Photography: Lauren from Wildfolk Photography
Kiwi actors Antonia Prebble and Dan Musgrove have worked in showbiz long enough to know that behind the scenes of any good production, there are always a few last-minute dramas.
When it came to their stunning wedding, held at Waiheke Island’s Goldie Estate on Saturday 2 March, drama came in the form of a passing bird. Dan was standing at the end of the aisle in his bespoke Crane Brothers tuxedo, feeling nervous but excited about what was to come. Then, at 3.29pm, one minute before the bride was due to arrive, Dan looked down and noticed a white splodge on his lapel.
A good omen perhaps, but being pooed on wasn’t quite what he’d hoped for as he prepared to marry his fiancée of six years. “It wasn’t in the script, that’s for sure,” he laughs, catching up with Woman’s Day after their unforgettable celebration.
As he hurriedly wiped it off, he was reminded he’d forgotten an important part of his and the groomsmen’s wedding outfits – their buttonhole flowers! Yet with his bride just moments away, there was no time to fetch them.
“I realised the beautiful buttonholes were still sitting in a box at the house where we’d got ready,” tells Dan. “We had about 30 seconds to come up with a plan. Our wedding coordinator grabbed some roses from the arrangement decorating the aisle, snapped off the stems and popped them into the buttonholes. I thought, ‘It’s not quite what we had in mind, but it’ll have to do!’”
This momentous occasion has been a long time coming for the couple, who fell in love on the set of Westside seven years ago. They were engaged in 2018, but with a devastating house fire, the arrival of their gorgeous boys, Freddie, four, and Gus, two, and a pandemic in the mix, wedding plans had to wait.
Today, though, it’s finally happening. Dan’s heart returning to its normal speed, he takes his place under the shade of a pōhutukawa tree next to his groomsmen, cousin Matt Sutherland and Antonia’s brother Ben Prebble, on a grassy ridge at Goldie Estate overlooking the Hauraki Gulf.
It’s a beautiful day to get married, with blue skies, bright sunshine and a light sea breeze keeping their 160 guests cool as they excitedly wait for the bride.
Westside actress Esther Stephens begins to sing Fleetwood Mac’s Songbird, accompanied by her husband Todd on guitar, signalling Antonia’s arrival. Dan, 41, can barely contain his emotions as his sister Sophie Musgrove and Antonia’s sister Becky Prebble come into view, making their way down the aisle in stunning bridesmaids dresses by Kate Sylvester. Next, it’s the adorable page boys, Freddie, Gus, and their cousins Reggie, 10, and Roly, eight.
Now it’s time for the bride. Walked down the aisle by her proud parents Nicky Riddiford and John Prebble, Antonia, 39, is breathtaking in a lace and satin gown designed by Katie Yeung at Hera Couture, and the crowd breaks into a cheer at the sight of this perfect bride. Dan can barely contain his delight either.
“I looked to see Antonia framed beautifully by her parents and – oh, wow! – this was the first time I had seen her dress and it was worth the wait. I was blown away. I almost can’t explain how incredible she looked. I knew I’d be emotional, but this was beyond anything I’d imagined.”
And Double Parked star Antonia was also overcome by the moment. As one of Aotearoa’s most acclaimed actresses, she’s used to opening night and audition nerves, but this is a new feeling altogether.
“I felt as though my heart was outside my body,” she says. “It felt so big and so significant, and my emotions felt very close to the surface. I was tearful, but when I saw Dan smiling at me, I just felt so happy.”
With Justine Russell Cowan officiating and the couple’s close friend, Shortland Street head writer and actress Jessica Joy Wood, helping to tell the story of their love, the ceremony begins. Dan and Antonia’s good friend, actress and writer Hannah Marshall, reads a poem she’s written, before the bride and groom exchange their vows.
“I promise to nurture and support our children, to respect them, to listen to them and to model to them how people should treat each other,” they tell each other. “I promise to do my very best for them, and to fill our home with kindness and love.”
Antonia, who became a household name as Loretta West on Outrageous Fortune, tells Dan that the thought of spending the rest of her life with him makes her feel “excited and calm at the same time”.
“Excited because of all the adventures I know we’ll have together, because everything feels brighter and more possible with you. And calm because everything feels easier with you by my side. There is such comfort in the knowledge that whatever life brings – the triumphs and the challenges – that we will navigate them together.”
And Dan tells Antonia that marrying her is a dream come true. “I love the way you move through life – kind, courageous, intelligent, creative… You have a big heart and a brilliant mind, and you’ve inspired me to be braver with my heart and mind too.”
Wedding bands from Naveya & Sloane are exchanged before the couple are pronounced husband and wife, sharing a kiss as their guests clap and cheer. As Antonia and Dan sign the register, another of their talented friends, actress and musician Amy Straker, sings Home by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, before the jubilant newlyweds walk back up the aisle with The Waterboys classic The Whole Of The Moon blaring.
“That was such a wonderful moment,” enthuses Antonia. “Everyone was throwing rose petals over us and I just felt so happy. It was so special having the boys there with us – that made it all the more meaningful. I couldn’t believe we were actually married. It felt instantly significant.”
After a quick group photo, the wedding party is on the move, led by the newlyweds down the hill to the Goldie Estate cellar door, where Champagne is poured, canapés served and wedding celebrations begin.
The couple chose this winery, one of the island’s original vineyards, for its stunning setting, but also for the fact it offered different “chapters” for each stage of the celebration, with chic signage by Paper Darling directing guests around the stunning property and to their seats later in the night.
“Waiheke Island is so special to us and we just love the idea of being able to come back to Goldie Estate,” tells Dan. “We know Goldie will always be a meaningful place for us.”
After the couple sneak away for photos, it’s time for Antonia to change into her “dancing frock”, a fabulous mini dress also from Hera Couture, with detachable puff sleeves and a cinched-in waist.
With Beyoncé’s Love On Top playing, the newlyweds make their grand entrance into the reception, the setting being a jaw-dropping custom marquee by Platinum Marquees, beautifully decorated by Floral Stylist Co, who also created the bridal party’s pastel bouquets and the floral installation for the ceremony – and the buttonholes that Dan was later reunited with! Lighting was designed and masterminded by La Lumiere, a business run by friends of the couple.
The night’s festivities are led by Antonia’s Double Parked co-star Madeleine Sami and actor and writer Ben Wall as emcees. The pair have the guests in stitches, with many funny stories and a hilarious recreation of the couple’s proposal, complete with wigs.
Antonia smiles, “Mads and Ben were brilliant. They were an epic comic duo. And it’s fair to say we got absolutely roasted!”
Heart-warming and hilarious speeches are made by friends, family, the bride and the groom, before the cast of Westside take to the stage for a surprise performance, personalising the words to Don’t Stop Believin’ for the couple and holding up signs with the lyrics for everyone to sing along to. Dan’s actor friend Byron Coll also performs an incredible impression of Dave Dobbyn singing Be Mine Tonight. “They brought the house down,” says Dan.
It’s not lost on Antonia and Dan how fortunate they are to have so many talented friends, with many of their guests among Aotearoa’s best-known TV and theatre stars. They’ll be forever grateful for their help making the wedding so memorable. Antonia grins, “They’re such special people to us, but they also have amazing talents, so we thought, ‘We’ve got to get them involved!’”
After cutting the cake, a three-tiered combination of gluten-free carrot cake and chocolate mud cake, by Lilith Waiheke Cake Studio, it’s time for the wedding party to make its final move to the main Goldie Estate pavilion. Guests are served Batched Espresso Martinis to perk them up for the dancing ahead.
First, though, Dan and Antonia kick off the party with an amazing first dance to Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now by Starship. Choreographed by their actress and dancer friend Olivia Tennet, the dancing and lip-synching performance leaves their guests amazed.
“One of the things I love most about Dan is that we can be silly together,” says Antonia. “And this was definitely silly – but also so joyful.”
With their guests joining them on the dancefloor, the couple hot-foot it into the night, creating a party they’ll never forget.
Dan says, “There was such an amazing energy amongst our friends and family, a lot of whom had left the kids at home for a weekend away, so everyone was in such great moods and there was so much joy. I’m so pleased we embraced the big wedding with all the bells and whistles.”
The day after the wedding, the newlyweds spend the day with their guests in the olive grove at Stonyridge Vineyard, relaxing under the trees and enjoying canapés in the pavilion. It’s a beautiful setting to catch up with people who’d travelled from around New Zealand and the world, and to debrief on the day.
“We’re still buzzing,” says Antonia. “It was the most incredible weekend of our lives. One of my biggest goals for the wedding was to make sure Dan and I had some moments together to really be present, and I feel we did that. It really was a day we’ll never forget. We’re incredibly lucky and I still can’t quite believe I get to call Dan my husband now!”
