Karli & Warren
Abel Estate

How did you two meet?

"Warren and I met through a mutual friend. I was texting him on her phone, trying to set them up, but he kept hitting on me! Fair to say I'm not a good matchmaker! The next day, he came and picked us up, took us to McDonald's, and bought me a frozen coke. We became the absolute best of friends; we did everything together! He was easy to talk to and made me feel safe. It didn't take long for our feelings to grow for each other, and we started dating. We've been together for seven years."

What was the proposal like?

"This is my favourite story! Warren proposed at the end of the school term. 2020. He usually took me out to dinner for surviving the term. He had booked a place called Headquarters down at the Auckland Viaduct - but there was a Stag Do there that night, and it was soooo loud! So we ended up leaving and finding a lovely Italian restaurant with amazing food and wine. After our romantic dinner, we walked hand in hand around the viaduct, it was late, and all the lights were reflecting off the water - it was beautiful. Since Warren and I had started dating, our thing has always been to go for late-night drives. We just get in the car, drive and listen to music. So he asked me if I wanted to go for a drive, but I said no because I was tired and just wanted to go home. He persuaded me, so we drove to Devonport and asked if I wanted to go up to the lookout (where he was planning to propose). The drive-up gate was locked, so we started walking up the hill - it had been raining, the ground was muddy - and I was in heels! We got about halfway up, and we heard the security guard starting to lock the gates. Warren bolts back down the hill, and I waddle down in my heels, slipping over in the mud more than once. I get back to the car, and I am pissed! I just want to go home; I am tired, wet, muddy, and rolled my ankle! But my darling Warren doesn't give up. He pulls over on the Devonport Waterfront and asks if I'll sit with him on the park bench. I reluctantly got out of the car. We are sitting on the park bench, and it is just beautiful. We sit under the pohutukawa trees, listening to the water lapping on the rocks and looking at the lights from the city. I leaned on his arm and said, "This would be a beautiful place to propose", to which he said, "Okay." He got down on one knee, held my hands and told me he loved me before asking me if I'd marry him. And I started crying before I said, "Are you sure?" Haha! I really needed to check! I said yes, and the rest is history."

Did you include anything non-traditional in your wedding day?

"We decided that our wedding was going to be wholly for us! We didn't want to feel the pressure of doing anything we didn't want to. My bridal party included my sister and two best friends, who are guys. This was super fun as I got to have my closest friends, plus find the suits and match them to my sister's dress! Another thing we did was we had pop vinyl as our centrepieces. We are both big nerds and wanted to include some of our favourite movies, TV shows and games in our day. We enjoyed finding all the centrepieces we wanted. Another thing we did, possibly one of the most special, was that we had my dad play an ACDC song on his electric guitar for our recessional. It was so lovely to have that as part of our day and even more special because I played my parents' recessional music when I was a kid. After we had signed the register, we did a tequila shot with our celebrant and signatories to celebrate the fact that it was legal!"

What is one thing that surprised you?

"The day goes so quickly! You must include time for you and your person to stop and chat. Before we went into our reception, we sat outside for a while and stopped to be with each other and be in the moment. You must ensure you get amazing photographers that capture the day so you can look back and remember. Also, start early! I folded my napkins three months before the wedding, and people thought I was crazy! But starting small things like that early meant I wasn't stressed leading up to the day as everything was done!"