The Kiwi weightlifter will on Friday (NZT) celebrate his victory in the 85kg competition at the Commonwealth Games by marrying partner and teammate Phillipa Hale.
The couple will wed in a small ceremony at Pollok House, a heritage building outside of Glasgow, with both lifters' families in attendance.
And it's only appropriate the pair will exchange rings only three days after Patterson earned himself another bit of bling.
After settling for an unwanted silver four years ago in Delhi, Patterson questioned his future in the sport. He had set out with a singular aim of gold and, when it failed to eventuate, the then-27-year-old was unsure where to turn. Until he met Hale.
"After Delhi I was obviously really disappointed and I actually stepped back from training for about six months and took on a number of athletes [for coaching]," he said. "I was lucky enough that one of my athletes is now my partner.
"My meeting Pip actually spurred me on, because I had a training partner and our life then revolved around weightlifting. We opened a gym and it allowed me to continue a professional career and be an athlete."
That career culminated yesterday with a heart-stopping win at the Clyde Auditorium, inside the Scottish Events and Exhibition Centre.
Patterson was in danger of heading to his wedding empty-handed, recording a pair of no-lifts in the clean-and-jerk that were set to render Delhi's disappointment as an unmitigated success by comparison. But, in combination with coach Adam Storey, he calmed himself backstage before re-entering the arena and lifting the 184kg needed to clinch the win.
The first couple of Kiwi weightlifting would hope there are no such last-minute nerves on Friday. It's an occasion that has yet to provoke Patterson into much fretting -- he had other things on his mind.
"It's kind of weird, because most people would stress about their wedding, but I've been worried more about the competition," he laughed. "I always said I was coming here for my gold but, either way, I was getting a piece of gold at the end of it anyway. So now I get two."
Hale, too, had excuse for being preoccupied ahead of her big day. The 29-year-old competed in the 53kg class on Saturday and, while she was unable to make it matching medals, she did record a New Zealand record.
With both Patterson and Hale having active athletic careers along with work lives, a few of weeks away in Glasgow actually provided perfect timing for the union.
"It's very difficult, because our lives are so busy, to get everything together. And because I own a gym, when you own a gym in New Zealand and you have a wedding, your wedding list is about 150 people. It's just a nice, small ceremony with family."
It could have been much bigger, considering the number of fellow Kiwis currently in Glasgow, but the couple opted to "keep it pretty quiet".
Patterson will retain his full beard for the ceremony, having vowed to grow one after losing the last of his hair when opening the gym, but there is one thing he must leave behind.
"The rule was no medals," he said.
- By Kris Shannon of APNZ in Glasgow
