Stuart & Jenna
OUR STORY
A Kiwi and an American go for a picnic in London...
As love stories go, it's both a classic and a page turner. Our first date indeed was a picnic at Primrose Hill in Regents Park in London on a hot summer's night in July 2018.
Since then, we have had so many adventures, big and small. From hiking in the Lake District over our first New Years together, to playing Softball in a league with friends in London, to traveling together to our home countries to compare the worlds' most beautiful national parks and hardest hikes. We also met our families and friends and got the "this one's a keeper nod" from all. In two years, we've grown in our mutual curiosity and commitment, both for deeply knowing each other and for taking on the world together.
Even before Stuart took off on some solo travels in SouthEast Asia for a sabbatical from work, we already know that we were deeply in love, and that each was the partner we had been searching for. As the world was turned on its head and rapidly going into lockdown, we moved in together, and have weathered this storm together and became all the stronger for it.
When lockdown eased a bit, and we were allowed out for a longer bit of excercise, we hopped on our bikes to explore our lovely city. We stopped mid-day in Primrose hill for a quick picnic, and there on the spot we met two years ago, Stuart proposed.
THE CEREMONY
August 6, 2020
Getting there...
Following on from our spring engagement, and with no visible end in sight to the social disruption from COVID, we decided to move forward with a small wedding. As the current regulations allowed for only 5 people to be present (Groom, Bride, 2 Witnesses, and Celebrant), we asked our two dear friends Pete and Julia to act as our witnesses. Little did they know they had also volunteered to be our chauffeurs, and boldly drove us north to Scotland. After months of asking avid travellers to sit still, a ten hour road trip felt like the ultimate adventure.
...set in magical Glencoe, Scotland
With the world still awakening from lock-down and our family and friends scattered across what used to seem like a tiny globe, Scotland raised its hand as one of the first places in the UK re-opening to allow for weddings. Stuart's family heritage is also largely Scottish, so we also felt quite inspired to share in some Scottish traditions and honor his family history having our ceremony there. And as avid lovers of nature, we were inspired to have our ceremony out of doors, surrounded by these historic and beautiful mountains for this auspicious moment.
Getting ready....
The day of our wedding, our small wedding party relaxed at our lodge just north of Fort William, getting ready in our beautiful rooms that looked out over the Loch Lochy. Stuart had a New Zeland Steinlager beer to steel his nerves, and surprised me with a special bottle of champagne from Le Gallais, a vineyard we had visited in France the year before. We each spoke to our families and friends, and read the special letters they had shared. We both shed a few tears wishing we could have all been together, but were truly grateful for technology that allowed us to connect.
...the Ceremony
A day like no other. It turned out to be a truly beautiful summer’s day. The clouds rolled back to the sea, and the sun shone through on the highlands. We hiked up to a secluded glen of soft green fields in the shadows of the imposing Three Sisters peaks for our ceremony. Our celebrant, Neil Lynch, accompanied by his lovely dog Tannie, performed a moving and wonderfully personal ceremony. We also had two readings, one from from Mark Twain and another from John Muir. You will also notice Pete is holding a bottle of Arran Scotch- this was hand selected for the Quaich cup ceremony, a traditional Scottish drinking vessel used for the joining of families. The whole ceremony was intimate, moving, and full of laughter and love. We then were whisked away and celebrated with a gorgeous wedding dinner at the historic 13th century Castle at Inverlochy.
“The sun shines not on us but in us. The rivers flow not past, but through us. Thrilling, tingling, vibrating every fiber and cell of the substance of our bodies, making them glide and sing. The trees wave and the flowers bloom in our bodies as well as our souls, and every bird song, wind song, and tremendous storm song of the rocks in the heart of the mountains is our song, our very own, and sings our love.” ― John Muir
PHOTOS
{ Doubleclick above on the photo to see a full gallery of photos from our 2020 wedding ceremony}
CELEBRATION
in
CHRISTCHURCH
We are so thrilled to announce that we will finally be able to celebrate our marriage with our New Zealand family and friends in September 2022.
Please kindly indicate your RSVP here below by July 22 2022.
CELEBRATION
in
RICHMOND
We're took our wedding celebrations on the road in September 2021, and were thrilled for our first stop be Richmond, Virginia where Jenna grew up. We were so pleased for all that could attend! Thank you for making our celebration special.
Richmond, Virginia, United States
Saturday, September 25 2021 at 6:00 -10:00 PM
Drinks & Hors d'oeuvres Reception | Families Welcome | Cocktail Attire
N Z E V E N T D E T A I L S
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Refreshments
Drinks and canapés will be served throughout the event. We will try our best to cater to food allergies and requirements. Just please let us know in your RSVP.
Event Timing
Feel free to come for just an hour, or stay until the bitter end. However, do note, we aren't having dancing or a DJ, but there will be a toast to the Bride & Groom at 8:30 PM you won't want to miss!
Transport
The venue is a quick 20 minute drive from the center of Christchurch, and taxis and Ubers can be easily arranged to and from the venue.
Registry & Gifts
Celebrating together at our celebration would be the greatest gift to us. But if you do want to honour us with a gift, please refer to our registry page here below.
Attire-
We request guests dress in Cocktail attire. Suggested attire for ladies: semi-formal dresses, and for gentlemen: suits, tie optional. If you need more detailed guidance, this guide is quite helpful.
Children Welcome
Please let us know how many children will be attending and their ages so we can inform the venue and provide adequate children's menu options. (Also - If you were looking for an excuse to have a night without your kids, that's also fine! )
Venue Accessibility
The celebration will be mostly indoors and on the ground floor. However do note, there is outdoor space in a lovely courtyard with lawn games that is shingle ground. If you have additional questions around accessibility, please let us know.
Covid 19 & Safety
As of right now, in NZ groups are able to meet indoors without restriction. If the government regulations change, we will get in touch to advise on either a change of event format as required or a change of date and ask for an updated RSVP based on the new circumstances. If you are traveling from outside of NZ, the current advice indicates in September, you will not be required to quarantine if you are double vaccinated from many countries. But we encourage you to keep informed of current regulations on the NZ Government Travel website as the situation is ever changing. Please, be well.
Still have questions? Feel free to reach out:
< stuartandjenna2020@gmail.com >
CELEBRATION
in
London
We were thrilled to announce our UK wedding celebration here in London, where our courtship began and where we call home today. We were so pleased for all that could attend!
Marylebone, London (W1U 2PZ), United Kingdom
Saturday, October 23, 2021 from 6:30 -11:00 PM
Drinks & Hors d'oeuvres Reception | Cocktail Attire Requested
