From friends to forever

“Our story is a long and romantic one. We met in 2008, when I was about 14, and William was 16. We spent the next 12 years growing our friendship, not knowing we had already met the love of our lives. Fast forward to 2020 at my best friend’s birthday — William showed up with his best shirt and warmest smile, and the rest is history. After five years, two cats, and our first home, we now have forever to look forward to.”

What is one aspect of your wedding that felt totally "you"?

“William is from a cultural background, growing up in Kawerau near Whakatāne, and his iwi is Ngāti Awa. We knew we had to incorporate Māori traditions into our wedding, which included Te Reo Māori signage, waiata, kākahu, a bone heru, and a surprise haka from the groomsmen and whānau.”

What part of the day or planning felt like your best investment?

“Our guests, for sure. Our wedding wouldn’t have been what it was without our amazing friends and family — including those who flew across oceans to be with us. We feel incredibly blessed to be surrounded by so much love, and it was the highlight of our day.”

Did you put your own twist on any traditions, or break a few entirely?

“We went into the wedding with a bit of a 'wing it' mindset. We didn’t stick to traditions, but we didn’t plan to break any either! We knew, at the end of the day, we were marrying our soulmates, and it was my sister Amanda who brought the whole day together as our MC and co-coordinator. We couldn’t have done it without her.”

What caught you off guard, in the best or most unexpected way?

“Definitely the speeches and the haka. Unbeknownst to us, our groomsmen had spent months meeting up in secret to practise and perfect the best reception-welcome haka and their speeches.
Not only did it absolutely blow us away, but our photographer managed to capture the boys practising privately on the morning of the wedding. It was so special seeing those photos and realising just how much our bridal party showed up for us.”

Any advice you’d pass on to other couples just getting started?

“Get a team in your corner! At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how much planning, sweat, and tears go into making the day magical — it will feel magical with the right people there.”