mmg.com.au

When Conargo’s Robert Pearse and Deniliquin’s Ingrid Albon attended the inaugural Matchmakers Festival in 2011, neither expected to find the ‘love of their life’.

But that is exactly what happened.

And two years to the day of their meeting, they became engaged.

Robert, who is obviously a romantic, surprised Ingrid with a proposal in the Waring Gardens on Thursday evening.

And he made sure she was standing in the same spot where he had first sighted her, two years ago on the first night of the festival.

‘‘She was the first girl I met at the whole event,’’ he said.

‘‘She was standing under the big tree (closest to the Deniliquin library) when I first saw her.’’

It was under that same tree that Robert proposed to Ingrid on Thursday night.

‘‘We went to the Waring Gardens to reminisce about the night we had met,’’ Ingrid said.

‘‘We were walking around pointing out where things had been when he got down on one knee.

‘‘I knew we might get engaged one day, but I didn’t know it had been planned.

‘‘I was totally surprised and speechless.’’

After ‘popping the question’, Ingrid’s speechlessness meant a nervous wait for Robert.

‘‘I was a bit worried for a minute,’’ he said with a laugh.

‘‘She kept giving the ring back.’’

‘‘I was waiting for him to put the ring on my finger himself,’’ Ingrid interjected with.

What is now a distinct mutual affection started out as a friendship for Robert and Ingrid, who say they have Matchmakers to thank for it.

‘‘I found Rob was quite friendly,’’ Ingrid said.

‘‘We laughed a lot and that night (the first night) he asked me to dance.

‘‘He is a wonderful man. Now we spread the word (about Matchmakers) all the time.’’

Despite being matched, both Robert and Ingrid said they would have liked to attend this year’s event.

In fact, Robert said his original plan was to propose to Ingrid at the Matchmakers ball on Saturday night.

But after a few weeks of planning, he decided on the anniversary of their meeting instead.

The lovebirds, however, were special guests at the ball, invited on stage to share their happy news with this year’s Matchmakers.

They were met with a large round of applause, and the kindness overwhelmed both of them.

For both Robert and Ingrid, the Matchmakers Festival presented them with a chance to turn their lives around.

They agreed it was a bonus they found each other in the process.

‘‘I usually have problems speaking to people, but I found it was easy to start a conversation (at the festival),’’ Ingrid said.

‘‘It was not intimidating at all.’’

‘‘I had been single all my life, and to find someone on the first night was just amazing,’’ Robert added.

‘‘It does work.’’