How We Met: Why Matt de Groot is getting counseling before his wedding

Matt de Groot is getting married in three months. 

"It's probably surprised me a little bit how significant being engaged has felt," the radio personality tells 9Honey.

"I was pleased with how much gravity it brought with it."

He and his fiancée, journalist Brontë Coy, have been in relationship counseling.

Not because anything's broken, he clarifies, but to prep for what'll be a lifelong journey: everything from kids and family ties to sex and shared finances.

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"These are people who are excellent at explaining things happening – that you realise are happening once they're explained," de Groot says.

"You have conversations with each other, conversations you’re probably not going to have until they come up later in life... and it did spark up the odd sideshow [but] when you come back you go, 'Well, this is superb.'

"I’ve always found once you go through a challenging conversation or challenging time, or you have a fight – when you come out of it things feel so much better."

He and Coy have had their fair share of awkward conversations: they met when de Groot was her manager.

"It’s taken some of the romance out of the whole concept," he admits, "because I’m like, 'Well I used to be her boss!' and people are like, 'Well that’s terrible!'"

Coy was interstate when he hired her, so it wasn't until a year or so in that they met face-to-face.

"I was like, 'Oh dear, we are in a small pickle here, because now my employee is someone I find quite remarkable,'" he recalls.

The initial spark carried through.

Despite a personal 'rule' that career would always come first, de Groot caught himself fantasising about "fifteen-thousand children" whenever they caught up. But she'd return to Melbourne, he'd get his head back in the game, and for several years it was something of a 'will-we-won't-we'.

(de Groot's the first to admit that Coy was pretty forbearing about the whole thing.)

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Finally, he had a light-bulb moment.

"I was driving along just went, 'Matt, what are you doing?

"Everything you're looking for in a person – a best friend, someone that makes you laugh, someone that challenges you, someone you’re proud to walk into a room with and say have-a-look-at-this-beautiful-person-that-has-picked-me she's right in front of you – stop being an idiot and go and get her.'

At this point he wanted to get married immediately, but this time Coy wanted him to wait.

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Fifteen months later (it's clear he counted), after traveling together, moving in, and plenty of great dates, he proposed. (You can see more about that in the video, but spoiler: she said yes.)

Despite his enthusiasm for kids (all fifteen-thousand of them, apparently), there's something de Groot's even more pleased about.

Coy, he says, is the one person who really engages with him. Who disagrees (even though he hates it), and pushes him into discussions that broaden his entire perspective.

"The thing that gets me excited is the thought that—"

He pauses.

"You know, when you look at a couple at dinner at 65, and they’re just cutting their steak, looking [opposite] directions, and could not be less interested in being there...

"I know that at 65, we'll be having some conversation about something big. That is the most exciting thing in the world."

"I love the light she brings into every room, every conversation, every morning," he says.

"She's just the most glowing person I’ve ever met.

"I love being alongside her; I love watching her go into the world and be her, and I love that she comes home to me – or that we’re standing in a room and we’ll lock eyes, and she’ll come over to me.

"I find this amazing, that this person – that I think everyone in the room wants to spend time with – is choosing me.

"She’s the only person I want to spend time with, and it’s amazing that she looks at me and goes, 'You’ll do.'"

To watch more stories from 9Honey's How We Met series, head here. If you know someone with a beautiful love story of their own (or you have one), email me: idewey@nine.com.au