced she had ruined everything and spent the drive back having a complete panic.

The following weekend came attempt number two.

Cam suggested they leave his dad’s birthday early to “walk around town and get gelato.”

Abi, who happened to be having a particularly uncomfortable day and was not interested in a romantic stroll, did not exactly respond with the enthusiasm Cam had hoped for.

What Abi didn’t know was that her best friend Isaac had secretly set up flower petals at the same rotunda where she and Cam had danced on their second first date, waiting nearby with a camera ready.

But seeing Abi overwhelmed, Cam did what he always does—he listened to her.

And he called it off.

Ironically, this caused Abi to panic even more because she knew exactly what had just happened.

So instead of a proposal, they decided to simply enjoy the evening.

They had a tequila shot, laughed together, wandered through the city, and ended up back at the rotunda where it all began.

The flower petals had been scattered everywhere by the wind.

But somehow, it was still perfect.

Cam took Abi’s hand.

He played the same song from their first dance.

They started dancing.

And just as the wind finally settled...

Cam got down on one knee.

Eight months after that second first date, they were engaged.

Now, here they are.

Their story hasn’t been perfect. It’s had unexpected twists, awkward moments, failed plans, difficult conversations, and plenty of reasons to laugh. But through it all, they’ve learnt that the strongest relationships aren’t built by pretending to be perfect—they’re built by choosing each other every day, communicating honestly, extending grace often, and keeping Christ at the centre of it all.

They’re doing their best to love each other well, continue growing together, and most importantly, love God above everything else.

They can’t wait to celebrate the beginning of this next chapter with all of you.