Photo: Keane Chan Photos.
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and love was certainly in the air when three Kiwi couples sat down with the Weekly to talk about their quirky and unforgettable weddings.
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Tamara and Ryan Straker’s Dungeons and Dragons themed wedding
With a giant Dungeons and Dragons dice, a sword exchange before binding their hands together and a handmade, ethereal purple gown, every detail of gamers Tamara and Ryan Straker’s wedding perfectly represented them.
It was a labour of love, smiles seamstress Tamara, who spent hundreds of hours making her own fairytale dress, and countless more on decorations and props for their backyard Wellington wedding in October last year.
“I DIY everything, that’s why I cosplay [dress up as characters from books, films or video games]. Because I love to craft everything,” she tells. “Seeing all of these different projects I was working on for over a year come together was amazing.”
After walking up the aisle, Tamara and Ryan, both 33, opened the ceremony by rolling a shimmering Dungeons and Dragons game dice – handmade by Tamara, of course. Whoever rolled the highest dice was the first to say their vows.
“Ryan’s the D&D player, so it was a fun little quirk I organised to make sure I didn’t take over the whole wedding and it was still for him too,” explains Tamara.
Next, their celebrant asked, “Do you pledge your love, your sword and your service?”
In front of 30 of their closest loved ones, with more people around the globe from their [World of Warcraft computer game] online guilds watching via livestream, the answer was a resounding yes.
Tamara handed Ryan the iconic World of Warcraft Frostmourne sword. Then, he bestowed on her Star Wars Ahsoka’s lightsabers in return.
“The swords were for aesthetics because we could have swords, so why not?” shrugs Tamara.
Before the more traditional vows and exchange of wedding rings, Tamara and Ryan’s hands were bound together in a handfasting ritual.
Tamara shares, “We said our vows with our hands still tied, then untied them right before the rings. You basically pull your hands out of the knot in a way that keeps the knot tied in the rope. As long the rope stays tied, your marriage is supposed to be strong.
“I liked the symbolism of having the rope to keep afterwards. It’s hanging on our bedroom wall.”
As a seamstress who has worked on costumes for Weta Workshop and the Royal New Zealand Ballet, Tamara had always dreamed of making her own wedding dress.
After hundreds of hours spent on the elaborate, layered dress, she’s proudly says it’s the best thing she’s ever made.
“The first time I tried it on, I just pranced around in front of the mirror in it for ages,” remembers Tamara. Her nana taught her to sew as a child.
“I always knew I wasn’t going to get married in white. Purple is my favourite colour and I stumbled across this plum fabric on clearance, which I used for the corset. The biggest issue was stopping the ideas because I kept thinking of more things I could add to it!”
Beside her at the altar – or in their case in front of a giant crescent moon Tamara’s sister Brie Mills had made for them – Ryan was regal in a blue velvet blazer to complement his trademark azure hair.
“The first time he dyed his hair blue was for mental health awareness. He’s stuck with it ever since,” says Tamara. “We’ve lost a couple of friends to [mental health battles] and we both struggle with it ourselves.”
The newlyweds met through an online dating app in 2019 and quickly bonded over their love of World of Warcraft.
Not ones to follow convention, when it came time to get engaged, it was Tamara who popped the question.
“Well, kind of,” she laughs. “We’d been together about four years now. We were lying in bed when I said, ‘We’ve turned 30, and we bought a house and a dog. The next thing on the list is getting married.’
“The conversation was literally, ‘Okay, when do you want to do that then?’”
Tamara says she’s always been practical, so this pragmatic approach to planning a wedding suited her perfectly.
With a large garden dotted with wisteria and roses, and an external sewing room they emptied out and decorated for the reception, a backyard wedding was the natural choice for the self-confessed homebodies.
Writing their own vows, Tamara chose song lyrics to express her feelings. She told Ryan, “There’s no one like you on Earth that can be my universe. How unreasonably in love I am with everything you do.”
In return, Ryan had guests chuckling as he vowed to always “support and try to motivate you – out of bed” before ending sincerely with a gamer reference, “You are my player two and I wouldn’t want anyone else in that spot.”
Kurt and Emma Te Amo’s Krispy Kreme drive-thru wedding
As they approach their second anniversary, Kurt and Emma Te Amo love retelling the extra-sweet story of saying “I do” – or rather “I dough” – at their unique Krispy Kreme drive-thru wedding.
“It was just so us,” smiles Emma, 35. “We’re both quite quirky. We’re not in a box so to speak, so the wedding fit us perfectly because it was so different.”
Rolling up to their celebrant waiting at the drive-thru window in Kurt’s dream car – a cherry red classic Ford Mustang – enjoying milkshakes and a doughnut tower instead of Champagne and cake, plus having now eight-year-old daughter Lily as their ringbearer were all highlights.
But just three months after tying the knot and celebrating with a Matakana honeymoon, a shock accident would prove just how strong their love was.
“We’ve been through a lot in the last years,” shares Emma. “Not long after we got married, Kurt had a fall at home. It was just a terrible accident, but he has a spinal cord injury. We had to be separated a lot while he was in the hospital and spinal cord unit.”
Kurt, who also lives with cerebral palsy, has undergone spinal fusion surgery. He is slowly regaining movement after being paralysed from the arms down.
“We’re getting there,” says Emma. “With rehab, he’s getting movement back in his arms and now standing and walking short distances.”
Kurt, 35, adds, “Being in communication with Emma and Lily boosted my morale. They made it possible for me to get through rehab. It meant so much to me.”
When they got married in February 2023, after winning an online Krispy Kreme wedding competition, Kurt had just started a bachelor of social work and was excited for the future.
Wanting to provide for his family gave Kurt the focus he needed for rehab.
Fiercely determined to support Emma and Lily, just one week after surgery, Kurt was back attending lectures online from his hospital bed.
“I’m incredibly proud of him,” smiles healthcare worker Emma. “He’s had some really dark days and seeing him keep going pushes me to do the same. We inspire each other.”
Kurt enthuses, “It’s a testament to our love story. When the chips are down, as long as we have each other’s backs, we can get through anything.”
Amber and Joel Greene’s wedding in the middle of a flood
From the moment Amber Greene woke on her October 2024 wedding day, relentless rained poured down.
West Coast born and bred, Amber, 28, and her husband Joel, 33, are no strangers to wet weather. But, they never expected their venue property would flood, prompting Civil Defence to check on them and their 80 guests at the Omoto Racecourse in Greymouth.
“The rain was torrential. It went from the very first thing in the morning, right through the ceremony, reception and photos,” recalls Amber.
But the stay-at-home mother-of-four – soon to be five – looks back with nothing but fond memories of their nuptials.
“I wouldn’t change anything about our big day,” she enthuses. “It wouldn’t have been our wedding any other way.”
And while it wasn’t your typical spring wedding, the dramatic photos, surrounded by flood waters with towering mountains in the background, are stunning.
“Realising we were basically underwater except for the dirt mound you can see in the photos, a friend came up with the idea to put us on the back of his 4×4 ute to get us over there for photos,” explains Amber.
“While we were getting the photos taken, Civil Defence arrived to make sure everyone was okay.”
Eventually the rain eased, waters receded and guests were able to safely leave. But if rain on your wedding day is a sign of good luck, then Amber and Joel are in for a fortuitous marriage.
Amber first met heavy diesel mechanic Joel at a party in 2014.
“He was super-chatty, friendly and very polite, which was rare in a young guy back then,” shares Amber. “We’ve been together ever since.”
She was delighted when Joel proposed in 2019. However, she laughs, “It was another five years from then that we actually finally tied the knot.”
Smiling, she adds, “What I love most about Joel is his heart of gold, and the love he has for me and our four children, Véja, nine, Tyren, eight, Zaidee, five, and Evelyn, four, and of course our son, who is due in March. Joel will do anything for anyone if he can and it’s admirable.”
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