Locals, Hannah and Jacob met at a nightclub in 2001. Both 6ft plus, the couple literally saw each other across the room above everyone else. After meeting through mutual friends, they shared a few laughs and drinks before parting ways.
Almost a year later and not forgetting that chance meeting, a series of events and fate led Hannah to call Jacob and leave a message. He called back and the couple arranged to visit the Festival of Lights at Pukekura Park, where from that night, the couple enjoyed the first of many dates.
Two years later they moved to Adelaide.
Over the next few years, they talked often about getting married and celebrated every year they were together with a dinner or picnic. So when Jacob had arranged a dinner date at Adelaide’s finest restaurant ‘The Manse’ for their 9th anniversary, Hannah didn’t suspect a thing.
“With a little help from a Chef friend, I ensured Hannah received the VIP treatment. We had a course for each year and discussed our past and future together. I brought the cookie tin of momentos from past dates with me, little did Hannah know it had the ring in it! Four and a half hours passed, nine courses and an abundance of wine and I was beginning to choke with what I wanted to say. I was only going to do this once after all. Then, by some stroke of luck, someone started setting off fireworks outside and that was the magic I was looking for. Hannah got up to look out the window and I swept in behind her, asking her to spend the rest of her life with me. She said yes. We were both thinking the same thing, to get married on our 10th anniversary together, 21 January 2012,” says Jacob.
Organising a wedding in Taranaki was a challenge from Australia, but they already knew they wanted a casual beach wedding with close friends and family. The couple decided on a friends property on Lower Timaru Road that over-looks the beach. This is where their theme for the wedding became apparant – beach, waves and blue!
Hannah designed all the invites, seating map, menus, water bottle labels, name stones and table decorations to match, with family members also putting the time in to help. Coming from Australia, the couple also thought it was important to create a fun website for guests, including details about them and the wedding event itself.
The wedding day came very quickly with the couple flying in from Australia a week before. Needless to say, it was a hectic week!
They encountered a few problems which included having to cancel the car they wanted due to budget. But when one door closes, another opens and as the couple pulled into the BP service station in Oakura on the day before the wedding, they couldn’t help but notice a beautiful old classic car. Sheepishly asking the owner if he was busy the next day, the couple were in luck! He turned up on time the next day in a lovely suit, cute dog named Mitsu and the car complete with wedding ribbon.
The bride and her maids got ready at Saltwater Stables where they were joined by her parents, sisters and makeup artist.
Hannah says “Being 6ft+ and not much of a girly girl, I had my dress especially made, which I didn’t mind. I got to choose exactly what I wanted! I chose a design based on a dress I found at Natasa house of bridal in Adelaide, which turned out even better than I expected because it was so comfortable for the whole day! I surprisingly felt great and really calm. I just knew it would be perfect, apart from running 20 minutes fashionably late because I didn’t have a watch!”
Jacob got ready at his Mum’s with his best-person sister Brenda, ring bearer nephew and family.
The weather was beautiful and sunny, everything and everyone was where they should’ve been and things ran smoothly.
Hannah was walked down the aisle by her Mum and Dad to the couples song ‘If I ain’t got you’ by Alicia Keys, which was beautifully sung by friends of Jacobs, Mikey and Jojo.
The love birds had a 2pm ceremony which was kept light hearted and fun with their own vows, a humorous sea captain celebrant and a Dr Seuss reading by the bridesmaid.
After the ceremony, the bridal party went for photos on site, the swing bridge, the mountain, beach and the ‘Gairloch’ shipwreck. While they waited, guests were given blankets, games to play, picnic baskets of food and drinks while local musician Johnny played acoustic sounds in the background.
The party arrived back at the reception marquee to cheers and a beautiful song written by Johnny especially for them, which he played as they cut (and tasted) their macaroon tower cake. The food was a BBQ buffet and was a hit among the guests along with the cake which tasted “absolutely amazing!”.
After the speeches from the bridal party and parents, the floor opened up to anyone wanting to say something. “I loved this part, because we got some great comments and stories from friends and family!” says Hannah.
The party then kicked off with Jacob and Hannah doing a self-choreographed dance to Michael Jackson’s hit ‘The way you make me feel’. Hannah recalls, “I remember people cheering and laughing the whole time which is what we were aiming for. It got everyone up and dancing the rest of the night in no time!”.
Later in the night, everyone was treated to fireworks being let off close by from another special occasion (a wedding, they suspect). “It topped it off nicely and reminded us of our proposal date,” Hannah says.
At the end of the night, the couple headed off with their guests in a bus and got dropped off at Saltwater Stables, where they relaxed for two un-interrupted days before heading back to Australia.
They plan to honeymoon in Fiji at a later stage.
Celebrant: Barnaby Perkins Photographer: Best Shot Photography (Adelaide) Venue: Family Friends Property. Marquee and Hire: Dobsons. Wedding Attire: Natasa House of Bridal (Adelaide) and Ultimate Bride (Adelaide) Hair: Bridesmaid. Make-up: Tracy Malcolm Makeup Artist. Flower Bouquets: DIY from Flower Wholesalers. Transport: Withers Buses. Music: Johnny Dylan, Naki-oke and Performance Sound and Lighting. Cake: SK Sweet Designs. Catering: French Cake Shop. Portaloo Hire: Hirepool. Accommodation: Saltwater Stables.