Saturday September 7, 1996

WE FELL IN LOVE ON THE INTERNET
Now Andrew and Lisa are due to wed in Cyberspace...
with 10 million guests "attending"!

Modern-day romance blossomed between Lisa and Andrew when they began chatting over the Internet. Now, they're due to be married in November.

HER OWN STORY by Lisa Grosso

For most people, getting married in front of friends and family is nerve-racking enough. but at my wedding, there could be up to 10 million people watching me and my husband-to-be, Andrew, exchange our vows.
We'll be the first people to get married - live - on the Internet.
I was born in New York but have lived in Palm Beach, Florida for 18 years. My friend had been on the Internet for a lot longer than me, and she suggested I should talk to some people on this particular channel called "Internet Relay Chat".
She'd been talking to a man called Andrew Hunt who lived in Somerset, England. She said he was very nice, but she was too busy to talk to him that night. "Do me a favour and talk to the guy," she said. Neither of us thought for a minute that I would end of marrying him!
I had no problem talking to Andrew, who works for a bedding company. I just asked him how he was and where he was calling from.
For the next week, we spent a couple of hours each night just chatting, finding out all about each other.

When I told Andrew that I was planning a holiday in England in August, I couldn't believe his reply. "August is a long way off," said the words on the screen. "If I get you a ticket, will you come now?"
I was gobsmacked. I didn't know what to say. I stalled him for a bit thinking he was joking, but he was serious, he really wanted to meet me.
I booked my flight for later that week.
My friends thought I was crazy. "He could be a murderer...you hardly know him." they said. But in my heart I felt I did know him.
I arrived at Gatwick on June 7 and was met by Andrew. I recognised him immediately - we'd already sent pictures of each other across the 'Net.

Andrew, who is aged 33 to my 40, welcomed me with a great big hug and as we walked out of the airport, I couldn't believe I was actually in England with him - it had all happened so fast.
We found that we had so much in common. We both wanted traditional things out of life, a caring, loving partner, trust and happiness. Andrew had been married before, but sadly divorced. He really wanted our relationship to work.

We realised we were falling in love - after just a few days.
Andy and I started to talk about marriage - although we would never say the actual word. We talked around the subject and decided to slow things down a little - we decided to wait for a month!
I had to go back home to Florida and, although it was hard leaving Andrew, I knew that I would be going back to stay with him soon. I was away for a month, and then came back to Wellington, and have been here ever since.
On July 27, Andrew asked me to marry him.
He did it in such a lovely way. We'd been talking, as usual, and he asked me a series of questions. Would I be his friend for life? Will we always be there for each other? Will we look after and care for each other for ever? Will you marry me?

I was glowing. "I think you already know what my answer is," I laughed and accepted in an instant.
We had talked jokingly about a cyber-marriage, but now we talked about it properly. We decided that because of the way we had met, we should definitely get married on the Internet.
We've set the date for November 1 this year and we'll be married three times in one day!
First, we'll be married traditionally at Taunton Register Office in front of close family and friends. Then the wedding party will go to the Cyber Cafe in Taunton where about 10 computers will be available for the guests.
At about 8 o'clock that night, a vicar will perform a Church of England on-line blessing. He won't actually be there in person, he'll be on his computer in Lyndhurst in the New Forest. People from all over the world will be able to tune in and watch our blessing.
At about 11 pm a minister in Seattle, USA, will legally marry us so that people living in another time zone will have a chance to see the world's first cyber-wedding, too! He will then send us our marriage certificate by electronic mail.
Millions of people will be able to watch us get married via their home computers. I'm quite nervous, I can't believe how big it's going to be.
A lot of people talk on the Internet and lie about themselves. Andrew and I were quite the opposite. We were very honest, sometimes too honest, sharing our bad points as well as our good. This is why we've had no problems.

We would like to have a big celebration for our wedding, but I was made redundant from my job as an interior designer and money is a bit tight. Getting married on the 'Net is a good way of having that big celebration.
It's the first cyber-marriage we know of in the world. Other people have met on the 'Net and then got married, but no-one has got married live in Cyberspace before. It's really exciting and it's going to be great fun.

*If anyone wishes to contact Andrew and Lisa or watch their cyber wedding: the Internet website is - andrew@andyhunt.u-net.com

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