Pictures: Vian Photography.
When Megan Alatini was planning her dream wedding to then-fiancée Natalie McDade, they knew they wanted to tie the knot in Bali, a special destination where they’d shared one of their “first significant dates”.
Nat recalls, “We were at this high-end resort. Megan was wearing a $12 outfit that she’d bought from the market, but she looked like a million dollars. As we walked in, Can’t Help Falling In Love was playing and I said to her, ‘I’m going to marry you here one day.’”
However, when the lovebirds, both 48, flew over to the tropical holiday hotspot to scope out venues, their dreams were dashed.
The TrueBliss singer recalls, “As we were doing a tour with a wedding coordinator, she asked us, ‘Who’s this wedding for?’ We said, ‘For us!’ And she said, ‘No, who’s getting married?’ We replied, ‘We are!’ And she pushed the brakes on that golf buggy so fast.”
Nat, a police sergeant, adds, “It was like a burnout – a sustained loss of traction!”
Megan continues, “She quickly reminded us that it’s illegal in Indonesia. She shouldn’t even be taking us on the tour. Of course, we should’ve known, but we had become so caught up in our little love bubble. It’s easy to forget how lucky we are living in New Zealand, where we can be our true selves.
“I felt gutted we couldn’t have our nuptials at our island paradise. However, the silver lining was that we could do the official stuff here in Aotearoa and then come to Bali to mark our union in our own special way, without breaking any religious rules that could see us locked up in a cell. The locals we dealt with were very kind but strict with their laws, so we had to respect that.”
The pair ended up getting married in Auckland, where they live, in a spectacular, romantic ceremony. The day reflected Megan’s South African background, as well as Nat’s Samoan and Niuean heritage.
Despite a late night, the next day, as planned, they boarded a flight for Bali. Nat surprised her new wife with matching t-shirts featuring the words “McDade gets hitched” for the plane.
The former Celebrity Treasure Island and Dancing With The Stars contestant laughs, “Even though we almost missed our flight due to an emergency drill at the airport, it was an awesome feeling to be travelling together as a unified couple and our quirky tees made us a little bit of an attraction, with the airline staff congratulating us with Champagne, so the party could continue.”
Two dozen close friends and family members joined the newlyweds on their trip. Half of them stayed with the brides at “the most bougie bloody villa ever” in Canggu. There, rice paddies and nature sounds surrounded them, complete with an indoor lazy river running through the location.
Mum-of-three Megan grins, “Kudos to Nat. She really pulled out all the stops with that one. We’ve been to some stunning places, but this was next level and the staff there treated us like absolute royalty.
“We had beautiful cocktails on arrival and the hosts had made us a big sign with our initials. The next morning, they arranged for six masseuses to give us couples massages, so we could unwind and relax the Balinese way. Our friends were like, ‘We’re going to be travelling with you all the time!’ But this wasn’t normal, even for us. We wanted to spoil everyone – and ourselves – as these special occasions don’t happen every day.”
The day after their arrival, there was a big storm, so their planned function at Finns Beach Club had to be moved indoors. But after a few cocktails and some shots, the sun came out. Soon, everyone was swimming and dancing in the pool.
Laughing, Megan tells us, “My mum Barbara usually doesn’t drink, but she let her hair down for this. It was the first time in seven years that all four of us siblings – me, my sisters Monique and Meryl, and my brother Sebastian – were all together, so that was pretty special. We had to escort Nana Barbz out by the arm! She’s such a trooper, always showing us how to remain young at heart.”
The next day, on what was their original wedding date, the pair were joined by 35 guests at Ayana Resort & Spa’s world-famous restaurant Rock Bar for a second reception. There, everyone stuck to a dress code of white and cream, just like at the wedding.
Megan donned a “bootylicious” batwing dress she’d bought in South Africa.
“I was really proud and happy to wear something from my homeland,” she enthuses. “And Nat wore a white and cream Balmain suit because she’s a bit of a label basher!”
Nat, who has five children from a previous relationship, shares, “Because of the regulations around same-sex marriage, we had to step around the wording. Instead, we called the event a ‘family celebration’. The photographers kept encouraging us to smooch and get close, though, which was cheeky but also a sign of support.”
Nat’s friend Marina opened the formalities with a blessing. Then, it was a night of chatting and mingling as guests dined on a banquet of Asian fusion dishes, seafood, tropical fruit and, of course, more cocktails while watching the sun set as a DJ spun tunes, exactly as in the original wedding plans.
“We just wanted everyone to sit back, relax and indulge,” smiles Megan. “It was such a life highlight. It was nice to have that quality time to reminisce and reflect on the wedding. That also let us relive it because the day itself was such a whirlwind.
“The entire time was quite emotional. There were tears and a real sense of spirituality in the air because the whole island was preparing for the Nyepi Festival, getting ready for a day of silence for the Balinese New Year, where they chase away bad spirits and negativity. It felt like fate we happened to book at that time. We couldn’t help but get the feels.”
Over the next week, the pair joined their guests for tourist activities, including temple visits, boat trips and a lot of eating. Megan says, “We were playing tour guide because we know Bali so well. Toward the end, we felt so pooped, we needed a relaxation day at a spa.”
Midway through a couples massage, Nat said, “Hey, babe, this is so good. Shall we just extend our trip so we can have some quality one-on-one time?” So they added another four days to the itinerary.
Megan admits, “We were sad to see everyone else leave, but it was so nice to have time to ourselves. We moved into a rustic, treehouse-like chalet in Uluwatu. Then for the first day and night, we just slept, we felt so exhausted! The location was so quiet and serene. It forced us to just be still and take a moment. It felt really nice just to get immersed in our own world.”
Coming back to Aotearoa was a shock to the system. However, they loved seeing their wedding on the cover of Woman’s Day when they arrived home.
“People have been really supportive,” grins Megan. “We’ve had loads of messages thanking us for being brave and sharing our story.
“It’s not why we do it, but if it means we encourage others to be real about their true selves and their love connections, that’s the kind of feedback that reminds us that we’re doing OK and inspires us to keep going. Because of that, we will.”
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