So, Jeanette, tell us where you are from?

I was born in Manila and grew up in LA.

Wow! LA in the 80s? Cool.

I was nine when we moved, and it was awesome!   Hollywood.  Vegas.  Disneyland!

What were you like as a teen?

Actually, I was quite nerdy in high school.  Glasses, braces…and I had an ’80s perm!

Oooh. Any.. pics?

Thanks, very brave of you to share…

I know.

What else?

Well, I loved to read. And writing was my thing.  I was terrible at sports.  That didn’t stop me from trying out for the volleyball team in high school. But through the natural order of things, I ended up on the Academic Decathlon team instead.  Check out the cool uniform…

So, no sport?  Like, ever?

Well, I did have my  moment when I rowed while studying abroad at Cambridge during college. Rowing is a sport that requires strength, coordination and stamina. Foolishly, the Jesus College boat club let me in. I wasn’t exactly the team’s favourite. But it was glorious to race in the May Bumps (even when my seat fell off halfway through the race).

That sounds…fun?  

It was…memorable.  I also backpacked across Europe for a month!

After that, I got the travel bug and went to law school in NYC.

NYC! Party!!

If only…regrettably I spent a lot of time in the library…!

So was it all work after that then?

Thank goodness no.  I discovered partying (finally!) when I started working in a law firm. I was living in LA and working with some very cool people. They accepted me even though I drove around in a beige minivan (the others drove Porsches…it’s LA what can I say). Good times…

So you were living in LA…how did you end up in London?

As fun as LA was, I really wanted to go back to England. I jumped on the chance to move to London with work for a 2-year stint, which turned into 20 years and counting. It’s been an amazing ride.  With some amazing friends.

And where are you at now?

I retired from law firm life about a year and a half ago and have not looked back. I have no immediate plans other than to try to work on my abs and cooking skills (the first two things to go when you work in a law firm), and maybe pick up some Japanese. And of course, I want to travel and catch up with as many friends as possible. I am so excited for you to join us on our special day and cannot wait to spend time with you all!

Everyone loves a wedding. I am sure it’ll be an unforgettable day.

So Jeanette, how did you first meet Matt, and when?

It was the summer of 1995 in England. I was on holiday with my sister Myra. I was introduced to Matt by Tim, who I was going out with at the time since meeting at Cambridge the year before. Tim is now our best friend, and best man (yes, the universe has a sense of humour…it just takes its time to deliver the punch line).

And.. first impressions?

Mmm…what to say about my first impression…  He had thick blond hair and looked quite cool.  Athletic.  He wore a white buttoned-down shirt and a shark’s tooth necklace (obviously he did not care about his appearance, unlike me in my stylish hoodie and peek-a-boo sandals…).

And…?

Despite the shark’s tooth necklace, he turned out to be very nice, funny and charming.

And how did you spend the day?

We met Matt at his parents’ house in Harpenden and the four of us drove off to Warwick Castle and Stratford-upon-Avon, birthplace of Shakespeare. Right away, Matt broke the ice by seeing if the Americans would fall for the ‘’You know, if you look at the horizon you can see Scotland” bit. Between the non-stop banter and the novelty of visiting a castle in England, it was easily one of the best days ever.

So the beginning was a friendship not a romance!?

Of course! Start of a lifelong friendship.

How did you and Matt stay in touch?

At the time, Matt was about to get his master’s degree and wanted to work in Africa.  I was on my summer break before starting law school in New York. The chances of meeting up again were slim. But Tim and I remained friends after our split, and I saw Matt again on a group trip in 1999 to San Francisco. By then I was living in LA, and he was working in Japan (the universe was still slowly working its magic).

We had a common group of friends and Matt and I would periodically see each other over the years, especially after I moved to England. 

Then one day – just like that – after decades of just being friends, it was as if a switch flipped.

And….!!??

Mmm…first an unexpected spark, then a deep connection, and then love built on decades of friendship.  It was thrilling…and so obvious, now in hindsight, but it took a long time to see. We share so much in common – our sense of humour, our love of travel and the simple life and, not least of all, our good friends whom we’ve both known for decades. Almost 30 years since we first met, we are excited to be getting married and we are so happy to celebrate our special day with you.

A lot to look forward to..

It depends, I haven’t read his answers to this section yet.