Photography: Stanlo Photography
Forget the glass slipper and a ball – this Cinderella moment involved a sneaker, basketball’s biggest stage and an NBA star as her Prince Charming. It was Christmas 2022 when young Canterbury sportswoman Freya Lodge Whitham – who was on a football scholarship in North Carolina – started going to watch the state’s NBA team, the Charlotte Hornets. She couldn’t help noticing star player Kai Jones, the talented young athlete from the Bahamas whose spectacular slam dunks were matched only by his unforgettable blue afro.
Freya, 22, smiles, “At my first Hornets game, I took some videos of Kai dunking like crazy and thought, ‘He’s cute!’ Then a couple of weeks later after a game, he walked past me in the players’ tunnel and I asked him for his autograph.”
There was one problem. Freya didn’t have anything for him to sign.
“I took off one of my shoes and he signed that instead,” she laughs.
A chance encounter
Kai has signed thousands of autographs, but there was something about his fleeting encounter with the gorgeous Kiwi that he couldn’t shake.
“Luckily, Freya posted a photo of the shoe on Instagram and tagged me, so I was able to see her page and start liking her posts,” recalls Kai, 25, who is also a rapper.
“When I saw she was at the University of North Carolina, I thought, ‘We’re in the same state. Cool!’ We started messaging, and bonded over sports and music.”
Freya was delighted when Kai asked her on a date to the film Avatar: The Way Of Water.
She remembers, “I was so nervous, then Kai pulls up wearing full Louis Vuitton. I was like, ‘Oh, my God!’”
A whirlwind romance
The pair, then just 18 and21, were instantly smitten. Revealing he asked Freya to be his girlfriend shortly afterwards, Kai shares, “We fell in love on that first date
and both said, ‘I love you.’”
Freya adds, “I was so happy, I couldn’t believe it for weeks. I didn’t tell too many people to begin with, but rumours started going around college, then Kai posted something and hard-launched us!”
Freya found herself in a whole new world, juggling her college studies and training with jet-setting travel, designer handbags and private chefs.
“Kai would fly me to places like New York, Detroit or Minnesota for NBA games. For a girl from New Zealand staying in five-star hotels in these big cities with the team and other WAGS was insane!”
A dream proposal
The couple’s future together was sealed last November following Kai’s romantic proposal at the Baha Mar Hotel in Nassau, Bahamas, in a room decorated with flower petals, candles, pictures of the couple and a Marry Me sign.
Kai says, “I brought Freya in, told her I loved her so much and proposed. She started crying and said yes. It was amazing.”
The luxurious resort was also the setting for their glittering July wedding, which kicked off with a spectacular welcome party, where their families “instantly clicked”.
“I’ve never seen my family dance so much,” smiles Freya, remembering the incredible Bahamian welcome her parents Sarah Lodge Whitham and Stu Whitham, sister Holly, brother Finn and nana Helen received from Kai’s friends and family, including his mum Kas Dozier, who was their chief wedding planner, and his brother Kaden Jones.
Their wedding was the “perfect day, full of love, fun and happiness”, shares Kai.
And the bride and groom looked incredible.
“Kai’s mum and I spent a lot of time looking before we finally said yes to the dress in a New York boutique,” tells Freya, who looked stunning in her ballgown-style wedding dress by Australian designer Leah Da GlÓria, featuring a basque waist, sweetheart neckline and exquisite hand-embroidered lace.
A showstopping groom
Kai was striking in his custom-designed white pants, jacket and cape, with gold detailing and monogramming, complemented by bespoke knee-high white boots.
“The whole suit was taken from a design I saw and had made from scratch,” he explains.
“Marriage can sound a bit scary and I thought imagine walking down the aisle with this big cape on!”
Their ceremony was officiated by Pastor Denczil who, before they tied the knot, had given the couple four marriage counselling sessions to ensure they were
“spiritually aligned, communicating and happy,” reveals Kai.
Once the formalities were over, the celebrations got underway in true Bahamas- style, with a group of musicians and dancers bringing the colour and spirit of the country’s traditional street festival Junkanoo alive.
The party continues
After the reception, the party continued long into the night, with Kai and Freya having their first dance to Alica Keys’ Un-Thinkable (I’m Ready). Kai even performed some of his own rap songs, including new release Jumpin, produced with his uncle.
“We shot some footage for the song’s music video at the welcome party and reception of everyone jumping. It’s going to be epic!” Kai enthuses, sharing he’s loved singing and dancing since he was a child.
Home for a chilly winter
After a luxurious European honeymoon, taking in Lake Como, Monaco, Cannes, Mykonos and a quick trip to Las Vegas, the globe-trotting newlyweds returned to a chilly Christchurch winter to visit Freya’s family.
“I like the cold – this weather is a nice switch up!” smiles Kai, adding Sunday roasts, visits to the Port Hills and Canterbury beaches, and learning about Māori culture are among his highlights, as well as training with teams like the Canterbury Rams and visiting children at local primary schools.
Freya’s own goals
Throughout their courtship, Freya, now Freya Jones, has remained focused on her own academic and sporting goals, winning the Conference Carolinas Championship twice with her college football team.
Says the talented defender, “I got to play every minute of my team’s games during my four years at college. It was the best experience.”
After graduating this year with Honours in Business Administration, Freya is putting her skills to use managing the couple’s new clothing label K Infinity. Their range of high-quality sportswear and casual streetwear is almost ready to launch.
Dreaming big
Meanwhile, Kai is preparing for World Cup qualifiers in South America with the Bahamian team, then he and Freya will return to Istanbul, where he has a two-year deal with Anadolu Efes, which plays in the prestigious EuroLeague.
“I’d love to get back to the NBA, win a championship, and become the best player in the competition,” Kai shares.
“Love is so powerful. It’s amazing to see how the love Freya and I have for each other has brought our families together and created a stronger community because of what we’ve started.”
From one autograph to forever
Freya is excited to start a family too and can’t quite believe how getting a signature on her shoe more than three years ago has proved so life-changing.
“I’m from little New Zealand and Kai is from little Bahamas, and our whole lives changed in one second of us passing each other. None of this would have happened if I hadn’t asked for that autograph!”
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