Planning from abroad no obstacle with family support

Mitchell and Sharon (nee Tuhakaraina) share photos of their wedding with The Ensign readers.

The couple were married at Croydon Lodge on December 31, 2025 followed by a reception at the Gore Town & Country Club.

Mrs Mitchell grew up in Gore but has been living in South Australia where she planned the wedding.

"We wanted to get married in Gore so all our favourite people could be in the same spot at once. There were about 120 guests altogether, which was a lot bigger than planned," she said.

"It was challenging planning a wedding from overseas, but our families helped with many things which made it much easier. They know us the best and what we wanted, and it all just worked. It was an amazing day."

She said both the ceremony and reception locations were ideal, with everything in one place.

"My cousins did the catering— all our favourite foods, a hangi and plenty of salads, and an amazing wedding cake. My sister made our bouquets from harakeke flax from scratch — dyed them and put them together. They worked perfectly with our forest green and navy-blue colour theme."

She said it was a very special to share the day with their children, and family and friends from both sides.

The couple wished to thank everyone who helped make their day special.