To apply to be The Hitch’s Couple of the Week email TheHitch@thetimes.co.uk
Miss Rachel Sabine, 36, and Mr Laurent Olivier Ouali, 32, have recently become
engaged and hope to marry in September 2007, God-willing (“It depends on
when the church is available. We're waiting to hear back from the Rector,”
explains the bride). Rachel grew up in Winchester, where she has returned
after 15 years of studying and working in the capital. She is European
business manager for a London-based company specialising in investor
relations. The groom grew up between Britain and Tunisia, before attending
Brunel University. He worked as a recruitment consultant in various parts of
Europe, including London. “These days I stay at home, dabbling in the odd
property investment and making sure Rachel’s dinner is on the table.” The
couple met a decade ago when Rachel was in a relationship; ten years on,
Laurent did not miss his chance.
How did you meet?
L: “The first time at a New Year’s Eve party, where her then boyfriend asked
me to stop some guys chatting Rachel up. Then ten years later at another
friend’s engagement party. This time Rachel was single, and a friend
suggested we exchange numbers. Most of the time at the party was spent
looking up her skirt and teasing her - pretty much like being back in
kindergarten except no pigtails to pull.”
R: “I fell for the merciless teasing and decided I'd come back for more. I
called Laurent after the party and he asked me if I wanted to be his 'date'
for a 70's fancy dress party. I thought he was joking, but decided to come
along. Actually, I stayed up until 2am that morning watching Saturday Night
Fever so that I could make my outfit the next day. It was time well spent.”
What were your first impressions? Instant infatuation or sexual-tension
spiced antipathy?
L: “The first time I saw her I thought she was sexy, beautiful and had a
devilish sense of humour - one that got me into trouble with her boyfriend
at the time. Ten years later, she was still the same girl, except single.”
R: “When I first met Laurent I thought he seemed friendly and fun, although a
little young for me. I couldn't make out why he then ignored me for ten
years. Then, when I was single last summer, I found out why. It seems that
he was warned off and told to behave. We've made up for lost time.”
How would you describe your romantic history? In what ways does this
relationship buck the trend?
L: “I suppose all I would like to say is that I knew pretty soon with Rachel
that she was the one - something I could never really say about any of my
other relationships. As a result, this made it very easy for me to ask her
to marry me.”
R: “I'd agree with Laurent. He's the one. If it's right then I say: ‘Don't
wait!’ I feel very lucky.”
Details please: who asked whom?
L: “Asked how or what? I invited her to join me at a friend's fancy dress
party. She did not ask, although she made her intentions clear.”
R: “Well, after all that teasing, I had to rise to the challenge.”
L: “As for the marriage bit, I asked in May while we were on holiday. We were
going to Tunisia for a short trip. Rachel's parents popped around the
evening before we left, so I took the opportunity to ask Rachel's father for
his permission.”
R: “Thankfully, he said ‘Yes!’ Otherwise, I would have been having words with
him, as Laurent is the one for me.”
L: “The funny thing was that, once I had asked him, I was worried that if he
did not hear from Rachel soon, he would begin to worry. Who says pressure is
bad? Anyway, I didn't want to ask the day we arrived as we were pretty tired
from travelling. I decided to do it on Saturday night over dinner. This idea
was crushed when, during our afternoon siesta, Rachel turned round to me and
said: ‘If you asked me to marry you I would say: “Yes”. Just thought you
should know.’ As you can imagine, this stopped me asking that night. I do
have some pride.”
R: “Well, you know, there's never any harm in giving the man you love some
encouragement! I really didn't think he'd be asking imminently.”
L: “I decided to ask Rachel the following day. So I booked a restaurant built
into the fort at Hammamet overlooking the sea. Hammamet is where my father
asked my mother to marry him. I also gave Rachel my mother's engagement
ring. Somehow, I think my parents would have approved.”
R: “It was perfect. And the ring is just the best - more than I could ever
have hoped for. I'm not a single solitaire kind of girl. My engagement ring
is an antique Turkish number. It's a unusual design with a large emerald and
lots of diamonds. I'm wearing it on my middle right finger rather than my
engagement finger. It's a bit big for me, but I don't want to resize it. It
does surprise and confuse people when it's not what or where they'd expect.”
Talk us through the big day.
L: “More like big days. The plan at the moment is to have a small dinner for
family and friends the night before. It should be no more than thirty or
forty people - as I said, small. Then, on the Saturday, a wedding at a local
church in Winchester, followed by champagne and cake in our garden.”
R: “Then we are all off to London in limos where we will have taken over a
friend’s cocktail bar and restaurant for a bit of a party with another
hundred or so of our friends, drinking and dancing into the small hours.
We’ll spend the night in a hotel, then off to a hot beach somewhere on the
Sunday to recover.”
Will the bride wear white or is off-white less likely to provoke heckling?
R: “Hmmm, still not sure about that one. Although white is meant to be big
this summer, which is good because it should mean lots of choice as I'm not
looking for the traditional white satin look.”
What will the best man say to humiliate the groom?
L: “It’s more a case of what won't he say. We have been friends now for over
twenty years and I think, at times, he despaired of me ever settling down,
so he should be well behaved. Also, he is a top divorce lawyer in the city,
so saying too much might lead to me accusing him of touting for business.”
Who will wear the trousers in this marriage?
L: “Rachel already power dresses for the City and I have always been happier
in shorts.”
R: “The rest of the time, a towel is more than enough for both of us.”
What motto would best describe your union?
L&R: “Right time, right place.”
How long do you give yourselves? a) Forever and a day? b) A bog-standard
11.6 years? C) A Britney-esque 55 hours?
R & L: “Fun and happiness forever and a day.”
L: “Unless the best man really needs the work.”
