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Who knew that a themed xmas work party titled “A Spark in the Dark” would take on a whole new level of electricity. Jelena and James have lit up each other's lives since they met back in 2012 and it's all thanks to that little xmas sparkle.

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How did your love story begin?

Our love story began at a work Christmas party in Dec 2012. Jelena’s manager introduced us as we busted moves on the dance floor. Even though we both worked for the same company, in the same building, we worked on separate floors and would not have crossed paths if it wasn't for the Christmas party. The theme of the Christmas party was “Spark in the Dark,” James wore lime green golf pants and a yellow fluro t-shirt. To this day, James thinks I was attracted to his lime green pants; however, I noticed him well before I noticed the unattractive outfit later on in the evening!

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Through the years what have you grown to love about one another?

Jelena says of this time: “I was initially attracted to James’ fun personality. As I got to know him, I was attracted to his kind-hearted and caring nature.” James remembers his first encounter with Jelena like this: “I thought Jelena looked absolutely stunning in the black sequin dress that she was wearing that night and when she laughed, her whole face lit up, it still does. As we began talking that night, I quickly realised that Jelena was not just stunning, but was also very intelligent, funny and a genuinely nice person, nothing has changed in 8 years.”

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How did the proposal happen?

James asked me to be his wife while we were away in December of 2019. We had a weekend away booked at the Mornington Peninsula at The Jackalope Hotel. We spent the day chilling by the pool, and when they got back to our hotel room, James proposed in the room overlooking the sunset and vineyards. We celebrated with a beautiful dinner and drinks at the hotel.

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