Our Story

How did a global pandemic turn these individuals…

Into this!

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We met in Washington, DC playing Australian Rules Football for the DC Eagles Football Club.

Hailing from a rugby-loving family in Sydney & Brisbane, Brooke had no idea what was going on at training with this new AFL thing. During one of the drills, she asked Bevan if he knew what to do. His sage advice? "I never pay attention—the key is to stand at the back of the cones and let someone else mess it up first."

That was all it took for Brooke to develop a crush—and yes, she was the one who made the first move!

We quietly dated for a few months, all while remaining just as inattentive at training. When October rolled around, Bevan expected the USAFL Nationals tournament to be a low-key event. That was until Brooke’s parents, Jenny and Phil, went all out rallying half of San Diego to the sidelines to cheer on their daughter.

What could possibly go wrong?

Fast foward to Bevan’s head getting split open in the final, Jenny and Phil taking him to hospital to recieve the 60 stitches he required, and them missing Brooke in her finest moment kicking the winning goal....After all this, the cat was offically out of the bag.

Over the next three years, we realized how effortlessly we fit together, connecting over our shared love of travel, long road trips, hiking in national parks, all things sports, and, of course, a great happy hour.

Some of our most unforgettable road trips include driving across the U.S. from San Diego to D.C., a 10-day journey from Seattle to Crater Lake, then on to the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone, and an adventure from D.C. to Montreal, across to Toronto, and back again.

We've also been fortunate to travel abroad together, with Brooke taking on the role of official tour guide, drawing from her Busabout days. In addition to a couple of trips back home to visit family in Australia, Brooke planned Bevan’s first-ever European adventure—a Christmas and New Year trip in 2023 through France, Switzerland, Austria, and Germany. Naturally, since Brooke was in charge of the itinerary, the route was carefully curated around festive Christmas markets and plenty of mulled wine.

We made our way back to Europe in 2024 over Easter, this time to Spain, for a five-day trip dedicated to indulging in every meat dish imaginable in Madrid and Barcelona. This time Bevan did the organizing so the trip was perfectly timed to catch both cities’ soccer teams in action on back-to-back nights!

He now claims to be fluent in Spanish, depite frequently announcing at home Excusez, Parlez-vous anglais? and Danke! (thats French and German you muppet- from Brooke, Erin & Callum who as your friends, need you to stop this!)

In October 2024, Bevan planned a surprise trip to Banff, Canada, to pop the question. With our shared love of outdoor activites and national parks, he had carefully mapped out some stunning hikes. However, out of nowhere and for no reason, Brooke suddenly developed an intense fear of bears, and Bevan had to make some on the fly decisions. Luckily he found a beautiful spot and Brooke said yes!

We fully understand that we live so far from so many of our friends and family, and this is why it would truly mean the world to us to celebrate our special day with the people we love the most. We’re beyond excited to marry each other in October and continue our journey together.

For those who can’t be with us, we hope this page has given you a glimpse into our journey—how we got here, the adventures we’ve been on together, and more importantly those that await in the future, whether on the sporting field, in the great outdoors, or over a happy hour!