Felicity and Acacia’s Elopement
The Sign of the Bellbird
Images by Andrea Zoe Photography
‘We both moved to Auckland from Wellington within a couple months of each other, and met shortly afterwards. Takeaway oat lattes and a stroll along Browns Bay turned into dinner, and then turned into the rest of our lives.
‘Acacia has always said it was love at first sight for her, and we joke that this isn’t our first trip down the aisle in previous lives. There are so many moments we were in the same place at the same time. We were always meant to find each other.
‘We knew we wanted to get married, but I love surprises, so I planned a surprise holiday at Hakea Retreat and a proposal in Raglan. Acacia had always wanted a rose tattoo instead of an engagement ring when she got engaged, so I organised a proposal at a private tattoo studio. We followed the tattoo with a sunset cruise around Raglan.
‘Although we had a big wedding planned for January 2025, life took some unpredictable directions in September 2024 so Acacia asked me to marry her that week! It just so happened that two of our closest people were in Christchurch. We contacted celebrant Kineta Booker, who was miraculously available, and Births, Deaths and Marriages were more than happy to waive the three-day stand-down and grant us a marriage licence! Kineta organised the venue, and not one but TWO photographers, and in two and a half days we pulled off our dream elopement.
‘We got married in the little stone shelter up at Sign of the Bellbird. It was rainy and chilly, but we wouldn’t have changed a thing! All the people who were there were people who would stand in the chill for us. We wrote our own vows and Kineta printed them in beautiful little keepsake booklets. Acacia also presented my son with a taonga to welcome him into her whakapapa. Every little detail was perfect and meaningful to us.’
