nikita
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doyle
nikita
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doyle
MARCH 13, 2021
W H A R E R ATA , P A L M E R S T O N N O R T H
our love story
Doyle and Nikita’s love stor y begins just under 5 years ago, and here is how Doyle tells the stor y of when they first met: ’I always thought it’d be the old fashion way, bumping into someone sparking up a convo exchanging numbers and ending up wedded, in a way that did happen just we bumped into each other on Tinder, the new norm it would seem. For those of you that don’t know the intricate workings of the App, you must set the radius that works ‘as the crow flies’. Nik was at a friends place in Khandallah, Wellington and I was in Blenheim. Close enough for us to be in range! As I was swiping through, I remember this blonde beauty catching my eye and swiping right. Fast forward to about 8pm and I got a notification saying you’ve got a match and better yet she’s messaged first! A rarity in the Tinder game. Much to my amazement and pleasure it was Nik! I thought play it cool tr y make her laugh and WAIT TILL I SHOW THE BOYS (inser t fire emoji here)!! We hit it off straight away and didn’t stop talking till about 10pm when Nik said she was off with her mate to town, I thought now’s the chance, give her your number and see what happens. Its 3am my phone rings, unknown number pops up on my screen so naturally I answered it to hear a slightly intoxicated girl called Nikita. We talked for hours and it was effor tless, laughing like we’d known each other for years.’ And the rest, as they say, is histor y. It was another 3 weeks before they decided (on a whim!) to meet in person. At 10:30am Nikita booked a flight to Blenheim that left at 11:30am that same morning. With a quick snapchat to Doyle saying ‘I’m on my way’ she arrived at Blenheim Airpor t. Had a look around and realised Doyle wasn’t there... In the meantime, here was Doyle running around tr ying to have a shower, clean his house, and sor t what was left of his then hair all in the space of 15 minutes. When Doyle finally got to the airpor t, he saw this gorgeous blonde haired, blue eyed beauty standing at the entrance – all he could think was ‘I hope this is her!’ Nikita was greeted with what she describes as the warmest smile which instantly relaxed her and she knew he was something else. Although she still greeted him with ‘You’re Late!’ Doyle and Nikita, your journey began the moment you first met. You took the time to learn what makes the other person smile, what makes them laugh and how to best suppor t them when life is less than simple. You welcomed each other’s families, and lifelong friends, and joined them together with warmth and enthusiasm. You have built the foundations of a family with your love, and have worked ever y day to suppor t it as it changes and grows. Your relationship has blossomed into a love that brings out the best in each other, a care that knows no boundaries, and a dedication to taking on the world together. Marriage brings a new commitment but it is a promise that has existed in the way that you have suppor ted, appreciated, and encouraged each other, long before today.
the bridge across forever By Richard Bach A soulmate is someone who has locks that fit our keys, and keys to fit our locks. When we feel safe enough to open the locks, our truest selves step out and we can be completely and honestly who we are; we can be loved for who we are and not for who we’re pretending to be. Each unveils the best par t of the other. No matter what else goes wrong around us, with that one person we’re safe in our own paradise. Our soulmate is someone who shares our deepest longings, our sense of direction. When we’re two balloons, and together our direction is up, chances are we’ve found the right person. Our soulmate is the one who makes life come to life.
marriage
Marriage to us symbolises the willingness and the intention to fully commit to one another. To love and suppor t each other through thick in thin, through the highest of highs, the lowest of lows and whatever comes in between. It’s being there for each other in “sickness and in health”. They know there will be days in their marriage where it is fun, exciting and adventure packed but there are also going to be days where it is challenging, disappointing and hard, but through it all, they will choose each other, time and time again. Marriage is always having someone to come home to and talk about our day with, to cr y to and to laugh with. It means having a safe and happy home to bring up a little family in.
groom’s vows
Nikita, you are my best friend my biggest suppor ter and my life companion but most importantly you are the love of my life. When we first met all those years ago, albeit I may have left you standing alone at the airpor t for 10 minutes, I never imagined this day would come. You are the first person I want to see in the morning and the last at night. I love the way you dance to make me laugh, I love how fearless and open you are to tr ying new things and I love the way you can’t string a sentence together in a song. I’m incredibly proud seeing the woman you’ve become and who I’m so lucky to marr y today. As we face the world together, know that I’ll be there to stand with you against your troubles, catch you if you should stumble, carr y you over ever y threshold, and fall in love with you ever y day, faithfully and unconditionally through difficult and easy times. I promise to give you all of my words when needed, and to share in the silence when they are not, laugh with you and cr y with you, always being open and honest with you, for I know that together we build a life far better than either of us could imagine alone. I promise to grow alongside you, but also to never grow up, to adventure with you always and to unclog the shower even though you are the only one of us with hair. As we step into the next phase of our lives, hopefully having a few rugrats of our own, where I’ll see you become the beautiful mother that I know you will be. I promise to build a home filled with patience, love, laughter and understanding, being the best father I can be cherishing and caring for you and our family as long as we shall live. Today seems like it’s the star t of a new journey, but I already belong to you. Falling for you wasn’t falling at all, it was like walking into a house and knowing you’re home. Nikita I love you.
bride’s vows
Doyle, I remember growing up hearing people say that they love their par tner more and more each day. I didn’t understand it and I’m not sure I thought it could be true. But then I met you. Ever y single day, I fall deeper and deeper in love with you. I promise to continue to falling in love with you for the rest of my life. I will always be your biggest fan and your par tner in crime. You are my best friend, my favourite person, my soul mate. From the moment I met you, I knew you were the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. You make me happy, you make me feel safe, and you put up with my hangriness. You are fiercely loyal, caring and suppor tive of your family, friends and those around you. I cannot wait to grow old with you. To raise a little family, in a home full of love, patience and laughter. I promise that whatever comes our way, I will be right there beside you, suppor ting you. Even if that means more motorbikes. Doyle, I will always choose you; in a hundred lifetimes, in a hundred worlds, in any version of reality, I would find you and I would choose you. You are my ever ything and these are my vows to you.
father of the bride
As I look at my daughter, the bride, I can’t help but reflect on all the years I was lucky enough to watch her grow and become the beautiful women she is today. She captured my hear t on the day she was born, and I became more and more in awe of her as the years passed. She’s my gorgeous girl, my little princess and my ray of sunlight, and no matter what her age, she’ll always be these things to me. Today as I watch her marr y a wonderful man, I’m filled with pride and am confident that she and Doyle are embarking on a wonderful journey filled with love and happiness which we are here to celebrate today. May the two you always treat each other with love, compassion and kindness. Don’t forget to take time to have “fun” and share lots of good times along the way. So, what can I say about Doyle (that Scotty won’t)? If I ever had to choose someone for Nik to be with, I could not pick anyone else, he’s ever ything a Dad could ask for in a Son in Law. He’s kind, understanding, loyal, dependable, and a true mate with the boys. He even is old school, calling me to ask for Nik’s hand in marriage. Albeit while hiding out in the toilets at a camping ground down south. As you star t your married life together bear in mind that neither of you will be perfect, but you can be a perfect match for each other. A great marriage is not finding a person you can live with, but finding a person you can’t live without. A great philosopher once said “A man who gives in when he’s wrong is a ver y wise man, but a man who gives in when he’s right, is MARRIED”
maid of honour
Hi ever yone, I am Hannah, Nikita’s maid of honour. For those of you who don’t know me, I have been best friends with Nikita since we star ted high school at St Mar y’s college back in 2009. We clicked from the beginning and were inseparable, driving both Ange and Ali absolutely crazy, To this day, I feel like the sister Nikita never had. If I could describe Nikita in 3 words it would be weird, wonderful and wildly inappropriate. Nikita always lightens the mood with her cheeky comments and outrageous stories, like when her and Doyle made a quick detour into the bushes on a bike ride. I’ll leave what happened up to your imaginations. I searched back deep in my messages from July 2016, when Nikita first told me she was going to fly down to Blenheim for a date with a guy she met on tinder. She didn’t give too much information about it and I didn’t think she would follow through with it. However, a week later she informed me she did indeed make the trip down. I was shocked and told her she was crazy and asked her if it was wor th it. Her exact reply was, “yeah so crazy haha he has a weird chin but other than that he is really nice”. That’s the first thing she told me about Doyle. As you can tell Nikita always says what’s on her mind and is never afraid to express herself. She loves to be the boss and often gets her own way except when it comes to Doyle and his motorbikes. To this day, I still can’t believe Ange and Ali let her fly down to Blenheim but knowing Nikita, she wouldn’t let anyone stop her. It is her strong independence and craziness that has us all sitting here today. Nikita and Doyle make a great team and complement each other well. Nikita is loud and proud and Doyle always remains calm and collected. Together they are a dream team destined to do great things. Doyle not only stole Nikita’s hear t but he stole her from Wellington! However, I will be forever proud of the life and career she’s built here with Doyle and Frankie. I want to say good luck to you Doyle, you have a strong woman on your hands. I appreciate the love and suppor t you provide Nikita. Please never stop making her those cups of tea and always appreciate that nice ass she’s got. It’s legally yours now! Remember not to get annoyed when she sings the wrong words to ever y song and treasure the small wins you have together. I’m sure Ange, Ali, Fi and Kev will agree, it’s time for you to star t working on a plan to convince Nik it’s time to have a baby. I feel extremely privileged to be here today to celebrate the love that you both share for one another and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for both of you.
father of the groom Congratulations to Doyle & Nik.
I won’t go into how you met……but Fiona and I are sure glad that you did!! As a kid, Doyle had the gift of the gab – maybe not the confidence or mongrel to go with it. But as he grew, his confidence did as well. He spent a lot of the time with the Fletcher family – so much so that he became known as the brother from another mother.He spent most weekends building, wrecking or racing something with Jarred, living off Serena’s beautiful food and crewing for Jarred, and sometimes Geoff on their speedway race cars. He coxed, then rowed for Cambridge High. He was a great cox – par ticularly for the girls. I think this is where he learn’t he didn’t do drama when it came to girls.At Cambridge High, he attended a Defence Force camp, then decided he wanted to join the Airforce. He applied, but missed out. He worked for Fletcher Sheds – Thanks Geoff! – still focused on the Airforce. He waited for the stand down period and applied again – getting in as a Fireman and did his 3 months basic training at Woodbourne. We attended his graduation and were ver y proud parents sitting in the front row with Maggie as he received one of the top awards. Even though Doyle is the younger brother, he has always looked out for his older sister Maggie. This is a two way street though! Doyle progressed in the Airforce and went to Ohakea – then bought his first home in Palmy – a goal he wanted to achieve by the time he turned 21. Scotty and Jeffy joined him as flatmates. Leaving the Airforce after a few years he had to retrain in Rotorua to become a fireman with Fire Emergency NZ. Another proud parent and sister moment when he graduated and received the top 2 awards – at that time - the youngest and only fireman to receive both. This is when we knew this girl Nik was serious – driving with a friend from Wellington to Rotorua after working a night shift to be there for Doyle’s graduation. A ver y determined and focused woman. Two of many qualities to be admired and are shared by both Nik and Doyle. Today, once again we were sitting in the front row, having our proud parent moment as we watched our gorgeous son marr y his beautiful bride. Together they have a ver y bright and exciting future and this is just day one as Mr & Mrs Stanners. So much to look forward to. Our family of four has now grown to five, - actually seven including Ange and Ali. Family is impor tant and means a lot to both Doyle and Nik.
best man
I read somewhere that the perfect best man speech should last as long as it takes for the groom to make love. So ladies and gentlemen, please raise a glass to the happy couple! Nikita, you look absolutely stunning. You’ve become the sister I never had and I speak on behalf of all the groomsmen when I say we are so thankful Doyle introduced you into our lives. The amount of effor t and work you’ve put into today is evident by the beautiful surroundings and the numerous smiles and tears of joy I’ve witnessed throughout the day. I know at times planning this wedding has been extremely stressful & especially with your workload factored in too, but it truly has been a magical day and for that I thank you on behalf of ever yone here today. Now on to the Groom, Mr. Doyle C STANNERS, Son, Brother, Doye, D-Swa, Chin – Brah, Daddy Doy or whatever name you know him by. Doyle, I speak on behalf of the groomsmen when I say it’s an honour to be standing here beside you today. I first met Doyle in 2012 when we joined the Airforce together, this is where Matt comes in to the picture too and a few years down the line Luke and Brandon. From day one it was clear that Doyle was a go-getter and destined for great things, not much different to today however he had a bit more hair. Doyle completed the 4 month recruit course with ease and throughout it he displayed his work ethic, teamwork and the overall good-guy personality we all know, and love. These attributes were also recognised by the training staff and Doyle was awarded with the w/o trophy at graduation in front of his ver y proud family. I can tell you the other 30 odd people on parade were tr ying their best not to laugh as Doyle’s butt swallowed his pants ever y time he stood to attention as he was accepting his award. After spending 5 years in the Airforce, being promoted to CPL, Doyle was chosen to become a recruit instructor in Woodbourne, back where his career begun and now the love we are here to celebrate blossomed. As many of you know Doyle is into his fitness, healthy eating and all the other sor t of stuff I’ve never really had much interest in. A favourite saying of mine is “Eat right, exercise hard, die anyway “ that’s probably why I don’t have muscles or abs and Doyle does (I’ve still beaten him ever y time in the Sky Tower challenge though) . While in his role as a recruit instructor Doyle really got into the gym along with a good mate of ours Anton. I tell you what, those boys really pumped some iron and downed a container load of supplements on their way to the muscles they desired. As with any accomplishment it’s perfectly normal to feel proud of yourself and wanting to show of your spoils of victor y and boy did Doyle show them off or what. Foolishly Doyle’s Instagram profile wasn’t private and the photo he’d uploaded displaying his hard work in the gym was quickly found by the recruits he was instructing and just as quickly as it was found, it spread around the recruit barracks. Doyle instantly became a god in the eyes of the female recruits & an idol for the lads. Now I’d like to segway from the stor y into how Doyle and Nikita met & once again it involves that infamous photo and another social media application called Tinder. Both Doyle and Nikita liked what they saw and swiped right on one another before striking up a conversation. I thought Tinder was a have but it turns out I just must be doing something wrong cos it’s obviously worked for these two…. Shor tly after matching with one another, Nikita hopped on a tiny little plane and crossed the ocean to the main land to meet her muscled knight in shining armour Doyle. As with any first date Nikita would have been ner vous and throw in the fact you can’t just hop on another flight if things are going wrong she had ever y right to be. Guess who was late to pick up Nikita from the airpor t….. He’s adamant her flight was early but I’ve got your back on this one Nikita! Not long after the first date Doyle left the air force and joined the Fire Ser vice, continued to top courses and slept soundly in his bed or lay-z boy dependent on the time of day helped by the fact he knows Nikita is out keeping him and the rest of the firefighters safe from harm. Obviously Nikita was kind enough and thought enough of Doyle to excuse his tardiness and as a result of Doyle’s gym work & selfie taking skills we’re here today celebrating their journey so far, their love for one another and the future that awaits them both. Finally, I have no doubt you two will continue to thrive together and build on the solid foundation of love and respect for one another you already have, follow the examples set by your parents and you’ll have no worries at all. I thank you both from the bottom of my hear t for always being there for me and it’s been my honour and privilege to stand by your side today.
made with love by
keepsake.