Most newly-engaged couples are so deep in the honeymoon period that developing feelings for a third party would be the death knell for the relationship, but not so for one open-minded pair.
Just months after getting engaged media management student Larissa Mader, 24, and vehicle painter Patrick Friedrich, 31, from Bad Camberg, Germany, invited Laura Hinsche 24, whom they met a few months prior, to join their relationship.
Larissa and Patrick – who have been together for six years – are still planning to go through with the wedding, and said they would marry Laura too if three-way marriages becamse legal in Germnay.
From left to right: Media management student Larissa Mader, 24, and vehicle painter Patrick Friedrich, 31, from Bad Camberg, Germany, have opened their engagement to a third partner, Laura Hinsche, 24, in 2020
Larissa and Patrick have been together from six years and got engaged in January. Still, they opened their relationship to Laura in April
Larissa met Laura, a nurse, in December 2019 at a friend’s birthday party and the two become close friends.
With Larissa introducing Laura to her long-term boyfriend soon after their engagement, the trio began to realise that they had a growing mutual love for one another.
‘At first it wasn’t the intention to fall in love but we can’t always control our feelings,’ Laura said.
Despite none of them having considered polyamory before, in April 2020 Larissa and Patrick invited Laura to form a throuple after both deciding that Laura would bring even more love and intimacy into their relationship.
Three’s company! Larissa, Patrick and Laura struggled to navigate their relationship at first, and took a three months-break from May to August
Laura, who broke up with her boyfriend of six years to join the couple, spoke candidly about the throuple hitting some bumps in the road, figuring out how they could make their three-way reltionship work.
‘From April to the end of May, we tried to make our relationship work but everything went wrong.
‘The biggest mistake we made was actually that we talked far too little about the little things that bothered us.
‘You have to be very careful not to make someone feel left out when you’re in a throuple.
After getting back together in August, the throuple is happier than ever and still plan on getting married and having children (pictured with their dogs at home)
She explained these issues led to a momentary break-up of the throuple from May to August.
‘The reason for the separation wasn’t that our love ever diminished, but that it got to the point there were so many misunderstandings,’ she said.
Whilst Larissa and Patrick remained engaged, their feelings for Laura never went away and in August 2020, the trio reconciled and decided to give their polyamorous lifestyle another shot.
‘In August, we got back in contact again because the feelings we had for each other just never went away.
Learning to live as a throuple was not easy on Larissa, Laura ans Patrick, but they are now looking forward to watching many more sunsets together
Laura, Larissa and Patrick on a night out. Laura explained she met Larissa in December 2019 and was introduced to Patrick soon after
‘Since then, our relationship has been wonderful and we enjoy every second of it.
‘We live together and choose to do everything together.
‘For us polyamory is not about having to share a partner with someone else because everyone loves everyone equally.
‘Loyalty and honesty are just as important to us as in a relationship with two people.
‘We try to educate people on Instagram so that they can see that being happy is the most important thing in life regardless of what anyone else thinks.
Laura, pictured left with Larissa and Patrick, said she did not plan to fall in love with the couple at the time they met
The throuple having a laugh. Laura explained she left her boyfriend in order to start a throuple with Larissa, left and Patrick
The throuple struggled to communicate at first and this led to a temporary break up over the summer
‘Life is far too short to be unhappy and to do what society considers best.
‘The most important thing in the poly relationship is communication because misunderstandings often arise much faster with three people than with two.
Luckily, the throuple’s respective families have been largely supportive of their decision to enter a three-way relationship, wanting the best for them however unconventional this may be.
Learning from their previous mistakes and improving their communication, they are happier than they have ever been before and say that polyamory has just multiplied the love they give and receive.
The threesome said polyamory had just multiplied the love they give and receive and that more people should try it
They are never leaf-ing! The throuple have been targeted by trolls online but said they did not care
Some strangers online have been critical of the throuple saying that their relationship is too ‘complicated’ to last and that one of the trio will inevitably be left out.
However Larissa, Patrick and Laura have every confidence in the love they share and are busy making plans for the future.
‘The only negative comments we get from people are those telling us that we have no future in the long run or that one person will end up loving one partner more than the other.
‘When we’re out and about together we are often looked at in a strange way, especially when we are all holding hands.
Larissa and Patrick years ago when they were in a conventional relationship. They are now busy making plans with Laura for the future
Laura admitted that the throuple earned themselves strange looks from passers-by when on night outs
Double the love! Apart from small sidewalks, the future looks bright for the throuple, with Larissa and Patrick getting married in 2021
‘However, nobody has said anything mean directly to us.
She joked the throuple also had to overcome ‘tiny’ day-to-day obstacles, like sidewalks not being wide enough for the three of them to hold hands.
‘There are of course practical problems like pavements not being wide enough for us all to hold hands and rollercoasters only having two seats but these problems are tiny.’
Larissa, Patrick and Laura are keen to show others online that being in a three-way relationship can work just as well as a conventional relationship.
‘We just want to show that love works in a threesome,’ Laura said.
Three-way marriages are not legal in Germany and for that reason, Laura cannot marry Larissa and Patrick
Slumber party! The throuple have plans to start a family following Larissa and Patrick’s 2021 wedding
‘Of course there are some hurdles to overcome with communication in a throuple being even more important than in a couple.
‘However, you shouldn’t give up. You should fight for your love because polyamory is so special and unique.
‘Oftentimes, people who live a polyamorous lifestyle themselves don’t dare to share it openly which is really sad.
‘Everyone should live as they like and we hope that by sharing our story others will have the confidence to do the same.’
Larissa and Patrick are still planning their wedding for 2021 and would be marrying Laura too if three-person marriages weren’t illegal in Germany. They also have plans to start a family.