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[Dogwatcher]

Believe it or not - this is actually a press release from Netball SA


Medibank Adelaide Thunderbird’s blonde goddess "off the market"

Kristen Heinrich is getting married.

The dazzling goalie with the trademark flying blonde ponytail will marry builder Duane Hughes at the Lobethal Lutheran Church on Sunday March 11.

If you want to know how the couple met (and everyone always does), it was a serious business transaction.

Kristen works at Corinthian Doors and Duane works in the family building business.

She sells doors and he was looking to buy some – he just got more than he bargained for.

So she not only got her man, she also sealed the door deal. Talk about the complete professional.

This weekend when they walk out of the church door as Mr and Mrs Hughes, they will also be starting one of those stop-start marriages that come with the territory when you are an elite athlete.

They will be heading off on their Thai honeymoon together but coming home on different planes.

After 10 days in Thailand, Kristen and Duane will separate in Singapore, he will be returning to work in Adelaide, and she will be flying direct to Sydney for the pre-season tournament.

But Kristen and Duane will certainly be getting their marriage off to a flying start, there are 200 guests for the reception dinner and 50 for the after party. And the wedding party will be cruising Adelaide in a 13-seat limousine, first taking the bride and bridesmaids to the church and then the whole wedding party to photo shoots and the reception at the Semaphore Palais.

“It has been hectic trying to fit it all in with pre-season training (2 times a day 3 days a week), massage, and working full-time but now everything is ready – I hope,” Heinrich says.

“And when all the excitement is over, and I am back in Adelaide from the pre-season tournament, Duane and I will be really looking forward to getting up to our Hills home and having a quiet moment,” she says.

A quiet moment Mr and Mrs Hughes will share with their several Angus cows and their one cat.

But right now it is taking care of those fussy little last minute details that plague any wedding plans, for example Kristen and her in-laws spent Sunday trying to sort out seating arrangements.

Long time friend, Tango team-mate and Matron of Honour Simone Wilson is helping of course, along with bridesmaid and past Medibank Adelaide Thunderbird team-mate Demelza Fellowes.

Netballing guests at the wedding will include the entire 2006 Medibank Adelaide Thunderbird squad, former coach Marg Angove, SA netball legend Bec Sanders, former Commonwealth Bank Trophy player and Blue Water Matrics coach Trudy Barker and Perth Oriole Sam Lee.

They will all be there to see the bride dressed in ivory and to keep a sharp eye on the groom as rumour has it there is “going to be something special” on the day.

As for the after party, well that’s something different from your standard wedding.

“I got the idea from Liz Ellis (Sydney TAB Swifts and Australian captain) who said a friend of hers had done it,” Heinrich says.

“It sounded like a good idea and at our reception everything should be well and truly out of the way by 9.30 pm so then it’s party, party, party time,” she says.

[Booney]

Can we get a picture to confirm the severity of this decision?

[Dogwatcher]

Best I could find at such short notice.

Maybe I should email the Thunrderbirds PR officer...

[TroyGFC]

A very weird looking mouth but it would look good on my ahum

[Strawb]

I Know Duane Hughes and the Hughes family congratulations to Duane. I played under Duane dad Garry Hughes at Gumeracha.

[Snaggletooth Tiger]

A very weird looking mouth but it would look good on my ahum

I don't think she'd wanna risk the chance of catching salmonella...
Considering your previous romantic liasons with a frozen oven-ready chicken!