Marianne and Geoff Judson

Our online wedding

As it happened, the UNE Alumni was instrumental in getting us together.

Geoff (Dr Geoffrey James Judson) is BRurSC and PhD in Rural Science from UNE and I have a Grad Dip in Social Science after gaining a BA Planning at Uni SA. I studied externally and Geoff was in the first intake into Robb College and studied on campus.

Geoff was Treasurer of SACUNE at the time I was purloined onto the Committee. I recall I attended my first AGM for SACUNE and went to the powder room during the elections. When I returned to the meeting I was congratulated on being elected to the Committee.

At the time we were both married and the four of us enjoyed SACUNE social gatherings. I later divorced and continued catching up with Geoff and his wife, Ros at the cricket and SACUNE events. Ros sadly passed away suddenly and mutual friends brought us together several years ago.

We decided to marry at the end of February and were planning a simple event where everyone would be welcome to attend with a party afterwards.

Then Covid 19 took over and we ended up still marrying in St Peter’s Cathedral where I am a tour guide and do voluntary work. The wedding was brought forward to before Easter because of all the uncertainty looking forward. The Dean of St Peter’s Cathedral, the Right Reverend Frank Nelson conducted the wedding. It was also his first Zoom wedding. Geoff’s sons, Andrew was his witness and one of my daughters, Kate was mine. Five people in the Cathedral and over 100 Zoomed in from all over the world. It was 7am in London where my other daughter, Susie managed the Zoom event. It was 11:30pm in the US where others joined in. Geoff’s other sons were in Sydney and Keith, SA.