Hot pools and pizza: The day the wedding guests came in togs
Monday, 11 July 2022
It was an unusual invitation, deliberately cryptic yet oddly descriptive when it came to what to wear.
Told to block out Matariki Sunday on July 3 for a get-together from 7am, the family and friends of Sophia and Robbie Hart were asked to bring their togs.
Some chose not to, believing they were heading to the beach for an outing, especially when the couple texted them a New Brighton beachside address to come to the day before.
But it became clear that the Harts’ outing was much more when 25 guests found themselves at He Puna Taimoana hot pools.
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Wearing a long dress, Sophia seemed strangely formal for the early hour as was Robbie in a dress jacket and trousers.
As the sun rose, the group were encouraged to join a meditation.
Then marriage celebrant Taurapa, cleverly disguised as a lifeguard, began the wedding ceremony, partly in te reo Māori.
What happened next though proved a complete surprise with the couple shedding their clothes as soon as their vows were done.
Within moments, they were in their togs jumping into the hot pools amid a barrage of applause.
Although unconventional, the couple’s wedding was in line with their desire to have a low-key event that didn’t put pressure on guests to provide a koha or gift.
The couple have always loved watching the sunrise while enjoying a cup of coffee fso being able to get married early in the day appealed.
They were thrilled to be the first to wed at the Brighton hot pools. They followed the ceremony with a reception at Pizza Republic.
Sophia said they wanted a small ceremony as having three children meant planning for a large wedding seemed unrealistic.
The couple, who have been together eight-and-a-half years, both own small businesses centred around incorporating te reo with sustainability. So having a local wedding with a celebrant able to speak Māori was important. Timing it for Matariki, the Māori New Year, was also special for the couple who viewed it as a fresh start.
And celebrant Taurapa’s reaction? “It’s definitely the most out-there wedding I have been a part of. I don’t know how they got all their guests to a surprise wedding at 7am in the middle of winter, but it worked!”
He Puna Taimoana manager Merryn Skipper said the staff had loved being part of the couple’s happy day, describing the first wedding at the venue as exciting.
Ironically the normally introverted couple who wanted a private wedding have been overwhelmed by the media and public response since their unique event.
“It’s been really eye-opening,” Sophia says. “It’s just honestly blown up.”
* This story originally incorrectly stated the ceremony took place on June 26, rather than the correct date of July 3. The wedding celebrant is also known only as Taurapa. Amended 9.30am, July 12, 2022.