Janelle finds her perfect match

By Kara Irving
IT’S not every day you hear about someone marrying the boy next door but that’s exactly what Janelle Lughetto did.
When she was just 17 years old, Janelle recalls pretending to date her next door neighbour Daniel to make another girl jealous.
Now aged 25 and ready to wed her childhood sweetheart this year, Janelle believes fate played a rather interesting role in their relationship.
Growing up in Korumburra in South Gippsland, Janelle often played babysitter for her younger siblings.
Unknown to her at the time, she lived a few streets away from Daniel, her future partner, who also spent most of his childhood in the country town.
In 1997 Janelle’s family moved house, but not suburbs. Moving only a few streets away from their original residence, Janelle found herself living next door to Daniel.
After years of not speaking to each other, Janelle formed a friendship with Daniel’s younger sister who she regularly baby-sat.
“When his little sister was five years old I often played with her because her brothers were much older,” Janelle said.
“One day he decided to invite us to the pool with one of his friends.”
And this is when Daniel and Janelle staged a relationship to convince a former girlfriend that he had moved on.
After holding hands and hugging for the remainder of the day, Janelle asked Daniel if their staged relationship could become real.
Without hesitation, Daniel said: “Don’t worry it will, I like you.”
Eight years later the two are happily engaged and couldn’t be more in love.
“He’s such a romantic,” said Janelle when asked about her fiance, “he will spontaneously bring me home flowers after work.”
But despite living together for several years, it was only in 2008 that Daniel decided to get down on bended knee.
And what better way to do so than after Hawthorn won the premiership over Geelong on AFL Grand Final day.
“I remember he took me out for dinner then pulled me into his arms and told me he loved me and wanted to spend the rest of my life with me. Then he pulled out the ring,” Janelle said.
Today Daniel and Janelle are eagerly awaiting their 23 October wedding day, having planned to tie the knot in a low-key ceremony on Inverloch beach.
So far, the cars, wedding cake, reception, rings, photographer and celebrant are organised and the couple plan to honeymoon in Hamilton Island following the big day.
“He makes me happy and makes me feel safe,” Janelle said.
“I love him with all my heart.”