Couple celebrate big fat, free, ‘fantastic’ wedding

From her maid of honour’s speech to her father and daughter dance, Alana Rondel (nee Powick) enjoyed every moment of the ‘‘perfect’’ wedding she won with her now husband James.

In December, the couple entered a Facebook competition called the Big Fat Free Wedding, the brainchild of four women – a celebrant, a photographer, a caterer and a DJ. They won a wedding package worth $27,000 after receiving more than 18,000 votes on social media, and their dream came true on Saturday.

At 2.30pm, 80 guests arrived at the Blenheim U¯ kaipo¯-rangita¯ne Centre to watch the couple tie the knot.

‘‘It was beautiful. The weather was perfect for the day. Everything went so smoothly,’’ said Alana.

‘‘We were both a little bit nervous before, but it was absolutely perfect. We could not have asked for better weather or better people.’’

The service was live-streamed for people who could not attend.

‘‘I have a lot of family in Australia that we would have really wanted there but could not because of Covid-19,’’ Alana said. ‘‘So the videographer set up a live-stream, and 150 people used it. ‘‘So in total that we know of, there was at least 230 people who watched us get married. It is very impressive.’’

The bride said the event was everything she could have hoped for, with special moments.

‘‘My maid of honour and I have a wee quote that we send to each other all the time. It’s from The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement movie.

‘‘There is a scene where character Mia (Anne Hathaway) has her hair done in a very bizarre style and says, ‘I look like a moose’, and her hairdresser answers: ‘Yes, but a very cute moose. Make all the boy moose go ‘WHAAAAA’ ’’ – and she put that into her speech.’’

Alana then had her father and daughter dance to the same song that they had for their first dance when she was only three months old.

‘‘It was really special for both of us. It is a song from the Pogues called Streams of Whisky – it is kind of a country song.. It was fantastic, it was a great time.’’

The Rondels are now enjoying their honeymoon in Hanmer Springs. When they get back to Blenheim, they will write their thank-you cards to guests and to the vendors.

‘‘We want to make sure they know how much we appreciate what has been done,’’ Alana said.

‘‘Honestly, we would not have been able to have nearly as much as what they provided if we were going to do it by ourselves.’’

The couple met at The Warehouse in Blenheim, and had been dating for two years. Powick worked at the jewellery counter, and Rondel was a tech specialist for Warehouse Stationery.

Rondel has been diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, and the wedding competition judges said they were impressed by his positive outlook on life.

The young couple are now setting their sights on buying their first house.