- It was love at first sight for Jacqui when she first met Bob in 1972
- They wed after a whirlwind romance, then sadly divorced 20 years later
- Incredibly, at Bob’s 70th birthday party they were smitten again
Here, Jacqui, 69, tells their story in her own words…
Walking down the aisle in my orange wedding gown, I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.
It was October 2024, and I was marrying my soulmate, Bob, then 75 – again!
We’d met 52 years earlier in 1972, when my sister Wendy, then 21, married Bob’s brother Derek, 26.
Seven years older at 23, Bob was a uni student and took no notice of 16-year-old me.
But for me, it was love at first sight.
It wasn’t until August 1982 when I was 26 that our paths crossed again, when my mum, Jean, then 59, and I were in Sydney.
While in town, Wendy suggested we visit Bob, who was working there as a lawyer. He still held a special place in my heart.
The next day, Bob picked up Mum and me from our hotel, and treated us to a fancy dinner. He and I got on so well, we grabbed a drink together after dropping Mum back to the hotel.
Chatting the night away at the bar, sparks flew between us, and I quickly fell for Bob’s sense of fun, kindness and humour.
When he dropped me back at the hotel, Bob and I shared our first kiss.
After a whirlwind romance in Sydney, I went back home to Wellington, New Zealand, where I worked for British Airways.
We wrote to one another constantly, and I spent Christmas with Bob and his family in Picton, NZ, including Wendy.
‘I love you,’ Bob admitted one day.
‘I love you too,’ I beamed.
Three weeks later, in January, I flew to Sydney where Bob proposed in his kitchen.
Then in March, Bob relocated back to Wellington, NZ, ahead of our big day that August.
My sister Jill’s daughter Lisa and Wendy’s daughter Becky were our gorgeous flower girls dressed in matching baby pink dresses. It was the happiest day of my life.
(Supplied)
(Eva Bradley)
We honeymooned in Hawaii, and went on to welcome our girls, Sarah in 1985 and Anna in 1987.
Life was busy, but every year we’d tour around in a campervan making happy family memories.
But by August 2003, the challenges of life had taken its toll on our relationship.
Heartbreakingly, after 20 years of marriage, Bob and I parted ways. It wasn’t nasty – we’d just simply grown apart.
In 2006 Bob moved to remote Queensland, while I stayed in NZ.
In time Bob and I had other relationships, but they never went the distance. Deep down I never stopped loving Bob.
While I never told him how I felt, we kept in touch sporadically and saw each other at family events with the girls.
After 20 years of marriage Bob and I parted ways. It wasn’t nasty, we’d simply grown apart
Then in mid 2017, I received a message from Bob asking about the kids. It led to weeks of constant flirty conversation.
Over the next two years Bob and I chatted every night, catching up on lost time. We were clearly falling in love all over again – but neither of us were brave enough to admit it to ourselves.
I also went to celebrate Bob’s 70th birthday in Nelson in 2019. We shared meaningful long glances, and for a moment it felt like nothing had changed, despite all our years apart.
We were smitten, but we didn’t let on to the girls as we didn’t want to get their hopes up. It was like we were living a double life.
Spending the Christmas holidays with our daughters in Queensland that year, things between Bob and me felt so natural and easy, like we were a family again. And he felt it too.
‘Is it okay to tell them we’re reconciling?’ Bob asked out of the blue in February 2020.
‘I’d love that,’ I replied.
It was time to reveal our secret love.
‘I knew it!’ Sarah, then 35, beamed when we told the girls. Anna, 33, was just as thrilled.
In June, Bob retired, left Oz and moved to my home in Hastings. He swept me off my feet with romantic gestures and homemade meals.
Then in February 2024, Bob and I were in the backyard gazebo, a glass of rosé in hand, when he turned to me.
‘Would it be crazy if we did it all again?’ he said, suggesting we got married.
I loved the idea, and by dinner we’d mapped out a small low-key celebration.
But as news spread among our loved ones, our guest list grew.
In October last year, I couldn’t believe I was marrying my ex, 41 years after the first time. Using our original engagement and wedding rings, we sealed the deal with an eternity ring.
I couldn’t believe I was marrying my ex…41 years after the first time!
‘This time around, it will definitely be till death do us part,’ I said cheekily.
In a nod to our first wedding, our flower girls, now in their 40s, skipped down the aisle a second time wearing their original dresses that’d been remade into tops.
Nearly a year on, we couldn’t be happier. Every day I come home from my job as a travel agent, Bob has dinner and a gin and tonic waiting for me.
I’m the luckiest woman in the world to have married my soulmate not once, but twice.
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