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On January 11th D. and I proclaimed our commitment to each other in front of a gathering of family and friends. On January 13th we sorted out the paperwork in a registry wedding (which was planned for the 10th, but doofus here left it too late making the booking). From January 13th - 16th we were on honeymoon.
Not everything went smoothly in the lead up to the event. About a month out we lost faith in our venue, who hadn't come back to us as promised to finalise food etc details. Turns out there had been a change in ownership mid-year, and a re-meeting and re-tour of the venue with the new manager did not leave us feeling confident that everything would happen smoothly on the day. As we absolutely did not need to be carrying that stress D. rang around and found an alternative.
We had the kids from mid-December up to the day so that added another layer of logistical complexity to preparations. The Tuesday through Friday before the event were packed solid with events from hair through to a much-needed walk-through of the plan at the venue with the kids through picking up cakes and chocolates. One evening L jammed his finger in a door and decided he had to go to the Dr, and D. backed the car into the house getting it out of the garage. Just a crunched bumper and broken light cover but added insurance to the list of things we were trying to sort out.
Friday afternoon we lost internet at home and didn't manage to get it restored until Saturday morning, fortunately most things except some printing were able to be handled by mobile, but I lost valuable time trying to sort it out. D. & party were staying at a motel* Friday night before prettification Saturday morning, Saturday morning I had to make two trips over there; the first to deliver J and pick up R and the second to deliver some pliers and florists wire for last-minute modifications to the flower crowns so they could actually be fastened in place.
* Note for KAOS old crowd, motel is on the site previously occupied by the flat known as the Watchtower.
So it wasn't until quite late Saturday morning that I discovered my trimmer had died, and I badly needed a shave. Plan B took extra time and I was at the venue with only an hour to finish set up and preparations. Fortunately our Mistress of Ceremonies and other friends were there an hour earlier and everything was under control, except my buttonhole which was supposed to be attached by a magnet but said magnet wasn't coping with my suit. In the end it was just stitched to me.
Everything had gone smoothly enough at the bride's end that they were actually ready before I was stitched in.
The format was that after the bridal party entrance we first introduced each other to the assembled guests and then exchanged promises and rings. The venue staff then rearranged to room from lined seating to tables and seating while the wedding party popped out to the park across the road for a few photos. After about an hour mingling we cut two cakes, one normal and one gluten & dairy free honey cake.
This is best conveyed in photo and video, here.
After afternoon tea and getting everything back to the motel/home, D. & I went out to dinner at the Fox & Ferret Riccarton (who kindly shouted dessert) before returning to the motel to open the small pile of (unexpected) presents, then collapse to bed. She at least slept the sleep of the exhausted and content.
Sadly we had to be up the next morning to check out and load the car with everything to take home (including four people, was very full car), then brunch with A. and the kids then delivering K. & J. to the airport. Then we may have collapsed again, I don't remember clearly.
Monday D. had a post-wedding hair appointment and I popped into work, before we collected J. and met with our other witness D' at the registry office. We nearly got lost on our way in and J. had to go find D' who had taken a different wrong entrance. Once everyone was in the right place however the formalities were quick and we followed up with lunch at the Riverside market. During lunch the insurance company called and were able to book the car in to be looked at / quoted on later that afternoon. (Earlier in the day I had discovered that my favorite panel beaters has been bought out and no longer takes work from my insurance company :( ) After which we were finally able to head away on our honeymoon.
We had booked 3 nights at Braemar Lodge & Spa near Hanmer Springs. This was to be our base camp for exploring farther afield as neither of us had spent any time in the area.
It must have been their quiet period because we saw very few other guests and a hallway was being painted. The 3km of gravel road, the fresh country air and the ewe and lamb grazing on the front lawn when we reached our room roused nostalgia for my childhood home.
Our suite was comfortably large with a bed large enough to not bump into each other in the night unless really trying, in the bathroom dual basins, a 2-person shower and spa bath for two, and a cosy hot-tub for two on the verandah. After settling in D took advantage of the in-house massage service while I took a nap, then we had an adequate dinner in the hotel restaurant and relaxing in the spa bath.
On Tuesday we started by checking out Hanmer for breakfast options, eventually eating at Mumbles cafe. After that we headed west, through the beautiful Lindis pass and down to Greymouth, where we found Pink Possum Quilting and spent the first part of D.'s honeymoon quilting budget.
The weather on the coast was uncharacteristically warm and sunny, and from Greymouth we went north to Punakaiki and north again to Westport, which was closed by the time we arrived so we drove the length of the main street and back identifying one sewing shop for investigation at a future date before following the signs out to the Tauranga bay seal colony. D. declared the seal pups the cutest things ever and decided they made the long day completely worth it.
Then we closed the loop back to Reefton where we had a substantial dinner at a pub I can't rememebr the name of and from there back to Braemar where we relaxed in the hot tub under a clear starry sky.
D. reckons we covered a distance equal to Wellington -> Auckland, I guess the North Island must be shorter than I thought. Despite all the hill work the Prius still came in at 4.6L/100km when I filled up on Thursday morning, good Prius.
Wednesday we started with breakfast in the Salt'n'Pepper cafe before D. spent some time in the nearby Mickey Raes spending the second part of her quilting budget and I took a stroll around the block. We looked in briefly at the Chisholm wing of the historic Queen Mary hospital before heading for the Springs themselves.
We were lucky to be able to start with an hour in a private hot pool, although this was offset by a loud bang from somewhere nearby triggering a panic attack which then re-arose at every loud noise or clatter. Something about the enclosed facility (maybe an air pressure differential?) was making it act a bit like a drum, amplifying every door banging & pipe gurgling.
After our hour was up we relocated to a (possibly slightly too warm) outside pool with a cool breeze and spent quite a bit of time there before seeking out the real fruit ice cream stall we had learned was operating at the other side of the complex. From there to a more secluded few degrees cooler pool until we decided we'd about done our dash and headed back to Braemar to chill out for the afternoon. I napped, D. may have sewn.
That evening we headed back into Hanmer for fine dining at No 31. Again we got lucky and struck a (very) quiet night to walk in (bookings are recommended). The food was excellent and the presentation was superb; it may have been the most I have ever paid for a meal out (not doing the fine dining thing as a rule) but the experience was worth it.
We'd had enough soaking during the day so there was no tubbing this evening. Also we were both showing significant sunburn from insufficient suncream/hats during the day.
Thursday morning D. was a bit queasy and sent me out to refuel the car and get myself some breakfast (Powerhouse Cafe) while she went for another massage. I was back and had taken care of checking out before she finished, although we had to go back and redo paying when it became obvious something had been missed off our bill.
Once again we headed west, this time south from Greymouth to Hokitika where after a false start we managed to find Sew Hokitika and D. excitedly spent the last of her quilting budget on threads which she had been searching for everywhere. We also had a late lunch at a local cafe before heading west over Arthurs Pass to get back to Christchurch. This trip was only marred slightly by a truck pulling over to let everyone past also blocking the turn-off to the viaduct lookout, and by the effect coming down Porters Pass had on D.'s nerves.
It would have been nice to be able to collapse immediately after getting home and having dinner (D. did) but there were a few things which had to be attended to around the house and garden before I could go to bed.
~~~
All in all it was a trip and experience(s) unlike any other either of us have had, and has provided many good memories for the years to come.
Not everything went smoothly in the lead up to the event. About a month out we lost faith in our venue, who hadn't come back to us as promised to finalise food etc details. Turns out there had been a change in ownership mid-year, and a re-meeting and re-tour of the venue with the new manager did not leave us feeling confident that everything would happen smoothly on the day. As we absolutely did not need to be carrying that stress D. rang around and found an alternative.
We had the kids from mid-December up to the day so that added another layer of logistical complexity to preparations. The Tuesday through Friday before the event were packed solid with events from hair through to a much-needed walk-through of the plan at the venue with the kids through picking up cakes and chocolates. One evening L jammed his finger in a door and decided he had to go to the Dr, and D. backed the car into the house getting it out of the garage. Just a crunched bumper and broken light cover but added insurance to the list of things we were trying to sort out.
Friday afternoon we lost internet at home and didn't manage to get it restored until Saturday morning, fortunately most things except some printing were able to be handled by mobile, but I lost valuable time trying to sort it out. D. & party were staying at a motel* Friday night before prettification Saturday morning, Saturday morning I had to make two trips over there; the first to deliver J and pick up R and the second to deliver some pliers and florists wire for last-minute modifications to the flower crowns so they could actually be fastened in place.
* Note for KAOS old crowd, motel is on the site previously occupied by the flat known as the Watchtower.
So it wasn't until quite late Saturday morning that I discovered my trimmer had died, and I badly needed a shave. Plan B took extra time and I was at the venue with only an hour to finish set up and preparations. Fortunately our Mistress of Ceremonies and other friends were there an hour earlier and everything was under control, except my buttonhole which was supposed to be attached by a magnet but said magnet wasn't coping with my suit. In the end it was just stitched to me.
Everything had gone smoothly enough at the bride's end that they were actually ready before I was stitched in.
The format was that after the bridal party entrance we first introduced each other to the assembled guests and then exchanged promises and rings. The venue staff then rearranged to room from lined seating to tables and seating while the wedding party popped out to the park across the road for a few photos. After about an hour mingling we cut two cakes, one normal and one gluten & dairy free honey cake.
This is best conveyed in photo and video, here.
After afternoon tea and getting everything back to the motel/home, D. & I went out to dinner at the Fox & Ferret Riccarton (who kindly shouted dessert) before returning to the motel to open the small pile of (unexpected) presents, then collapse to bed. She at least slept the sleep of the exhausted and content.
Sadly we had to be up the next morning to check out and load the car with everything to take home (including four people, was very full car), then brunch with A. and the kids then delivering K. & J. to the airport. Then we may have collapsed again, I don't remember clearly.
Monday D. had a post-wedding hair appointment and I popped into work, before we collected J. and met with our other witness D' at the registry office. We nearly got lost on our way in and J. had to go find D' who had taken a different wrong entrance. Once everyone was in the right place however the formalities were quick and we followed up with lunch at the Riverside market. During lunch the insurance company called and were able to book the car in to be looked at / quoted on later that afternoon. (Earlier in the day I had discovered that my favorite panel beaters has been bought out and no longer takes work from my insurance company :( ) After which we were finally able to head away on our honeymoon.
We had booked 3 nights at Braemar Lodge & Spa near Hanmer Springs. This was to be our base camp for exploring farther afield as neither of us had spent any time in the area.
It must have been their quiet period because we saw very few other guests and a hallway was being painted. The 3km of gravel road, the fresh country air and the ewe and lamb grazing on the front lawn when we reached our room roused nostalgia for my childhood home.
Our suite was comfortably large with a bed large enough to not bump into each other in the night unless really trying, in the bathroom dual basins, a 2-person shower and spa bath for two, and a cosy hot-tub for two on the verandah. After settling in D took advantage of the in-house massage service while I took a nap, then we had an adequate dinner in the hotel restaurant and relaxing in the spa bath.
On Tuesday we started by checking out Hanmer for breakfast options, eventually eating at Mumbles cafe. After that we headed west, through the beautiful Lindis pass and down to Greymouth, where we found Pink Possum Quilting and spent the first part of D.'s honeymoon quilting budget.
The weather on the coast was uncharacteristically warm and sunny, and from Greymouth we went north to Punakaiki and north again to Westport, which was closed by the time we arrived so we drove the length of the main street and back identifying one sewing shop for investigation at a future date before following the signs out to the Tauranga bay seal colony. D. declared the seal pups the cutest things ever and decided they made the long day completely worth it.
Then we closed the loop back to Reefton where we had a substantial dinner at a pub I can't rememebr the name of and from there back to Braemar where we relaxed in the hot tub under a clear starry sky.
D. reckons we covered a distance equal to Wellington -> Auckland, I guess the North Island must be shorter than I thought. Despite all the hill work the Prius still came in at 4.6L/100km when I filled up on Thursday morning, good Prius.
Wednesday we started with breakfast in the Salt'n'Pepper cafe before D. spent some time in the nearby Mickey Raes spending the second part of her quilting budget and I took a stroll around the block. We looked in briefly at the Chisholm wing of the historic Queen Mary hospital before heading for the Springs themselves.
We were lucky to be able to start with an hour in a private hot pool, although this was offset by a loud bang from somewhere nearby triggering a panic attack which then re-arose at every loud noise or clatter. Something about the enclosed facility (maybe an air pressure differential?) was making it act a bit like a drum, amplifying every door banging & pipe gurgling.
After our hour was up we relocated to a (possibly slightly too warm) outside pool with a cool breeze and spent quite a bit of time there before seeking out the real fruit ice cream stall we had learned was operating at the other side of the complex. From there to a more secluded few degrees cooler pool until we decided we'd about done our dash and headed back to Braemar to chill out for the afternoon. I napped, D. may have sewn.
That evening we headed back into Hanmer for fine dining at No 31. Again we got lucky and struck a (very) quiet night to walk in (bookings are recommended). The food was excellent and the presentation was superb; it may have been the most I have ever paid for a meal out (not doing the fine dining thing as a rule) but the experience was worth it.
We'd had enough soaking during the day so there was no tubbing this evening. Also we were both showing significant sunburn from insufficient suncream/hats during the day.
Thursday morning D. was a bit queasy and sent me out to refuel the car and get myself some breakfast (Powerhouse Cafe) while she went for another massage. I was back and had taken care of checking out before she finished, although we had to go back and redo paying when it became obvious something had been missed off our bill.
Once again we headed west, this time south from Greymouth to Hokitika where after a false start we managed to find Sew Hokitika and D. excitedly spent the last of her quilting budget on threads which she had been searching for everywhere. We also had a late lunch at a local cafe before heading west over Arthurs Pass to get back to Christchurch. This trip was only marred slightly by a truck pulling over to let everyone past also blocking the turn-off to the viaduct lookout, and by the effect coming down Porters Pass had on D.'s nerves.
It would have been nice to be able to collapse immediately after getting home and having dinner (D. did) but there were a few things which had to be attended to around the house and garden before I could go to bed.
~~~
All in all it was a trip and experience(s) unlike any other either of us have had, and has provided many good memories for the years to come.
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Date: 2020-02-08 05:10 pm (UTC)From:no subject
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