Find A Perfect Partner: Vital Partners –Introduction Agency
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finding l ♥ve ❘ a special advertising report THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, FEBRUARY 6, 2011 Farmer meets city soul mate Distance no barrier: Maree Hamilton and Peter Stone P ETER Stone had met most eligible bachelorettes in his small town and had given up on finding love – until he met a city woman looking for a country guy. ‘‘I’d had a couple of relationships,’’ says Peter, 57, from Wingham, 12km northwest of Taree. ‘‘I’ve met ladies at the pub — it’s good entertainment and fun, but I felt I needed to look further afield. I’m a hard man to please.’’ Spotting a potential match, introduction agency Vital Partners played cupid. ‘‘Distance wasn’t an issue for me,’’ says Peter, who signed up with the agency in February, 2007. ‘‘I knew there was no point saying I want someone from my area. I wanted more options,’’ . Maree Hamilton, 48, also contacted Vital Partners around the same time and wasn’t deterred by their 350km distance either. ‘‘A lot of people ask why I don’t go out with someone locally,’’ says Maree, from Parramatta. ‘‘I had the opportunity, but I’m not interested. I like the lifestyle and Peter’s attitude to life.’’ Now Maree is preparing to give up her city life to move in with Peter in April. It’s a big move for both of them, as Peter has lived alone since separating from his wife of 23 years more than a decade ago. ‘‘Some ladies wouldn’t be happy moving from the city,’’ he says. ‘‘Maree’s much better than I thought she’d be at coping with farm life. She’s got good common sense. There are tough situations when dealing with cattle – sometimes there’s blood and manure,’’ jokes Peter, a cattle farmer. Choking back tears, he adds: ‘‘She’s my best friend, which is unreal. I’d forgotten what being in love properly was. Only in the last six months I have resisted. I always thought I could live on my own. I coped OK, but there was always that little part missing. It’s great Maree has stuck by me.’’ Peter was the first person Maree met through the agency. Before contacting Vital Partners, she was single for around two years, but ‘‘focused on doing things around home’’ and buying her own property. ‘‘When I got his photo I knew I liked him, I got a feeling,’’ says Maree. ‘‘I wanted to find someone who was honest, good and fun to be with, had a good sense of humour and treated me nicely. ‘‘Peter has a delightful sense of humour, he’s not really serious about life and takes things as they come – as farmers do,’’ she adds. Dates for the long-distance couple have included trips to the horse races, taking in the Sydney sights, drives to the Blue Mountains, time on Peter’s farms and getting to know his two grown-up sons. Both share a love of the great outdoors. ‘‘She likes the open spaces, which I do too,’’ says Peter. Maree agrees: ‘‘I like driving and it’s been an opportunity to go away for the weekend.’’ Big risk - and now one happy family Clicked instantly: Melanie and Rod and baby Shaylee. Below, on their wedding day F OUR years after they met through an introduction agency, Melanie and Rod Cage were married with a daughter; now they are expecting their second child. ‘‘Every day, I am thankful. I can’t believe how lucky I was,’’ says Melanie, 33. ‘‘I went into it hoping to meet somebody I’d be able to spend the rest of my life with, hoping that there was someone for me, but I wasn’t going to settle for anyone. I can look after myself,’’ she adds. ‘‘Now I look at Rod and can’t believe either of us did it. Neither of us is that sort of person. Taking risks like that is a big thing,’’ she says of her bold move to contact Vital Partners after moving to Sydney from Wagga Wagga in 2005. ‘‘I didn’t have any friends in Sydney to go to clubs with and didn’t really want to meet people there. I’m not sure about internet dating and that sort of thing either.’’ After meeting six or seven suitors through the dating agency, Melanie, a police officer, was introduced to Rod, 42, and both quickly decided they didn’t want to see other people. A few months later, they moved in together. ‘‘I really liked him,’’ says Melanie. ‘‘We could have a real conversation and seemed to have similar interests and likes.’’ The following year, on their first romantic holiday, Melanie was secretly hoping Rod would pop the question: ‘‘I was expecting him to propose in the Hunter Valley, but it didn’t happen.’ Melanie didn’t have to wait long, though, as a few days later Rod asked her in Melbourne. ‘‘We were having dinner at a nice restaurant on Collins Street,’’ she says. ‘‘He waited for the restaurant to be empty, I went to the bathroom and came back to find he had the ring on his pinkie finger.’’ Reflecting on the proposal, Rod jokes: ‘‘I was waiting for the place to clear out a little in case I had to do it in front of 20,000 people. ‘‘It was a huge moment. I actually had the ring for quite a few months before that,’’ he adds. In April, 2008, the couple were married in an intimate ceremony with 55 of their closest friends and family. The couple now live in the Blue Mountains and have a daughter, Shaylee, who is almost two, and are looking forward to their next addition. ‘‘It’s been fantastic; she’sa great little kid,’’ says Rod. ‘‘She’s tall. I think she’ll take after her mother’s brothers. I can see both of us in her, she has my wife’s eyes – steely blue. Sometimes I look at her and see the darker features which belong to me.’’ As their family grows, Melanie says the romance in their relationship does too: ‘‘He’s romantic, but does it in his own way – it’s not just the special occasions, but every day.’’ Perfect partners Romance is in the air - you just have to know where to look for it. ORYANA ANGEL meets two couples who discovered it . . . with a little help.
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Unlike other dating sites Vital Partners use different approach for introducing people. There are no blind dates or wild goose chases; with permission, comprehensive information is exchanged which can include a photo, a physical description and a list of interests and values. To know more visit: http://vitalpartners.com.au/ or Call: (02) 9017 8444.
Transcript of Find A Perfect Partner: Vital Partners –Introduction Agency
finding l♥ve ❘ a special advertising report THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, FEBRUARY 6, 2011
Farmer meetscity soul mate
Distance no barrier:Maree Hamilton andPeter Stone
P ETER Stone had met mosteligible bachelorettes in hissmall town and had given up
on finding love – until he met a citywoman looking for a country guy.
‘‘I’d had a couple ofrelationships,’’ says Peter, 57, fromWingham, 12km northwest of Taree.‘‘I’ve met ladies at the pub — it’sgood entertainment and fun, but Ifelt I needed to look further afield.I’m a hard man to please.’’
Spotting a potential match,introduction agency Vital Partnersplayed cupid.
‘‘Distance wasn’t an issue forme,’’ says Peter, who signed up withthe agency in February, 2007. ‘‘Iknew there was no point saying Iwant someone from my area. Iwanted more options,’’ .
Maree Hamilton, 48, alsocontacted Vital Partners around thesame time and wasn’t deterred bytheir 350km distance either.
‘‘A lot of people ask why I don’tgo out with someone locally,’’ saysMaree, from Parramatta. ‘‘I had theopportunity, but I’m not interested. Ilike the lifestyle and Peter’s attitudeto life.’’
Now Maree is preparing to give upher city life to move in with Peter inApril. It’s a big move for both ofthem, as Peter has lived alone sinceseparating from his wife of 23 yearsmore than a decade ago.
‘‘Some ladies wouldn’t be happymoving from the city,’’ he says.‘‘Maree’s much better than Ithought she’d be at coping with farmlife. She’s got good common sense.
There are tough situations whendealing with cattle – sometimesthere’s blood and manure,’’ jokesPeter, a cattle farmer.
Choking back tears, he adds:‘‘She’s my best friend, which isunreal. I’d forgotten what being inlove properly was. Only in the last sixmonths I have resisted. I alwaysthought I could live on my own. Icoped OK, but there was always thatlittle part missing. It’s great Mareehas stuck by me.’’
Peter was the first person Mareemet through the agency. Beforecontacting Vital Partners, she wassingle for around two years, but‘‘focused on doing things aroundhome’’ and buying her own property.
‘‘When I got his photo I knew Iliked him, I got a feeling,’’ saysMaree.
‘‘I wanted to find someone whowas honest, good and fun to be with,had a good sense of humour andtreated me nicely.
‘‘Peter has a delightful sense ofhumour, he’s not really serious aboutlife and takes things as they come –as farmers do,’’ she adds.
Dates for the long-distance couplehave included trips to the horseraces, taking in the Sydney sights,drives to the Blue Mountains, timeon Peter’s farms and getting to knowhis two grown-up sons.
Both share a love of the greatoutdoors. ‘‘She likes the open spaces,which I do too,’’ says Peter.
Maree agrees: ‘‘I like driving andit’s been an opportunity to go awayfor the weekend.’’
Big risk - and nowone happy family
Clickedinstantly:Melanie andRod and babyShaylee.Below, ontheir weddingday
F OUR years after they metthrough an introductionagency, Melanie and Rod
Cage were married with adaughter; now they are expectingtheir second child.
‘‘Every day, I am thankful. Ican’t believe how lucky I was,’’says Melanie, 33.
‘‘I went into it hoping to meetsomebody I’d be able to spend therest of my life with, hoping thatthere was someone for me, but Iwasn’t going to settle for anyone. Ican look after myself,’’ she adds.
‘‘Now I look at Rod and can’tbelieve either of us did it. Neitherof us is that sort of person. Takingrisks like that is a big thing,’’ shesays of her bold move to contactVital Partners after moving toSydney from Wagga Wagga in2005.
‘‘I didn’t have any friends inSydney to go to clubs with anddidn’t really want to meet peoplethere. I’m not sure about internetdating and that sort of thingeither.’’
After meeting six or sevensuitors through the dating agency,Melanie, a police officer, wasintroduced to Rod, 42, and bothquickly decided they didn’t wantto see other people. A few monthslater, they moved in together.
‘‘I really liked him,’’ saysMelanie. ‘‘We could have a real
conversation and seemed to havesimilar interests and likes.’’
The following year, on their firstromantic holiday, Melanie wassecretly hoping Rod would pop thequestion: ‘‘I was expecting him topropose in the Hunter Valley, butit didn’t happen.’
Melanie didn’t have to waitlong, though, as a few days laterRod asked her in Melbourne. ‘‘We
were having dinner at a nicerestaurant on Collins Street,’’ shesays. ‘‘He waited for therestaurant to be empty, I went tothe bathroom and came back tofind he had the ring on his pinkiefinger.’’
Reflecting on the proposal, Rodjokes: ‘‘I was waiting for the placeto clear out a little in case I had todo it in front of 20,000 people.
‘‘It was a huge moment. Iactually had the ring for quite afew months before that,’’ he adds.
In April, 2008, the couple weremarried in an intimate ceremonywith 55 of their closest friends andfamily.
The couple now live in the BlueMountains and have a daughter,Shaylee, who is almost two, andare looking forward to their nextaddition.
‘‘It’s been fantastic; she’s agreat little kid,’’ says Rod.
‘‘She’s tall. I think she’ll takeafter her mother’s brothers. I cansee both of us in her, she has mywife’s eyes – steely blue.Sometimes I look at her and seethe darker features which belongto me.’’
As their family grows, Melaniesays the romance in theirrelationship does too: ‘‘He’sromantic, but does it in his ownway – it’s not just the specialoccasions, but every day.’’
Perfectpartners
Romance is in the air - you just haveto know where to look for it.ORYANA ANGEL meets two coupleswho discovered it . . . with a little help.
