Laughter and Love three Taranaki couples share their photos and favourite moments from their special day.
Reuben O’Neill and Emily Short
15th November 2025
PHOTO Sandra Henderson
Emily and Reuben celebrated their wedding with a relaxed, laughter-filled celebration surrounded by family and friends.
Having been together for ten years, their story began with a first date at Fitzroy Beach, the same place that later inspired Reuben’s proposal.
With Emily working in interior styling and design and Reuben in professional rugby, the couple focused on creating a wedding that felt stylish yet relaxed. Their priorities were simple: great food, good music, and refined aesthetics.
The day itself was centred around fun, connection, and not taking things too seriously. Genuine vows, memorable speeches, and plenty of laughter and dancing carried through the celebration, reflecting the couple perfectly.
Victoria Holyoake and Conor Morris
18th April 2026
PHOTO Natalie Waugh
Though they met in Auckland Conor and Victoria were excited to get married in their home town, New Plymouth.
“Conor proposed exactly 6 years after we first met, at the same place we went on our first date and had our first kiss.”
Victoria is the daughter of Murray and Roslyn Holyoake. For over thirty years they owned iconic New Plymouth department store CC Ward, which specialised in wedding attire and high-end women’s clothing. It’s no surprise that the first thing she thought about was her dress.
“Somehow I knew quite quickly exactly what I wanted and designed it all up,” says Victoria, who studied sustainable fashion design at Whitecliffe Fine Arts School during Covid. She also worked for Trelise Cooper for several years though credits mum for a lot of her knowledge and passion.
“She’s truly incredible.”
It was mother Roz’s 40 year old wedding dress that Victoria had her heart set on — with a few modifications.
“The fit was perfect, and I loved the skirt, but the bodice was very 80s.
“Luckily it had huge sleeves, which we knew would give us enough fabric to make a new bodice. We took the dress to Vinka Design to see Anita — who had made my sister’s wedding dress. Anita’s mother was Vinka Lucas who made my mum’s original dress so it was a very special project for both of us!
“Mum also had a higher hem in the front of her dress which we decided to cover with fabric flowers cascading down the dress.”
The bridesmaids’ and flower girls’ dresses, Victoria made herself, albeit with a lot of help from friends and family.
She dyed metres and metres of fabric scraps left over from when her mum had CC Ward.
“We then cut all the flowers out and sorted them into stacks and put them together with a gold bead. We cut over 5000 flowers … both dresses were completely covered in our handmade flowers!
She also made six flower girl dresses with pink hairbands stitched with flowers that matched those on the bridesmaids’ dresses.
On the day itself, persistent rain was successfully negotiated.
“Our first look was really special – we just made it into The Fernery before the rain came down. Finally being able to show Conor my dress was amazing. It’s the longest I’ve ever kept a secret from him!”
“The photos beforehand were so much fun. Our bridal party were incredible and so positive … they really made the day so enjoyable. Throughout all the rain photographer Natalie Waugh did an amazing job.”
The couple really enjoyed passing around their wedding cake at the reception as it was a wonderful time to talk to so many of their friends and family. It was that connection, and all the laughter that they remember most.
“In so many of the videos I’m laughing so much. I honestly can’t even remember what exactly I was laughing at but there were so many times in the day that everyone was just so amazing and cracking great jokes.”
Sam Rapira and Waitohu Ngarewa
31st January 2025
For Sam Rapira and Waitohu Ngarewa, love began with a shared passion for combat sports. What grew from those early meetings at the Box Office Boxing Club became something much deeper: a relationship grounded in aroha, loyalty and whānau.
Their first impressions of each other could not have been more different. Sam was instantly drawn to Waitohu, whereas she took a little more convincing, they laugh.
Humour has clearly always been part of their connection, but beneath that playful beginning, something meaningful was steadily taking shape.
For Sam, things became serious when he realised he simply could not stop thinking about Waitohu. For her, it was the way they consistently showed up for one another and supported each other’s passions and ambitions.
Today, the couple describe their relationship as one built on emotional safety, stability and understanding.
Together they are raising a blended whānau, with Sam bringing three children into the relationship, Waitohu one son, and together welcoming their son Romana, named after Sam’s beloved Koro.
Sam and Waitohu were married in a place deeply connected to Waitohu’s whakapapa – Manutahi church – next door to her parents’ home, on whenua woven with generations of family history and memories. Adding even greater significance to the ceremony, Waitohu’s Koro Hemi served as celebrant.
For the couple, incorporating Māori cultural elements into the day was never about formality.
It was about connection, honouring the people, place and history that shaped them both.
“The whole area is dear to Waitohu’s heart,” Sam says.
“So much of our whānau made the wedding, which was amazing for us both.”
Like many weddings, the day came with moments of stress and busy-ness, but what remains strongest in their memories is the overwhelming feeling of love surrounding them.
“We just wanted everyone to feel the love,” they say. “Not only the love we have for each other, but the love we have for all of them for coming.”
One moment especially remains etched in Sam’s memory – seeing Waitohu walk down the aisle with her father Darren.
“Her beauty was unforgettable.”
The atmosphere of the day reflected exactly who they are as a couple: grounded, family-focused and deeply connected to the people around them. Rather than extravagance, it was the meaning behind the day that mattered most.
Looking back now, the couple describe their wedding simply as “meaningful… whai tikanga.”
As they step into married life together, their focus remains beautifully simple: raising their children, one day welcoming mokopuna, and continuing to build a relationship grounded in aroha, whanaungatanga and the growth of their entire whānau.