Whitney + Jordan
Whitney + Jordan
MARCH 19, 2022
ORUA BEACH HOUSE, HAHEI
Jordan’s vows
Whitney, thank you for the time we have spent together. I have loved every second of it and you have been the perfect partner. You have shown me incredible love and support over the years, in both the good times and the bad, you have been there for me and assisted me through what I know have been my toughest moments. Thank you.
Our relationship is not just a case of two people who like each other deciding to be together. Over the past fifteen years our relationship has been a constant in each other's lives and we have continuously influenced the development of each other as we each grow into the people we are today - hopefully you’ll agree this has been a positive thing.
Over the years, it has once or twice been suggested that since we met so young, how do we know each other is the one for us? What else could be out there? Wouldn’t it be better if we had met ten years later then we would have more to compare it to and judge against? Frankly I believe this opinion is complete shit and everyday I am happy that we met when we did, for the fact that we met so young only served to give us all that extra time together. And I couldn’t be happier.
So today on our wedding day, in front of our favourite people I make these promises to you:
I promise to always treat you with respect and as an equal.
I promise to prioritize our life together above all else.
I promise to continue to be your weirdo and weird to the point that Dail shakes her head. I promise to support you in your ambitions and aid you in completing your goals. I promise to celebrate your many successes and support you through your failures.
I promise to love our family unconditionally and be a loving father to our future children.
I promise to continue to provide an A+ sex game.
I promise to always be there to eat Hell's Pizza and watch The Office on Netflix. I promise to continuously strive to be as good a partner to you as you have been to me over the past 15 years. I promise to never take you for granted and to cherish each day we share together.
I love you and I like you and I can’t wait to be your husband.
Whitney’s vows
Jo, I am so incredibly happy to be standing up here with you today. I’ve known I was going to marry you since I was 16 years old, and you’ve reminded me time and time again why over the last few weeks. You’ve stayed up late with me while I worked until 2.00am to make me cups of tea. You’ve made me dinner and delivered it to me without me even realising you’ve started. You’ve played Fleetwood Mac radio for me even when you’d much rather listen to almost anything else. And while I fell apart with all the unknowns and uncertainties about getting to today, you’ve stayed calm and positive and kept us going.
You are my best friend Jo – you’re the first person I want to share any news with, you make me laugh like nobody else can and you always make me feel safe. We’ve had so many adventures already – mostly exciting and some challenging – but we always come out better because we’re together. If we’re lucky enough to have children in the future, I already know you’ll be the most incredible father because if you love them like you love me, they’ll have everything they need.
You love openly - you tell me you love me every single day, exactly as I am, and have never once asked me to change anything about myself. You are kind and generous and you truly care about your friends and family. You are smart, and incredibly hard-working and whatever you do in your life, you will do it well. You challenge me to be better and you make each day better for me simply by being there.
So today, on our wedding day, in front of our favourite people, I make these promises to you:
I promise to do my best to take care of you when you’re sick, even though you take much better care of me.
I promise to be publically loyal and privately honest.
I promise to listen to all of your stories for the rest of our lives, no matter how long they are.
I promise to try and limit the number of photos I force you to take with me – except for today.
I promise to make you feel as loved as you have made me feel every day since I was 16.
I promise to make time for you to tell me about your latest business musings, even if it’s on a long car ride and I’ve got no means of escape.
I promise to make time for us, and to always put our family first.
I promise to respect you, always.
I promise to be your greatest cheerleader when things go well, and your biggest supporter when they don’t.
I promise to love you as hard as I can for as long as I can.
I love you and I like you, and I can’t wait to be your wife.
Bridal party
COURTNEY LEGGETT CO MAID OF HONOUR
Sissy to the bride, the most organised and thoughtful person with the best piggy rhymes.
DAIL WALDING CO MAID OF HONOUR
Long time best friend of the bride and groom, the most loyal person in any room, even if she’s asking you about something you said three days ago.
KATE DYSON BRIDESMAID
High school best friend of the bride, the most fun person you’ll ever meet, always keen for anything, and our biggest cheerleader.
LAUREN WILLIAMS BRIDESMAID
High school best friend of the bride, often mistaken for sisters at school which conveniently meant they could share an ID.
ERIN AVERY BRIDESMAID
The bride’s moon and stars, they found love for each other over debits and credits.
SHANNON EVISON BRIDESMAID
Sister to the groom, and now the bride, powerhouse musician and passionate Pisces.
MARK WEBSTER BEST MAN
Childhood best friend of the groom, co-author of WDTSNSIDP and tea titan of the Bay.
ROBERT EVISON GROOMSMAN
Brother to the groom, first husband of the bride, and resident dunmut.
ELLIOT LADKIN GROOMSMAN
A curly good boy with a shockingly long drive.
DYLAN SHEARER GROOMSMAN
Long time friend of the groom, and previous beer slinging bro.
MOLLY MCCARTHY GROOMSLAD
University friend of the groom and bride, tri-pie champ and kebab companion.
SAM LEGGETT GROOMSMAN
Brother of the bride, and now the groom, lover of pink gin, and the nicest guy in any room.
Andy’s speech
Kia ora. I’d just like to extend a very warm welcome to everyone here today to help us celebrate Whitney and Jordan’s wedding. I know a lot of you have travelled a fair way to be with us today, including my 94 year old mother, Whitney’s grandmother, who’s travelled all the way from Palmerston North to be here. Fantastic efforts and it’s really great that we finally got to this day. We were postponed of course, twelve months ago, and with the crazy world that we’re living in at the moment, it’s really great to see everyone here today, and I think if we can just forget about the rest of the world, and get on and enjoy it tonight, we’ll have a great evening and a great celebration with Whitney and Jordan.
A special thanks to Audrey and Rob for all your efforts in getting to this day. There’s a lot of little things that happen in a wedding and a lot of it’s unnoticed, so really appreciate everything you’ve done to make this day special for both Whitney and Jordan. Also, want to take the opportunity to extend a warm welcome to your family. You have welcomed us with open arms over the years, and you have a wonderful family. We’ve had some great times together and I’m sure there’s more to come.
Well, my little girl Whitney, or as I call her, Bob. I’ve called her Bob for many years now and I sat down the other day and I couldn’t really work out how that name came about. I think we were just at home one day and I had ‘Bob’ in my head, and yelled out “hey Bob” to her, and she answered, so it stuck from there.
I’d like to take this opportunity to say a few things about Whitney, a couple of things that have really stuck out for me over the years. We all know she’s achieved so much in her life and she’s got a lot more to go, but one of the things for me is that she’s got this persona about her that she can just walk into a room, normally with a really big smile on her face, and the whole room just lights up. And a lot of people don’t have that but Whitney has that. I can speak of personal experience where I’ve been sitting in a room and felt really down, and Whitney has walked in and the whole place has piped up.
The other thing is her determination. If you know Whitney really well, she is very determined. If she wants something, she just goes and gets it. And it became quite evident to me when she attended Tauranga Girls, and she came home one day and said to Sharon and I that she wanted to be Head Girl, and she did everything that she could do over the next couple of years and she did become Head Girl of Tauranga Girls. A great achievement, and I’m sure there’s more to come, with your new husband Jordan.
Jordy, welcome to our family. You’ve been part of our family for 15 years really. Actually, you’re part of the furniture, you’ve been living with Sharon and I on and off for the past couple of years, and you’ve cemented a pretty good place in there. I think when we first met, there wasn’t a lot of conversation between us. I’m not sure if there was a bit of fear there, or confusion, but we’ve got to know each other over the years, and as they say, good things take time. And look mate, to be fair, you’ve done so many things in our family already, and you’re more than a son-in-law to us, you’re the extra son that Sharon and I never had, and a big brother to both Courtney and Sam. So thank you, and welcome.
As we’ve heard today already, these guys were made for each other, they’re soul mates through and through and they’re going to have a fantastic marriage together. I’ll just leave you with a little bit of advice. Marriage can be tough. You go through your hard times, as we’ve all experienced, but there’s so many people in here that love you guys to bits, your friends and family. So when those hard times do get tough, reach out. There’s quite a few people in this marquee who have a lot of experience and have been married for a lot of years. Don't be scared to reach out and talk to people.
Congratulations, I know you’re going to have a wonderful marriage together, and have a great night.
Sharon’s speech
Ko Whitney Whitney
I a koe e tamariki ana, he mārama tonu koe. As a small child there was always a glow about you.
Ko koe ngā mea pai katoa o tēnei ao me ka whakakiia ahau ki te aroha me te whakahī. You are everything that is good in this world and it fills me with so much love and pride.
Kei te rangimārie tāku ngākau tiaki rawa, kia mōhio kei te hono koe ki to hoa wairua a Jordan.
My overprotective heart is at peace to know you are united with your soul mate Jordan.
Kua tino hanga koe mo tētahi ki tētahi, nō reira ki roto i te mārenatanga ka ātaahua kōrua… You are clearly made for each other and in marriage you will be beautiful…
... me hanga ētahi mā mātou ngā mokopuna ātaahua. …and make us some beautiful grandchildren.
Audrey’s speech
Hello everyone. We are Audrey and Rob, Jordan’s parents and Whitney’s unofficial mother and father in law for the past 14 years, which has been an absolute pleasure. Unfortunately I won’t be able to incorporate all the elements Jordan requested for this speech: two musical pieces, acrobatics and fireworks just to name a few. Luckily I don’t need pyrotechnics and glitzy antics to discuss this wonderful couple. Jordan was born with a quirky sense of humour, a keen intelligence and a passion for musical theatre, especially Disney. I was always glad that Rob took Jordy to Disneyland as a small child where the Aladdin live musical theatre show was on their schedule several times a day. Sorry Whitney, Princess Jasmine was his first love.
Jordan was a happy, boisterous, busy child and a fabulous big brother for Shannon and Robbie. He honed a lot of his leadership skills on those two. There was never a dull moment with Jordy in the house. He loved his friends and family and his enthusiasm was infectious. Those of you who are fortunate to be Jordan’s close friends will know that he is loyal and sincere and a fountain of knowledge on craft beer. Jordan is very diligent and hardworking and we are very proud of his academic achievements. His talent for math, I must admit, originates from a paternal source. The good looks, however, could be maternal. We welcomed Whitney into our family many years ago. She is already very much a part of the Evison clan. We have a family chat by that name and when I ping out an important message to the clan, she is usually the first to reply. Robbie hasn’t read it and is still trying to find a tactful way to leave this group.
Whitney is intelligent, funny, warm-hearted and an expert at the floss dance manoeuvre. I encourage you to ask her for a demonstration this evening. The fact that she looks like Jordan’s sister means we have a pretty good idea of what our grandchildren will look like. We cannot imagine our family without our gorgeous Whitney. Rob and I have great pleasure in celebrating Jordan and Whitney’s wedding here today with you all. We wish them every happiness in their married life.
Robin’s speech
Thank you Audrey, and thank you everyone for coming. Whitney, we love you. Jordan, we are proud of you. From our Canadian family - Leigh, Rob, Ryan, Katie, Mark and Kiara - come these words: our hearts and thoughts are with you, even if we cannot be there in person. We wish you joy and happiness as you embark on the next chapter of your lives together. I want to finish with the advice that my dad gave to Audrey and I on our wedding day: be good to each other.
Sam’s speech
Being a younger brother to two sisters, left me in a bit of a funny position growing up. I thought I had to fill the stereotypical duties of a brother, like keeping my sisters safe and when a young Canadian, skater shoe wearing, Russel Brand lookalike came over for dinner in 2007, well I thought those duties were only just beginning. Little did I know they were over before they even started.
Aside from all the life lessons I’ve gained from watching Whitney and Jordan’s relationship blossom over the years, I’ve also learned that I will never really need to worry about Whitney ever again because Jor dan will always be there for her. Jordy, on that note, I wanted to take a moment to say thank you. Thank you for caring for my big sister and making her the happiest she can be. Thank you for putting up with our families’ awful jokes and dropping a few in yourself. Thank you for being unapologetically yourself, an absolute seamless fit into our family. Thank you for showing me what it’s like to have a brother, I couldn’t have chosen a better one if I picked them myself.
Whitney, you’ve been a role model for me ever since the days you let me sleep in your bed when I was scared at night. You have always been there for me, like when I missed out on that award in primary school, I still have the note you gave me by the way. You have often been my go-to for advice when I’m feeling lost and you have never failed to pick me up when I’m feeling down. I honestly don’t know how everyone else gets by without having you as a sister, because I would be completely lost. I love you so much and am so grateful to be your little brother. I cannot put into words how happy I am for you that you have found a love like you have with Jordy. Now Courtney would like to share a poem she has written for Whitney and Jordan.
Courtney’s speech
No-one has a sister, quite like Sam and me.
One whose smart and bright and funny, and as pretty as can be.
A sister who calls constantly when she knows that you’ve been down.
And who will make that special trip to visit when you move town.
A sister whose strong and stands in front to protect you from those big waves.
Even though SHE’s the one who is terribly afraid.
A sister who takes photos.... yes... and makes sure we stay in touch.
So even when we are miles apart, it never feels that much.
A sister who is kind and sweet and gentle, and positive beyond compare.
And one whose laugh is iconic for almost everybody here.
Whitney - you have so much love to give, of course it was to be seen
That you would fall madly in love when you were just sixteen.
And bring into all of our lives the only boy in town
Who went along with dad, when he explained why our dog was brown.
We are a package deal Jordyyou get one, you get the lot.
Lucky for you, word on the street is ‘those leggetts are HOT’.
You have embraced our way of life, all the piggies you can count
And getting up extremely early to meet atop the Mount.
Sam and I want you to know that WAY before today, we considered you our brother and we knew that you would stay.
We love you both and now we feel most fortunate in the room.
Because the two of you have FINALLY come together as bride and groom.
Please celebrate these two right hereour families unite!
Raise your glass and everyonelet’s party all night!
Robbie’s speech
So the old marriage aye. I would just like to start by saying that I’m in favour of this union.
Whitney came into my life when I was ten, and I’m 25 now. I don’t know how many dates you guys have been on but Whitney took me to go and see Alvin and the Chipmunks, and that was really nice.
I’m thinking, if you’re taking the little brother to see Alvin and Chipmunks, you must be pretty cool, and you are. You are a fixture of the family because it’s been 15 years. We know you so well, and now you’re getting married. So it’s not a welcome to the fami ly but it’s wishing you a very long happy marriage. We love you, and thank you Jordan for being a great brother, right on.
Shannon’s speech
Hi everyone, I am Jordan’s little sister Shannon and it is my honour to be standing here today to celebrate two of my favourite people on their wedding day. Firstly to Jordan, my quirky, hilarious and fiercely loyal big brother. Lover of loud shirts, craft beer, math and meat.Thank you for paving the way, and softening our parents up a bit for when Robbie and I came along. You have been a pillar of strength for me over the years, (even if you do still cry when singing ‘A Whole New World’).
When Jordan and Whitney started dating I was 14 years old. At this point, the only woman in Jordan’s life was Jasmine from Aladdin and his main passions involved; rock-climbing, samurai swords, school production and wearing floral ¾ pants. It does seem strange welcoming Whitney into the family as, truthfully, I have considered Whitney to be my sister for at least the past ten years. She has been there for every family holiday, every platter shared in the glamour room, every argument (usually during a gnarly game of monopoly), every drunken night in Hahei, and has shared many seasons of life with our family.
Instead, I wanted to take this time to celebrate Jordan and Whitney by sharing a couple of things I’ve learnt from their relationship over the past 14 years.
1) Acceptance - you are both unapologetically yourselves and you accept and adore each other, zebra shirts and all.
2) You always keep learning and encouraging each other to grow. Whether it’s Jordan retraining as a teacher, or Whitney learning te reo, you are always on the sidelines cheering each other on.
3) You show up for each other everyday. Your journey has taken many twists and turns but I am always in awe of your belief in one another and in your relationship.
Finally to Jordan - thank you for being a role model for me. I know you will continue to cherish Whitney and be an incredible husband. Whitney - you probably have the highest EQ out of anyone I’ve ever met. Thank you for the endless love you have given my brother and our family over the years. We adore you. I would now like to raise a toast to the gorgeous newly weds!
I will forever be inspired by you and I will forever be learning from you both. To Jordan and Whitney!
Dail’s speech
Kia ora kotou. Ko Dail t ō ku ingoa. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Dail, co maid of honour and long time third wheel of this lovely couple until about 4 years ago. It is an absolute honour to be here with you all tonight at such a fantastic occasion and to be asked to speak about two of my absolute favourite humans. I’d like to congratulate Whitney, Jordan, Sharon, Andy, Audrey and Robin for putting on such a spectacular day - I know how much hard work and love has gone into today. As expected, I’ll start with a few words about Whitney, then roast Jordan a bit and finish with telling you why I believe that these two were made for each other. Whitney. You are a woman of many amazing attributes, but today I would like to talk about three in particular - how welcoming you are, your generosity and your ability to make people laugh. To help illustrate my first point, let’s head back to 2004 - where Whitney and I first met at Tauranga Girls’ College. Math class was where we really hit it off - learning more about each other than about the algebra that we were meant to be working on. This trend carried on, sharing dreams, goals and gossip in class (as teenage girls do) until we became permanent fixtures in each other’s lives. From day one of meeting, I instantly felt welcomed and comfortable with Whit and this was exactly the same with her wh ā nau. Shaz and Andy would open up their house to all us girls for sleepovers, swims and the most competitive volleyball games I’d ever experienced. In no time at all, the Leggett’s place felt like my second home and I became an honourary part of the family. Thank you Shaz and Andy for being like second parents to me all this time and for creating this wonderful human. You are an amazing family and I’m so lucky to have you all in my life.
Whitney is without a doubt the most caring and generous person I know, another thing she has inherited from her family. When we shared a room at uni, Whitney had a draw full of yummy snacks and treats that she’d received in care packages from Shaz. She was always happy to share this with others and the draw was constantly raided by myself and our uni floor mates and replenished frequently courtesy of the Leggetts. Whit’s love language is giving and receiving gifts and by golly is she good at it! Luckily Jordan has cottoned onto this over the years and does his best to shower Whitney in pressies that she will love (sometimes with a little nudge in the right direction from the gals). Over all the years of gifts - birthdays, Christmas and other occasions - I’ve never received a gift from Whit that wasn’t super well thought out and personalised. She also has a way with words and her cards always have me bawling, laughing out loud or both. Whit is also extremely generous with her time and is always there to help problem solve or offer advice, even when her own plate is full. I’m sure most of us here tonight would have been the lucky recipient of a kind word of encouragement or a pearl of wisdom from this lovely lady. Whitney has the ability to make people howl with laughter - granted sometimes at her rather than with her. As you’ve heard, she is a woman of many talents but she is also a woman of many quirks - one of which I recently found about about - the fact that she gags at the smell of fruit loops. For a well educated woman, Whitney’s grasp on the English language is sometimes lacking. She has kept us entertained over the years with her misunderstanding of common sayings such as ‘in the wars’ which Whitney thought was ‘in the walls’ because if you crashed into a wall you’d be injured, and Jordan’s fav where she combined ‘what goes around comes around’ and ‘swings and roundabouts’ to make ‘what goes around swings around a roundabout’. Whit also had us laughing recently by going to the extreme lengths of creating her own model to predict the COVID cases as we neared the big day - just in case the govt wasn’t quite hitting the mark. But in all seriousness, Whitney - you are the most loyal friend I could ever have asked for. You have helped me through some very hard times and have always stood by my side. I love you.
Now onto Jordan - the man of many sayings - most frequently used probably ‘Jordy fucks’ or ‘ok so’ when playing Articulate. He is a man of passion, drive and dubious music taste, who is always the life of the party. The first time I met Jordan was at a high school party where I recall him lifting up his shirt and showing off his nipple piercing and explaining how it was difficult for the lady to pierce it because of his tiny nips. This level of candidness is something I have come to expect from Jordan and these overshares are often followed by me sighing ‘oh Jordan’, but really I enjoy the openness and honesty. Although this is Jordan’s first year officially teaching, he has dipped his toes in the water before - most memorably for me when he offered to tutor me for a uni statistics paper - QUAN102. I won’t put too much of the blame on you for the fact that I failed twice Jord but we go there in the end. It has been awesome this past year seeing you find your passion in teaching - the profession and the students are lucky to have you Jordy. Love you buddy. Whit and Jord compliment each other so well. Jord’s spontaneity, Whit’s thorough planning, Jord’s sometimes dubious comments, and Whit’s way of gently (sometimes not so gently) reining him in are just some of the ways they fit so well. The quality of this event, the calibre of the people here tonight and the amount of love that is so obviously present here tonight speaks volumes about you two as a couple. Your ability to meet, befriend and support people is truly inspiring and I can’t think of a more generous and hospitable couple. While the road to get here hasn’t always been smooth, particularly in the last year or two (excuse my language Betty - but fucking COVID!), you two have always stuck together through thick and thin, even when on opposite ends of the world. To quote an email from Whitney, dated 8 September 2007 she stated “Last night was a cool rager. Everybody was so nice. I made best friends with Jordan, who I want to marry” - well sis, you did it! And in my eyes - there is no greater love story than that of Whitney and Jordan. Please raise your glasses and cheers to one outstanding duo.
Mark’s speech
Jordan Evison. Jord. Jordy. Jordor. Jev. Jordman. Jordman with the strength of 10 gorillaz. Big Jizza. Alex’s fifth favourite member of the Evison family. Mustard shoe. Falco. Grape Nuts. He goes by many names. But to us he will always be known as something else – a best friend. But was it always this way?
I first met Jordan at Wickham - a small private primary school - along with Alex Matson, who is currently in China and unfortunately can’t be here tonight. Fortunately though he has had a heavy hand in writing this speech, so this is from both of us. Back to Whickam primary school - so here’s Jordan, this six year old, unco kid with an accent and an earring. In a school full of ‘special’ kids, Jordan stood out. I was immediately drawn to him. Alex recalls being repulsed by his voice and cocky North American attitude, but they soon bonded and became fast friends. The Evison family became like a second family to Alex and I, and 333 Oceanbeach Road a second home
After Wickham we would go our separate ways, myself to schools in Otūmoetai. In adulthood we’ve lived in different cities and countries, but I believe the mark of a good friendship is the ability to reconnect after not seeing each other for ages, as if no time has passed. Jordan’s friendship with Alex and I has now been going strong for close to 26 years.
One thing that has remained constant through time is Jordan’s unique brand of confidence: from his dancing, to his fashion sense, the more you belittle it, the more determined he is to express his special style. This quality was first on full display when we were teenagers and Jordan decided he would grow his hair out. Like red steel wool, his mane twisted in all directions down to his shoulders. Jordan rocked this look like he was the ginger Fabio. He wasn’t.
His hair got so unruly that Robin ended up bribing him to cut it off. Jordan, not ready to part with the wirey mess decided to list a shopping bag full of his hair on Trademe. I remember saying to him, ‘Jordan, what sort of sick, sick, bastard is going to want your hair?’. He cooly replied, ‘I dunno, they might want to make a doll out of it or something’.
Well, the hair listing came down - turns out you’re not allowed to sell body parts on Trademe - and Audrey has kept that bag of hair for the last 20 years. Would you know it… some sick, sick bastard did make a doll out of it… me (present him with a doll made with his hair). Stay weird dude.
I will also mention that Jordan wanted to donate his hair to the Cancer Society so they could make a wig. Most people leave their hair on the floor at the barbers. Not Jordan. Always thinking of others.
It’s that authenticity, being himself, that is found in abundance in Jordan. And I’m not just talking about his fashion sense, it’s found in his character. There’s no veneer with Jordan, he is who he is, he’s compassionate to no end and that’s what I admire the most about the guy.
Now it wasn’t long after Jordan cut his hair that he met Whit. Whitney won’t remember first meeting Alex backstage at the Jesus Christ Superstar production, but Alex remembers being struck by her warmth and maturity – definite head girl material. So he was shocked when he found out she was dating Jordan, as she seemed WAY out of his league. No way this could last.
Whitney, through the years you’ve somehow developed the poise required to let this colourful pelican fly. Well done. It’s been an absolute privilege being witness to your LONG-ass relationship and I think all couples would do well to take note: this is how you genuinely care for one another. Congratulations from Alex and I. I love you both.
Whitney + Jordan’s speech
Jordan: Kia ora team. Wow, what a great evening so far. Thank you to all that have spoken tonight, going last after that line up is a tough gig. Before we go any further, I would just like to say…. how good do I look? Round of applause for me. No, no, of course I’m kidding, let’s get another one of those for the real hero here Whitney! If you’re here with us now, you are, without a doubt, our closest friends and family. Either that, or you’re dating one of them. We are incredibly honored that you’ve made the journey here to Hahei, especially while we’re in the peak of the pandemic. We have Kate, who’s travelled from Amsterdam to be here with us, a cohort from Australia, some of whom have ended employment agreements in order to make it work, and people from all over NZ, including Betty - Whitney’s Nana - who, at almost 94, got onto a plane and then travelled by rental car in order to be here - Cheers Betty! Not to mention those who so desperately wanted to be here, if not for this pesky pandemic - my Canadian family the D’Angelo’s, who more than anything would have loved to be in attendance, and of course our other friends in Canada, London, Ireland and China and the rest of NZ. You are all part of today because you have added something meaningful to our lives and we are so grateful to be able to finally share this with you.
Whitney: Even with Jordan deciding to give wedding planning a go ten days before the wedding, there are so many other people that helped make today possible. We would not have gotten through today, or the last few weeks without you, our favourite people. We have had countless messages and well wishes, and food parcels and wine deliveries and we have truly felt so supported and cared for - even though you’re all bastards for risking this dress not fitting. Our list of thank you’s is a mile long but top of the list has to be our parents. We literally could not have made today happen without your constant support, problem solving and organising. Growing up in the same city, and being together for fifteen years has meant that our parents have had the opportunity to get to know each, and become friends, and both Jord and I know how fortunate we are to have that.
Mum and Dad, there will never be enough words to express my gratitude for you, and everything you’ve done for me. I know a pale ginger baby who’s afraid of waves was a big surprise to two tanned beach lovers, but there is nothing more I could have ever wanted growing up as a Leggett. When I think of our family, I think of volleyball on the front lawn in the summer, fish and chips on Pilot Bay, days sitting around the pool with a cheeseboard and a crossword, Christmas movies night surrounded by 30 Christmas trees, and learning poker on our camping trips away with MnMs as the chips - I barely made it to the second hand. You’re both so hard-working and dedicated to our family - you’ll drop anything to help us at a moment’s notice, even if it means redelivering a pizza to us in the middle of the night when Jordan had it sent to the wrong house. Thank you for creating such a magical life for me, and Courtney and Sam, and for bringing Jordan into the magic too. And thank you so much for everything you’ve done to make today happen - you’ve been integral in getting to this point but a special mention to Dad for making the welcome board signs, and Mum for making the wedding cake (and for delivering samples of all the practice runs beforehand). I love you both so much and hope you know how lucky I feel to have had you captaining my team for so long. And you Sam and Court - I could not have picked better teammates if I tried - I love you both so much too.
And Robin and Audrey, I owe you fifteen years of thank you’s too. We’ve come a long way since you first met me as a 15 year old jumping on a mini-tramp in your garage, bottle of Tui in hand. You are both so kind and generous with your time, you prioritise your family, and you always support us no matter what. You made Jord, so that’s the best thing right there and I’ve got Robbie as a back up if this doesn’t work out, so thank you for that too. I got so lucky with my own parents so to strike gold again with my inlaws feels like I’m taking advantage of the system somehow. I love our coffee breakfasts at the White Seagull, and our slow sunny mornings in Hahei, and I’m happy to still be dominating the Scrabble board - don’t worry Robin, you’ll beat me one day. I may officially be taking the Evison name today, but I’ve felt part of the family since I first started dating Jo. Thank you for everything you’ve done for us, and everything we know you’ll help us with in the future.
Jordan: Mum and Dad, thank you so much for everything you have done for me. You have both been the best parents I could have asked for, from both of you I have always felt loved, inspired, supported and at home. Growing up my life has always been complete with everything and everyone I could have wanted and I thank you both for that. Growing up our house was always full of positive encouragement, a large appreciation of the arts, a nudge towards mathematics and sciences, delicious meals, country music fueled rides to school, which I probably could have done without but I’ve moved on, thousands of wheels of Castello Blue, and in later life, an inevitable stiff Tanqueray would always appear at the perfect moment. You’ve been the ideal parents and role models and I couldn’t have done it without you. Thank you so much for the past 33 years, not least of all the enormous role you’ve played in making today possible. I love you both so much. Andy and Sharon, when I first walked through your door, you saw a skinny 18 year old with a ginger ponytail. I stand before you now as a chubby ginger 33 year old without a cool ponytail. I believe during that first dinner, you ridiculed my chihuahua for not being a real dog and Andy told me not to feed Bailey the labrador chocolate as it would turn him brown.
However, despite the light hazing, I was made to feel very welcome by you both. And over the years, you have never made me feel like anything less than family, which is lucky for you as over time I just kind of stuck around so that bet really paid off. You are the best inlaws I could have possibly asked for, supportive to both Whitney and I in so many ways, not least of which in the DIY department, which, despite my macho aesthetic, may surprise you to learn is not my strong suit. I love you both and thank you for the incredibly positive role you have played in my life over the past 15 years. I would also like to announce that I will also be bringing back the ponytail. And of course where would I be without my wedding party! Thank you so much to you all for being such a great group of people that have played such an amazing and positive role in my life. So many great mates are here - a best mate for 25+ years, a mate I share parents with, a mate from school, a mate I’ve run a business with, a mate from uni, and a mate who, as of today, is my brother in law! I’d also like to shout out to my other great mate, Alex Matson who would have loved to have been here as part of the wedding party except for the fact that he is currently in China which posed a minor geographical problem. You’ve been such a great team, thank you so much. And of course a special mention has to go out to the stag do! Despite the blood and bruises involved, I honestly had the best time I could have hoped for. Thanks to everyone who attended, and most of all thank you to Mark and Molly for bringing it all together.
Whitney: To my stunning bridesmaids, thank you so much for all your help in pulling together today. You’ve been so quick to offer to help me with anything - I truly could not have handled all the last minute pivots without you. You all give your friendship so generously - my sister - and now sisters – my oldest friends from school and friends I’ve made as an adult along the way - I love each and every one of you. And thank you for throwing the most incredible hen’s do I could have ever imagined – every detail was perfect, special mention to Dail and Courtney for pulling it all together. I’d also like to mention Alice, who would have been up here too if not stuck on the opposite side of the world because of COVID - I love you Ally B. There are so many people to thank who had a part to play in getting today across the line, but there are some we need to call out specifically. Moosey - thank you so much for being our celebrant and officially making us a married team. You were there for our first kiss as a couple (more or less in the same position), so it was only fitting we had you there with us today. We love you almost as much and you and Jordan love KFC and are so happy you were willing to subject yourself to an interview and application process just because we asked you to.
Ash - you deserve a medal for your patience with us over the last few months. Ash has so kindly helped design and print all of our wedding stationary, including our invitations. There have been so many late night emails working around my many typos and mistakes, and you have been so accepting every time I changed my mind on something, which was often. You are so talented, and so caring - we love you, thank you so much. Daneka - you literally saved me from a very hairy situation, and saved Jordan from having to pick me up off the floor. Four days ago, my original hairdresser came down with COVID and Audrey, Kate and I had to get into full problem solving mode. Daneka came to the rescue, offering to do a last minute colour for me that day, and to come and do my hair and all six bridesmaids this morning, without a second thought. You made everything feel easy and somehow got this thin mane to hold in curls longer than it ever has - thank you so, so much. Jonny - thank you so much for playing us down the aisle and being so understanding while Jordan and I wrestled our musical preferences. And thank you for playing for everyone this afternoon, it’s been incredible and we really appreciate it.
And a huge shout out to everyone who helped get things ready here over the last few days. Who knew it took so many people to pull a wedding together… it’s been a hive but we are so grateful for everyone’s help. Sean, for being the welcoming committee and car usher, Maddie for the vaccine scanning, the set up crew this morning, Beka, Jason and Caleb for being our drivers, Shehnaz for live streaming, Audrey and Mum for being the kitchen queens and feeding us, and Audrey for doing so much pre-cooking - and I know there’s people I’ve forgotten but we see you all and we love you all.
Jordan: I’d like to throw a big thank you at Cara and Aaron. Cara and Aaron have individually been large parts of both our lives. And although they certainly know each from their years in Wellington together with Whitney and I, perhaps they were surprised to be asked to undertake the MC role as a pair. Aaron is one of my oldest friends and one of our regular high school interactions was competing in the annual speech competition at Tauranga Boys’ College. We competed against each other four times over the years and I am here to tell you that Aaron beat me every single time. So after considering it a bad idea to MC my own wedding, I naturally had to go for the upgrade. And of course Cara is someone Whitney and I both consider one of our best friends. The first indicator was her learning to tolerate me roaming around her flat without any pants on at university and secondly her inability to say no to a hungover weekend brunch date, which more often than not would be on both Saturday and Sunday. Thank you both. You’ve come together as a formidable duo and have absolutely smashed this.
Whitney I can’t believe we are married! We’ve been together for so long and it’s so exciting to start this new chapter of our lives. You’ve been my best friend for years and have put up with so much of my nonsense over that time. You’ve always supported my ambitions and have moved cities several times to do so. I can’t begin to describe how happy you make me. Despite the fact that you continuously mis-use common phrases, I think we’re set to continue to have a great life together and I can’t wait to get it started.
Whitney: Jo, after fifteen years, I can finally call you my husband! You were right, you do look bloody good in that suit and I feel so lucky to have met my person when I was 15 because it meant that we’ve had all this extra time together. And with this time, I’ve learnt a few things about you that I’ll take into our married life.
1. The only thing you love more than me is listening to the All In Podcast or watching Gordon Ramsey videos on Youtube. If you’re doing either of these things, I promise to leave you to it.
2. You will leave the pantry cupboard door open, every single night without fail, and I’ll just have to roll with it.
3. You’ll laugh the hardest at your own jokes, and you’ll tear up instantly as soon as you start singing.
4. You will want to play the full Hamilton soundtrack on repeat on our car journeys and I will have to accept it.
5. You’ll insist that we watch something new or different on Netflix, but will eventually give in and let me rewatch an old episode of Parks and Rec, or the Office.
6. You’ll always let me pick the side of the bed when we move into a new house.
7. You will tell me you love me every single day and you will never ask me to change anything about myself.
8. You will do anything to make me happy and you will always put me first.
There’s not too many other ways to say it Jord – I love you so much and I am so grateful for our life together so far. I can’t imagine that much will change now that we’re officially husband and wife because I feel like I’ve been married to you for years anyway. I wanted to do something a bit different for you on our wedding day to show you how much I love you, so in a wild card move, I’ve actually had your name tattooed on my body somewhere, and you’ll have to try and find it later on… You are my favourite person and I am so happy to be marrying you today. And that finally brings us to the end of our speech – if you could all raise your glasses one final time, we would like to finish with a toast, to thank all of you for sharing today with us. We love you.
madewithloveby
keepsake.
