Maddy's mum grew up across the road from Ash's grandparents and they were family friends. Both were involved in the dance and drama scene at Bathurst High and Kelso High at similar times. And the pair studied psychology at Charles Sturt University one year apart from each other.

But they met on the dancefloor at the Oxford Hotel in Bathurst on September 21, 2018. Mutual friends spotted each other across the dance floor and Maddy and Ash found themselves dancing near each other. Maddy spotted Ash straight away.

"This tall dark, handsome man walked across the dancefloor and smiled shyly at us when he introduced himself," Maddy said.

Suddenly the song "September" by Earth, Wind and Fire came on, an odd coincidence given the date.

Maddy and her friend left The Ox not long after, but she couldn't not get Ash out of her head, so she found him on social media and the pair began chatting and realised all the times in their lives they could have met.

"It was like we were a revolving door, constantly coming close to meeting but something in the universe kept stopping us until it was the right time," Maddy said.

Fast forward three years, Ash and Maddy moved from Bathurst to Orange after completing university. They fell in love with the Orange Botanic Gardens as soon as they moved.

On January 1, Ash took Maddy to the Botanic Gardens to propose to her. the sky was clear and blue and the air smelt like jasmine and eucalyptus. Maddy said the pair could see rainbow lorikeets dancing over their heads and kookaburras laughing in the distance.

Ash took Maddy to a private place and asked her to marry him. She answered, "of course."

On September 21, 2023, the pair wed at the Orange Botanic Gardens on the Elm Tree Lawn in an intimate ceremony in front of family and friends. It was exactly five years since they'd met. The day was expertly captured by Brenton Cox Photography.

They were delighted Ash's grandmother Julie Gallagher was able to attend.

The pair wrote their own vows and relished sharing them for the first time in front of the people they love the most. The highlight of the reception was dancing to musician Lueth Ajak who played "September" by Earth, Wind and Fire as their first dance.

Other notable vendors were Jim Sheehan as celebrant, Bespoke Country Weddings for decor and flowers, catering by Delish, cake by Cakes by Drew and hair and make-up by Haley Jean Makeup Artist.