2 minute read
OUR WAY
Living in a rambling old farmstead set in 12 acres of rural land near Mauriceville, Samantha (Sam) Ell and Johnathon (John) Simpson already have the perfect venue for their wedding in December this year.
“The ceremony itself will be held in front of our vintage sheep shed,” says Sam, “and then we’ll all motor off to Le Grá Vineyard and Winery for the reception.”
With five children between them, two each from previous relationships and one-year old Lilly, the couple will be taking a low key but meaningful approach to their big day.
“Making memories is the most important thing to us,” Sam says. And family is important. “John lost a family member recently, and I have had so much loss in my life. We both need to hold close what we have.”
It was the loss of John’s family member that prompted their decision to get married. Sam gave John silver cufflinks last December, specially engraved with the name and birthdate of the person he lost. And then John got Sam an emerald engagement ring.
“Our wedding will be small – no more than 50 guests - and meaningful. It will not be fancy and there will be no argybargy. We want our guests to finish the day feeling that the wedding was a true expression of us as a couple,” says Sam. The kids will be involved, with Sam’s oldest son walking her down the aisle, John’s son as the ring boy, and the two older daughters as flower girls in fairy dresses. The bride’s dress was bought online for a reasonable price. It has a seashell bodice and nude underlay, with lacey flowers trailing down it to the floor. And John’s attire? “He wants to wear braces, and has agreed not to wear jeans,” Sam laughs. That’s as far as they’ve got on that front.
Sam’s red hair goes all the way down to her derrière and she intends to show it off on the big day in soft curls and with a flower crown. “My mum’s side is Irish and my Māori granddad on my father’s side had a red beard, so I’ve got the colour from both sides.” As a hairdresser with Headquarters Hair Design in Carterton, and with two of her three bridesmaids’ also hairdressers, Sam’s got the hair side of things well-sorted.
A friend is on make-up duty on the day, Sam’s planning to call on uncles for transport with their matching V8 Holden Monaros, and she’s already ordered the invitations online. Once the party has moved to Le Grá for the reception, a grazing table will be on hand while photos are taken and then, at around 7pm, the kids will all be taken home and dinner will be available for the adult guests.
“We hunt and fish,” Sam says, “so we’ve booked the Caveman BBQ to set up at Le Grá alongside Le Grá’s vintage caravan bar. Caveman BBQ reflects who we are as a couple. There will be no seating chart and people can simply eat, sitting on hay bales, whenever they feel hungry.”
Then there’ll be a honeymoon. “Somewhere nice and hot, with a beach, and out of the country,” Sam says.
