Jamie, a proud 6ft tall Kiwi chick who loves a good pun and inappropriate jokes, works for an Australian coffee roaster and is a sucker for romance. Maddie describes herself as the Frodo to Jamie’s Gandalf. Maddie is a short Malaysian/Mauritian/Australian woman, a self-described nerd – she loves shirts and suits, playing video games and reading nothing but fantasy novels.
Jamie and Mads have been together for a little more than four years and met through work, different companies but the same office. Mads worked in the Brisbane office, Jamie was working in Auckland, in the New Zealand office. A friendship grew into flirtation, neither knowing that the other was interested in exploring something more. Many quick weekend trips followed, and a big hole was left in their wallets until Jamie decided to move to Australia.
Jamie and Mads had talked about marriage, and from the get-go, Mads made it very clear to Jamie that she wasn’t allowed to propose – Mads wanted to do it. She wanted to be the one to pour out her heart and ask the question.
Mads kept a ring in her bag for months. There were a few hairy moments where Jamie would rustle through Mads’ bag. Alas, she never did find the ring.
I’d never been to Rarotonga, but I knew Jamie loved it there. I chose it because it was one of our first holiday experiences together. I knew it was going to be romantic, and I knew that her mum would be around so I could ask for her permission in person. Jamie loves the beach, so I knew it would be the perfect spot.
-Mads
Being engaged hasn’t changed a lot for Jamie and Mads, other than Jamie getting a little more clucky. A two-year engagement has been perfect for them. Giving them time to get ready for marriage and time to settle into the new phase of their relationship. They will marry in February 2019 at Waterfall Farm in Kaukapakapa, New Zealand – a venue they describe as ‘perfect’.
Wedding planning has been a dream. Both Mads and Jamie are organised people. So a bulk of the planning and details were sorted well in advance. Their similar vision meant the working together went smoothly; Jamie’s eye for design and Mads’ behind the scenes worked when it came to organising budgets for the wedding. And the honeymoon was the perfect match.
The wedding will be a big celebration of love, a ‘Wedstival’ style wedding, with camping options for guests in a rustic setting. Both brides-to-be are looking forward to celebrating with the people that they adore the most. They have guests travelling to New Zealand from Australia, the USA, the UAE, and New Zealand.
Photography by Stories by Bianca
