Mar 2007

Well it all started with Jamie’s dad winning a golf tournament (and he never wins). The prize was free flights to Queenstown. Unfortunately (but fortunately for us) Jamie’s parents couldn’t use the flights so they gave them to us and we took an impromptu trip to Queenstown and Wanaka in June 2006.

On our last day in Wanaka I put the clocks forward and got Jamie up super early “for the bus”, instead we walked down to the lake and watch the sun rise. After freezing outside for an hour (and me trying to build up my courage) I finial popped the question as the sun rose over the peaks. Thankfully Jamie said yes and we could go back inside and warm our frozen toes. He was also happy to be inside once he realised instead of an engagement ring ‘for him’ I had brought him a top of the line power tool he has also wanted. He was stoked!!!

We begin planning our Palmerston North (PN) wedding from Auckland (AK). We chose PN because Jamie and I both spent four years at Massey Uni study for degrees in Engineering. We meeting on Campus in O-week in first year and lived together in fourth year. Also Jamie grow up in nearby Feilding.

During the planning months I had spread sheets set up for everything - lets just say I got alittle obsessed with it all. I just wanted to get it right! Jamie was also really enjoyed the planning. He there with me for every decision - except for the dress.

It was a long road finding my prefect dress. I think I visited most of the dress shops in Auckland. Then I found the dress of my dreams but it was $3000 (double my budget, oh no!). So I set out tyring to find a similar one for half the price. I found one similar in the Essence range in Alma J Bridal. Alma said she could make the dress I wanted without doubling my budget, Yay!

My Bridesmaids were my sister Kirsten and best friend Emma. The groomsmen were Johnson and Jamie's cousin Mark.

The flowers were amazing. Jamie’s aunty, Anne, did all the flowers. My bouquet was prefect. The Metallina Roses proved quite difficult to source as there are limited growers in New Zealand; it also didn’t help that our weddings was only 4 day before Valentines. But Aunt Anne pulled in a few flavours for us and ended up with enough roses for the girls bouquets and all the centre pieces at the reception.

Anne also decorated the ceremony with white rose petals down the aisle and posies tied to the chairs with ribbons. The ceremony was located on Massey University campus, PN. The spot we chose was a beautiful clearing in amongst some big old trees where Jamie and I used to come and have picnics and chill out during Uni. The garden is only assessable by foot through a short bush walk which made it a wonderful experience for the guests and very private for the ceremony.

Mum and I arrived in style. We rode in a dark blue BMW dressed with off-white bridal ribbons. My Mum walked me down the aisle to the Brook Fraser song - Arithmetic. My mum looked stunning in a red jacket and skirt she brought from Kooky.

I was an hour late to the ceremony, oops! I’d planned to arrive about 20 minutes after the time stated on the invites to allow late comes to arrive as the ceremony location was in a somewhat unusual spot. Just before leaving the house, where we were getting ready, Kirsten and Emma were packing my ‘first nights’ gear into my car. We were on time and ready to go when Kirsten, thinking we were all done, closed the door to the house locking it with Emma’s bouquet still inside. My friends, the owners of the house, were already at the ceremony location about 10 - 15 mins away. They had to drive back and unlock the door so we could rescue the bouquet and head off, now 30mins behind schedule.

That was the minor drama of the day! The major drama of the day was the photographer not turning up! He forgot our wedding despite Jamie and I having several meetings with him including a site walk over! He had leant his camera equipment out to someone the week before. Lots of stress and phone calls later we found out he was sending his friends to do the photography, arrrrrh! I was very anxious up until the point when I meet Susan Su at 12’oclock on the day of the wedding, 3 hours after Adam was meant to show up. Susan was really great and did an excellent job.

The ceremony was surreal. Jamie’s youngest sister, Ash, had even the hardiest of our guest welling up as she struggled to hold it together through a poem she read for us. We wrote our own vows which made the day extra special and personal for us.

After the ceremony we had afternoon tea on the grounds and mingled with the guests before heading off to take photos.

The reception was held at the Bathhouse where we were entertained by Jamie’s Dad, Murray, our MC and David Greer, our Soloist. Jamie and I wowed our guests with a choreographed first dance to Drops of Jupiter by Train and then the party began. Much to everyone’s entertainment we did the traditional bouquet and garter toss with my drunken 19 year old brother diving to catch my garter.

We departed from the bathhouse at around 11.30pm leaving our friends to drink the rest of the bar tab. Jamie had arranged our first night accommodation which turned out to be two wonderful nights at the Hiwinui Country Estate, Ashhurst.