This is the story of a woman who married before she could say, “I do.” Ten years later, she’s glad she did.
This is the story of a woman who married before she could say, “I do.” Ten years later, she’s glad she did.
Lizzelle Moody, a mobile beauty therapist and secretary in Grahamstown, was mourning the death of her fiancé when she met Victor Jass. He used to greet her, and they began to talk. Their relationship progressed: from acquaintances they became friends, and then a mutual friend told Lizzelle that Victor felt he had met his dream wife.
Lizzelle wasn’t impressed, and thought that he wasn’t her type. She said: “I have an idea of my ideal guy – what characteristics he must have,” and he didn’t meet her criteria.
“First of all, he was Roman Catholic, secondly, he had a dark complexion, and thirdly, he didn’t have a beard. I like hairy men,” she said. They started going out together, but as part of a group of friends. She realised that Victor had a “nice personality” and started falling in love with him.
Eventually they started going out together, alone, and began to realise how much they had in common. Then they decided to go overseas together. When they had saved enough money, they applied for their visas at the Department of Home Affairs. Lizzelle signed a form thinking it was a visa application, “but in fact I was signing a marriage certificate,” she said.
“I didn’t read the document because I was talking – typical me at that age.” Lizzelle had a friend who worked at home affairs and at that moment the friend’s husband walked in carrying flowers. This was just the beginning of Victor’s plan: they gave Lizzelle the flowers and told her to stand next to Victor.
Why, she asked, and her friend answered, “Congratulations Mrs Jass.” At this impromptu wedding her friend was the maid of honour and her friend’s husband the best man. They exchanged rings – Victor had thought of everything.
"Didn't want to…lose you"
He explained that he did not want to risk proposing in the normal way in case she was reluctant to set a date. She remembers how he explained his ruse: “I didn’t want to take the chance of losing you,” he said. After the unexpected wedding, they visited their families to show their marriage certificate.
She said, “Actually he did – I just followed him. We went home; I was so stunned. I asked, 'Lord, if this is the man that you really wanted, why did he marry me in this fashion?'” I wanted a white dress. It was my dream to get married like that. I didn’t want a huge wedding in any case.
The next minute everybody shouted, “Surprise!” They arrived with meat, the music was turned on, I had a wedding cake, I had champagne and everyone got champagne glasses. Then they sang, 'For he’s a jolly good fellow'. I was just sitting there and my tears started rolling.”
It’s been ten years since then, and things are going surprisingly well. Victor and Lizzelle are more in love now than ever before. Lizzelle giggled with excitement when she said, “We’re going on a couples’ retreat next month.”
On 2 January, they’re going to celebrate their ten year anniversary by exchanging vows. She laughed nervously as she said that up until now, she’s had the excuse of never saying, “for better or for worse”. This time she plans to get dressed up, and her eyes shone when she said that they’re going to have their wedding photos taken.
Lizzelle didn’t get what she wanted, but she got what she didn’t know she wanted – and is still married to the love of her life.
