First his wake, now Ken has his wedding
Time is not on Ken Turner’s side, but he’s determined to make the most of what’s left.
After hosting his own ‘‘living wake’’ two weeks earlier, the 52-year-old Porirua man married partner Sarah Angus in Upper Hutt recently.
After a brief honeymoon in Martinborough, he will get back to work planning his funeral.
Turner learned only recently that he had terminal cancer and had only a few precious weeks to live.
Initially the couple, who have lived together for more than a year, planned to marry next year, but had to bring the big day forward.
They held the ceremony at their home, with about 45 guests.
‘‘I was ecstatic, I had a great day,’’ Turner said.
‘‘I stood for the whole ceremony and I find it hard standing up a lot of the time.
‘‘I was up at five in the morning and didn’t go to bed till 10pm, and I feel so good today. They obviously got my medication right.’’
A bourbon drinker normally, Turner had a few beers ‘‘and then went on the champagne and stayed on that’’.
‘‘There were a lot of tears, but it was a real positive experience.
‘‘The whole chapter of my motorbike group was here, my dad was here, and it went off great. And not even one glass was broken.’’
The ceremony was led by a celebrant from the God’s Squad Christian Motorcycle Club, and featured Turner’s HarleyDavidson in pride of place behind the happy couple.
The big day followed his ‘‘living wake’’ a fortnight earlier.
‘‘Now it’s all about the organising the funeral,’’ he said.
He has already chosen a casket, which he will have decorated in Harley-Davidson symbols.
‘‘I’m lucky in that I’m in a position where I can plan it, like I was able to with the wake.
‘‘I want people to know they can do these things.
‘‘I fell blessed with that. I feel like I’ve been patted on the back.
‘‘And I don’t look at it as the end, I’m looking at it as a transition, as my making my move to my next level.’’
Angus said Saturday had been an amazing day.
‘‘I had a little bit of stress, but everyone helped out and I couldn’t have asked for more.
‘‘And Ken was just on a high.’’