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As one of Paul Henry’s star reporters, we’re used to seeing Brigitte Purcell delivering the news we need to know each and every weekday morning. But the newsroom was the furthest thing from the blonde babe’s mind when she tied the knot with long-time love Danny recently. She tells us all about her beautiful big day.
Tell us a bit about your partner.
Danny is one of the most down to earth people I’ve ever met, he is such a genuine guy it blows my mind. He’s got the best sense of humour, knows how to make me laugh, is so supportive and has always been there for me through thick and thin.
We get on so well and never seem to argue, if we have a disagreement we sort it out within five minutes - it’s so great.
How long have you been engaged for? When did he pop the question?
We got engaged in Bali in July 2014. Danny carried the engagement ring around Bali for the entire two weeks we were there and left it to the last night before he popped the question. I know! My family was at home on the edge of their seats waiting for us to call with the news. Mum was worried he had lost the ring or had chickened out. I was wondering why she was texting me every day asking how our time was going.
Have you always known he’s the one?
I always knew he was the one 100%. When we first met it was like we had known each other for years. We met at a mutual friends birthday dinner one night in Wellington. I was the last one to arrive at the restaurant so the only seat left was the one next to Danny. The first thing we had in common that night was that we were both sober drivers and everything else from that moment seemed to click. We added each other on Facebook and it all seemed to go from there. Danny was finishing off his post graduate degree in Dunedin so the first four months of our relationship was long distance. We used to talk on Skype every night. I would always get dressed up and do my makeup as though we had an actual date. My family still has me on about this.
Where/when did the ceremony take place?
We got married on this beautiful private farm called Boutique Barn in Puhoi. The wedding venue is gorgeous and busting with character. We had the ceremony on a grass patch next to the barn and had the natural scenery of wild flowers, horses and trees as our backdrop.
After the ceremony the owners brought out champagne in stunning vintage wine glasses with canapés. We had games set up for people to play: jenga, kubb, adult colouring in books, a puzzle of a photo from our engagement photo-shoot, and a photo booth in a rustic shed. Everyone sat at a long trestle table in between the two barns. We didn’t have a seating plan and it worked perfectly.
We stayed the night at the barn too. They have converted a 140-year-old sheep shearing shed into a gorgeous BnB. So as the night came to the end we didn’t have to go anywhere - we had a slice of cake, finished off our Italian Champagne and opened our wedding cards. It was the perfect end to the day.
How many guests did you have?
The wedding was really intimate with only 60 guests – all of our very close friends and family. Originally we had a guest list of 120 people but had to half it when we saw the venue and found out about the capacity.
What sort of dress did you wear?
My dress was the first dress I saw on the rack and the first dress that I tried on. The way it fell off the hanger looked so ethereal, and that was exactly what I wanted. I wanted something simple but it had to be elegant. The silk fabric was so delicate and soft. The thing that sold me was the way it fell off my shoulders when I tried it on. It was designed and made in New York by SAJA Bridal and I bought it from Paper Swan Bride in Thorndon, Wellington.
Did you have any friends from work at the wedding?
I had three people from the Paul Henry team at work. Bella, Paul’s daughter, was one of my bridesmaids – as soon as we met we hit it off straight away so it was only natural she was one. She’s so funny and uplifting and made me feel really special on the day. She is a makeup artist at TV3 so she did my makeup on the day and made sure it was perfect right into the evening.Aziz Al’Safiin, another reporter on the show, was also there along with a producer. I would have loved to invite Paul, Hilary, Jim and the rest of the team, but because the numbers of the venue were restricted to 60 guests I wasn’t able to. They bought us a great present though - to renew our vows in Vegas when we are there on our honeymoon. I love it.
What song was your first dance to?
Our first dance song was the same song I walked down the aisle to: Ben Howard, 'Only Love'. We had our wedding singer sing an acoustic version of it as I walked down the aisle, and an upbeat version for our first dance with a drummer.
See more photos from Brigitte and Danny's beautiful day here
!["[Danny's] got the best sense of humour, knows how to make me laugh, is so supportive and has always been there for me through thick and thin," Brigitte gushes.](https://d3lp4xedbqa8a5.cloudfront.net/s3/digital-cougar-assets/nzwd/2016/05/23/1463980341724_Weddingphotos4.jpg?width=690&height=&mode=crop&scale=both&anchor=topcenter&quality=70)
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