nz day 19-21: the wedding

We traveled up to Martinborough for the big event...Caleb and Ruth's wedding!  This was the main reason for our trip to New Zealand.  We couldn't be happier for the two of them.

We stayed at the Parehua resort in Martinborough the night before and the night of the wedding.  It was a beautiful room (more like a small cottage) in the midst of wine country.  The room contained a lovely living room with folding doors that opened up to a patio overlooking a pond.  It had a small kitchen, a window nook in the bedroom big enough to sit and read in, and a huge bathroom.  The bathroom had a spa tub as well as a separate shower with no immediately visible drain.

Once we got settled into the room, we went and found the Joneses to help set up for the wedding.  We moved furniture, unloaded flowers, set up chairs, and we even helped entertain little girls and run sound equipment during the rehearsal.

That night, the wind hit really hard.  We could see the trees outside our window blowing back and forth late into the night.  The wind howled as loud as any wind I can recall in Oklahoma.  The owners informed us when we left that that just happens every few months when the wind comes blowing down between the mountains.

In New Zealand, the tradition for weddings is to have the ceremony around noonish, take the afternoon off so the wedding party can go take pictures at all the scenic locations in the vicinity, and then regroup for an evening reception.  During the "intermission", Kristin and I took a walk into town to look around at the shops.

Caleb and Nathan shortly after the wedding ceremony.

Lounging by the pond during the "intermission".

The lovely couple, Ruth and Caleb, make the rounds at the reception.

This is one of the infamous boxes of chocolates that everyone spent so long making.

On our last morning, we enjoyed a breakfast with the bride and groom and their family and friends.

Cindy Jones (Caleb's mom) and Nathan

 

Kris Jr. (Caleb's brother)

Kris Sr. (Caleb's dad)

Sammi (Caleb's sister)

Once the breakfast was over, we headed back to Wellington to catch our plane.

We hitched a ride with the Wooleys back to the Wellington airport.

Bye bye, beautiful New Zealand.