Kate and Edward

20 MARCH, 2021

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Eddie and I met at a BYO dinner organised with some of the other nursing girls when my friend Chelsea brought along her husband and flatmate – Eddie. We said our goodbyes that night but then bumped into each other at the Rangiora Christmas Races both with different Young Farmers groups. ‘During COVID-19 lockdown, Eddie suggested we “go away for the weekend”, as we always go away for Easter. Eddie pitched our tent in the garden and set up all our camping gear. He asked me to marry him over dinner next to our “campfire” – the gas stove. ‘My rule when I was choosing a dress was that we all had to agree on “The Dress”. I took my mum, sister Ella and Eddie’s mum Andrea to help me choose. With the help of Rochelle at Brides of Merivale, it was love at first sight. It was an easy choice. Rochelle has the most amazing attention to detail and the dress was altered to flatter me so well.

‘The absolute standout moment for the both of us was our guests’ reaction to the jet boating.’

‘Eddie decided to enter the Coast to Coast for the first time in 2021, and I needed a distraction as he was away training all day, every day. Turns out planning a wedding is a great distraction! It worked so well. I would drop Eddie off at the Mount White Bridge or at Goat Pass, and he would run or kayak and I would go and do wedding jobs at the farm and pop back and pick him up. The date was planned around post Coast to Coast and when our photographer Sarah Clements was available.

‘The ceremony took place under some manuka trees on my family farm, up the Waimak Gorge, after a surprise jet boat ride for our guests – including Eddie’s 93-year-old granny! My grandma wasn’t well enough to jet boat so she helicoptered out, ticking off a bucket list item for her. Everyone kind of just snuggled in close as we read out the vows we wrote for each other. It was so special. We could not stop smiling. As we both have only one grandma each, we chose them to act as our witnesses, and they were pretty tickled pink to be asked.

‘As we both have only one grandma each, we chose them to act as our witnesses, and they were pretty tickled pink to be asked.’

‘While the guests boated back to the woolshed on the farm, we drove home over the foothills in the Land Rover which Dad had pulled out of retirement for our wedding. Sarah Clements rode on the deck, tapping on the roof whenever she wanted to stop for a photo.

‘Our favourite image would be how Sarah captured the petal tossing. But when we say tossing I mean the petal “dumping” as we had a massive box of petals thrown over us. The colours, the faces on the guests, our faces of absolute pure joy and just the spontaneity of it all was priceless.

‘The reception took place in the woolshed, with lawn games, a coffee cart, dinner, drinks and the most hilarious “Best Brother Speech” from Eddie’s brother Samuel which – holy smokes – had everyone in stitches and is still spoken about now. He told everyone how I like to liken the women I know to what cow breed they would be. For example, a Holstein Friesian for his sister-in-law Chloe, I would be a Jersey cow, and Eddie’s mum is a Belted Galloway – which is not true but made a great story.

‘We all enjoyed an espresso martini which got the dance floor pumping, and danced all night to Irish music by The Black Velvet Band, where my family outlasted Eddie’s on the dance floor. ‘Mum had concerns with the shearing shed floor as she was watching it turn into a springboard, from all the foot stomping and jumping. Eddie, who never dances, couldn’t get off the dance floor all night and was highly disappointed in himself.

‘The absolute standout moment for the both of us was our guests’ reaction to the jet boating. One guest told us it was on their bucket list to go up the Waimak Gorge on a jet boat and we had just fulfilled it for them. And my uncle told us, in crude maths, 50 per cent of the guests had never been on a jet boat before and what a neat thing to give them.’ ◌

‘The reception took place in the woolshed, with lawn games, a coffee cart, dinner and drinks.’

ABOVE The couple’s favourite image of the petal tossing. ‘But when we say tossing I mean the petal “dumping”... The colours, the faces on the guests, our faces of absolute joy and just the spontaneity of it all was priceless.’

Every guest enjoyed their surprise cruise on the Alpine Jet up the Waimakariri Gorge.

Kate’s gorgeous gown was from Brides of Merivale, florals by Samantha Rose Flowers. Their bridal photos were taken around Kate’s family farm.

Kate and Edward’s reception was held in the woolshed at Kate’s family farm. It was decorated beautifully with Samantha Rose Flowers, seats from Cressy & Charmed, and trestle tables from their local A&P showgrounds.