Photography: Babiche Martens
As Auckland FC midfielder Cameron Howieson trained in the pouring rain on the morning of his wedding, he worried his special day would be a washout. But when the moment came for Cam and his longtime partner Samantha to finally say “I do”, the sun broke through the clouds as if to bless their union.
“It was perfect,” smiles Samantha.
“It’s really nice to finally be married and have the same last name as my kids.”
Adds Cam, “Our main priority was for the girls to be there. With the venue and the small amount of people, it was really nice.”
The couple, who were engaged in 2021, planned their low-key elopement in a few months after their close friend and celebrant, Jamie Drake of Let’s Toast Weddings, threatened to drag them to the altar if they weren’t married by the end of last year.
“We thought if we don’t get married now, we’re never going to do it,” admits Samantha, 33.
They picked a Thursday in November, when Samantha’s parents were visiting from the UK and Cam, 31, had a few days off from training.
Getting ready as a family
The couple, along with their daughters Layla, six, and Evie, two, got ready together at their West Auckland home. Cam had helped Samantha pick her dress – a Meshki dress she found on Facebook Marketplace – so there was no risk of ruining the surprise.
When they arrived at the charming barn setting of The Shed Collective, a short drive from their home, they further bucked tradition by walking down the aisle together while Ordinary by Alex Warren played.
The guest list was tiny. After years of trying to find a date that worked for their families spread across New Zealand and the UK, they realised all that truly mattered was that their girls, Samantha’s parents and Cam’s dad were there to see them exchange vows.
A decade of love
The pair, who met in Manchester in 2014 while Cam was playing football in the UK, spoke from the heart for the special moment. They wanted to reflect on their decade together, which has seen Samantha move halfway across the world for love and navigate scary health challenges with their eldest daughter.
Cam shared, “From the moment I met you, my life changed in the best way. You’ve shown me what real love looks like, through your kindness, strength and the way you care for our little family.”
While Samantha enthused, “Thank you for walking every hard moment with me and for sharing every good one too. I’m so grateful for the life we’ve built together and for the way we have always kept going.”
Toddler tantrums on the big day
While the day was emotional, they admit any tears they might have shed were held at bay by their youngest, Evie, having a tantrum through the 10-minute ceremony.
“She’s a real mumma’s girl,” tells Cam.
“Before we walked in together, she was handed to grandma, but she just wanted to be attached to Sam. So she cried for the whole thing.”
Samantha admits, “It was chaos, but it sums us up perfectly.”
After they exchanged wedding bands and sealed their union with a kiss, the small group celebrated the milestone with a Champagne toast before heading to Piha for sunset photos.
A child-free honeymoon
The newlyweds enlisted Samantha’s parents for babysitting duties so they could enjoy some alone time on a three-day honeymoon on Waiheke Island. They sipped wine in the sun while enjoying some rare child-free days. But the highlight for Samantha was spotting The Chase’s Dark Destroyer, Shaun Wallace.
Cam tells, “It was the first time Sam had ever spent a day away from Layla or Evie. It was nice to have some time away, just the two of us.”
Once they were back in the city, Cam was straight back to training with Auckland FC, as they continue their quest to win back-to-back A-League premierships. Samantha is the full-time support worker for Layla, who has developmental epileptic encephalopathy.
Living with developmental challenges
“It’s basically a group of uncontrolled seizures that cause devastation,” explains Samantha.
“You’re unable to learn or move forward developmentally because there’s all this chaotic activity going on in your brain. “She’s so full of sunshine and she’s a cheeky, fun character. She’s non-speaking, so she’s learning to use a device to speak to us.”
Cherishing every moment
As they look to the future, the pair is excited about watching their girls grow.
“We don’t take any moments for granted – even the smallest things, like dancing around at home,” says Samantha.
“The best thing is getting to raise two incredible girls.”
Adds Cam, “You have this different type of love with them. They bring so much joy to our lives.”
Watch Auckland FC’s home match Saturday, January 24 at Go Media Stadium.
