I KNOW, I know, I've done this self-indulgent stuff before. But blow it all, I'm the editor and I can. Anyway, it's not every year your two kids are either heading off to the altar or planning the journey.

Fact is, it only seems like yesterday they were still kids. That's the goss, here's the detail...

Not to be outdone by his sister Jane - she becomes Mrs Haydn Whitfield in Port Macquarie in May - my romantic son David recently proposed to his girlfriend Marcia Leone at the Hunter Valley and she accepted.

Previously Dave had asked Marcia's dad Enzo - owner of the critically acclaimed Italian restaurant, La Bella Vita in Camden - for his consent. Enzo welcomed him with open arms, having met the lad almost three years ago when he first took Marce out.

Enzo began work at nine in his parents' trattoria, reaching the [waiter's] rank commis chef before migrating to Australia in 1972. He and his wife Laura have had six biological children and adopted three others.

Born 12 hours apart, both Dave and Marce share an appreciation for music, culture and the arts. They have just moved into a picturesque harbourfront apartment in Point Piper. With a degree in visual communications, Dave has become one of Australia's best fashion accessory designers.

He started in this niche area with Mambo and is now the creative director of Colab Eyewear, a small organisation designing high-end sunglasses for exclusive stores throughout the world. His latest range features the work of selected artists from Europe, America and Australia.

Ironically - and you'll see why in a sec - Marcia works for my company, Fairfax Community Newspapers and co-ordinates our lifestyle magazines. She also has a degree in communications, loves travelling and has a passion for animals. As well as travelling to places such as Cuba, Guatemala, Panama,

Laos and Vietnam, she's lived in New York and London and spent time in South Africa working with rare white lions.

She's also gorgeous and witty.

I never knew her before my son introduced us. They met through a long-time friend of the Leone family who happened to be David's fishing buddy.

What more can I say? They're very much in love and the Redhead and I are proud of them and wish them every happiness. I feel a good feed at La Bella Vita coming on. Ah, the good life.