When TV’s Cassie Roma told her US-based family and friends that she and football great Ma¯ia Jackman were planning to wear double denim at their intimate beach wedding, they laughed and said, “Of course you are!”
Celebrity Treasure Island and The Apprentice Aotearoa star Cassie, 45, tells Woman’s Day, “Ma¯ia and I looked at suits or dresses, then thought, ‘Why don’t we just wear Missouri tuxedos?’ Everyone back home thought it was hilarious because they know double denim is my MO.
At one point, I was doing quadruple denim with the shoes and hat as well!
An intimate “I do”
Looking fabulous in their new “wedding jeans”, the barefoot lovebirds shared heartfelt vows during their romantic ceremony on Otama Beach in the Coromandel in front of just 10 guests, including Ma¯ia’s son Bryson, 29, and daughter Kaea, 11, who also rocked denim.
“It was super-tiny and beautiful, and everyone looked great!” remembers Cassie. Former Football Ferns captain Ma¯ia, 51, adds, “It was so us. Quite a few people told me beforehand to make sure I was really present and in the moment, and I was – all I could see was Cassie.”
With rain “heaving down” at 3am on the day of the nuptials, Cassie was relieved it had cleared by the time she arrived at the beach half an hour before the ceremony with her bestie and self-described “Best Mandz”, Mandy Kupenga, who also doubled as their wedding photographer.
As they waited under a po¯hutukawa for Ma¯ia before the ceremony, Mandy reminded a “joyfully emotional” Cassie to “breathe deep”.
Whānau by their side
Ma¯ia is adopted and her Aussie-based birth mother Lynn Joass also played a part in their big day, walking Ma¯ia to her mum Jenny, who took her the rest of the way up the beach to Cassie.
Ma¯ia confesses, “My heart was beating fast and I was so excited when I saw Cassie that I made a beeline for her – I almost left Mum behind!”
Before their vows, Cassie got a surprise when Ma¯ia’s daughter Kaea handed her a special certificate with an important request.
The football legend shares, “Kaea made Cassie a gorgeous certificate with dancing dill pickles and fun messages, which ended with the words, ‘Will you be my legal guardian?’ Cassie broke down halfway through reading it and everyone was in tears.”
The couple’s emotional vows revealed what a perfect match they are, with their self-penned words incredibly similar, despite not having shared them before the ceremony. Officially married, the newlyweds then shared bubbly, speeches and nibbles at a gorgeous beach house nearby.
Wifey, Established 2026
Ma¯ia had some tees made for her and Cassie with the words “Wifey, Established 2026”, and they listened to beautiful messages from Cassie’s US-based daughter Chelsea, 20, and her parents.
Cassie shares, “The day ended with a yummy dinner in Whitianga, where Ma¯ia had her first glass of Champagne in forever. She was so cute and giggly!”
Ma¯ia smiles, “I don’t drink, so I ended up drunk, sober and hungover within an hour and a half!”
Cassie, who has been married twice before, says her connection with Ma¯ia is on another level.
“We have so much love for each other,” she enthuses. “Our relationship is so easy and we just know we want to be together forever. It’s an amazing feeling to be married.”
Grinning, Ma¯ia adds, “It’s so cool saying I’m Cassie’s wife. It’s third time lucky for her and first time’s a charm for me!”
Their next chapter together
While the couple relish their time together, both women have busy professional lives that take them away from their Auckland home. Ma¯ia, who has Nga¯puhi heritage, works as a team leader at High Performance Sport NZ, helping athletes achieve their goals as they work towards pinnacle events like the Olympics. She’s also part of a 16-member international panel of former pro football players working with Fifa to combat racism in the sport.
Meanwhile, entrepreneur Cassie and her mate Mandy recently made the acclaimed docuseries Heal The Hauraki, and are now launching a new business called The Long Game, where they support elite athletes to transition into a meaningful life after their sporting careers end.
As they look to the future, Ma¯ia says the couple will continue to love each other, deepen their connection and grow together.
Ma¯ia tells, “We always find new questions to ask each other, which are often quite deep and profound.”
Cassie adds, “I can’t wait to meet all the versions of us who will exist, no matter which way life takes us. And we always have our beautiful wedding to look back on.
I don’t often use the word perfect, but our day really was.”
