NEWCASTLE'S queen of country, Catherine Britt, is set to marry again after proposing to her partner and fellow musician Bradley Bergen on New Year's Eve.
Amid the Newcastle Foreshore crowd and fireworks display - and with the couple's three children watching on - Britt caught Bergen unawares.
New Year's Eve was also Britt's 39th birthday and she said it was "a good way to start off 2024," with a simple proposal surrounded by her sons Hank, 6, and Morrison, 4, and Bergen's daughter Lucille, 3.
"I wanted it to be our thing and for it to still be special and still feel like that it made sense to us," Britt told the Newcastle Herald on New Year's Day.
"I thought that's having all of our kids there and not being a ridiculous proposal, but being something really special with the kids."
Hank and Morrison were central to Britt's proposal and assisted with the planning. She hoped it also set a strong example for her boys.
"I wanted to be modern about it, with me asking as well," Britt said.
"I wanted to break down all those cliches and all the things that kids would think were normal and show them you don't have to do things like everyone else. You can make them you're own and create your own modern family."
Britt's first marriage with ex-husband James Beverley ended after seven years in 2020, while Bergen has been married twice.
The pair have known each other since they were teenagers and dated briefly when Britt was 18 before she moved to Nashville to pursue her burgeoning music career.
Bergen, who hails from regional South Australia, was 20 at the time and was working as Beccy Cole's drummer when he met Britt.
"We were the only young people on the tour and we both loved old country music, so we clicked immediately," she said. "I used to make him sing Merle Haggard songs to me."
Bergen has since gone on to establish himself as both an exceptional drummer and guitarist in the Australian country music scene and in 2021 the pair reconnected.
Bergen plays drums in Britt's Golden Guitar-nominated alt-country band The Pleasures and is her lead guitarist and backing vocalist for her solo shows.
Britt is unsure when the couple will tie the knot, but said the wedding will be a casual affair.
"He both want something low-key and classy with just family and a couple of close friends," she said.
