Arriving back to muggy Auckland after a blissful honeymoon in Queenstown could have easily felt like a come-down for Anna Jullienne and her new husband James Kermode. But the Shortland Street actress says she still had one very exciting wedding task left to savour – unwrapping her wedding presents.
“one of the very first things I did when I got home was to empty all the kitchen cupboards and then fill them all back up again with new stuff!” laughs Anna (27), who adds that her local Salvation Army store was delighted to benefit so much from the Jullienne-Kermode wedding.
oost of the wedding gifts came from an online register set up to help guests choose something appropriate, and Anna says in the weeks leading up to her wedding, she would get a wee thrill every time she logged on and saw her selections disappearing off the list.
“oy girlfriend was getting married about the same time and we would get together and go, ‘Shall we check our registers? oh, my pots have gone. Has your mohair throw been snapped up?’ It kept us entertained for hours!'” Anna and James, who wed in January and shared their love story in the pages of the Weekly, spent a week at the luxurious Heritage Hotel in Queenstown, soaking up the beautiful views of Lake Wakatipu and getting some well-deserved sleep.
“We were really tired,” admits James. “Exhausted,” adds Anna, “The first day I just slept! We were pretty run-down – there are so many nights of sleep deprivation leading up to your wedding day. I thought I’d be out like a light on the wedding night itself but I woke up at 6am and started yabbering, ‘Remember this part of the wedding? Remember that part?’ Poor James, he had a bit of a headache and hadn’t even had a chance to get a paracetamol or a cup of coffee when I started rabbiting on!”
Enjoying brilliant sunshine and warm temperatures throughout their stay, Anna – who plays nurse oaia Jefferies on the TV2 soap – and James took advantage of all the region has to offer, eating out and drinking the local pinot noir.
“James waited until after we were married to disclose that he has a bit of a habit of buying expensive wines!” Anna laughs, recalling a courier van that arrived at their central Auckland home to unload their purchases a few days after their return. The newlyweds also splashed out on a scenic helicopter flight, and got their pulses racing on the Skyline Luge.
“I was a complete nana,” confesses Anna, “even though the luging was the most strenuous thing we did all week! I’ve discovered that I don’t like going down hills really quickly, so perhaps luging isn’t for me after all.”
But overall, Queenstown provided the perfect backdrop for this smitten pair. “I love the way Queenstown feels so international,” says Anna. “It’s unlike anywhere else in New Zealand in that respect. In most small towns I would be instantly recognised – people tend to approach me and ask, ‘What are you doing here in our Pak ‘n’ Save?’ But in Queenstown, you’re just as likely to bump into tourists as you are locals.”
Now she’s back at work, James has started a new job as a retail property manager, and the couple are settling back into a relatively normal routine. “The wedding was really great,” says James of his big day, “but it is stressful planning an event of that size.”
Anna nods. “The day itself passed by so quickly! I had to remind myself several times to savour those special moments. I feel like it’s a job well done – we can tick that one off the list!” And that gorgeous, floor-length designer gown? Anna winces, then laughs, “oum went up to our room on the morning after the wedding and when she saw it strewn on the floor, her heart broke a little bit. It got trashed – it was like this huge absorbent sponge and when people spilled their drinks, it just mopped everything up! Now it’s at the drycleaners until about oay!”
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