Exploring the Land of the Long White Cloud

Of course it was the reason we were touring the south anyways so it's only fitting that it was the best part of our time away as well - the wedding of our friends Katie and Mela! It was a three-part event starting with a welcome drinks event on Friday night, the ceremony up Treblecone mountain on Saturday and then the reception Saturday evening at the Edgewater Resort.  The ceremony was beautiful, both the setting, the brides and the words and sentiments. Mela's family did a haka to welcome her up the mountain and then another when Katie arrived too. They were practicing Saturday morning by the lake... Everyone was taken up the mountain in a bus - some of us were on a bus that even rolled backwards as he couldn't get it into gear! That was added excitement. Then we hopped on the chairlift (which felt really weird without snowboards on!) and assembled at the top of the lift where they had groomed an area for everyone to stand. And then we waited for t...

Photos and videos of the actual wedding are still to come but since these are just photos, it's much quicker to post them first. So, inside the bottom tier is vanilla cake with coconut icing. Inside the top tier is chocolate cake with chocolate icing and inside the middle tier is styrofoam. This cake wins for the most locations where prep took place with a total of 3: home, and 2 different holiday homes in Wanaka. It also wins for the most helpers: Dustin and Mela's two cousins. And it apparently wins for the most accolades as the chef at the resort tracked down the girls to tell them it's the best wedding cake he's seen and it was a privilege to serve it. That one was through the girls and although I don't doubt them, my modesty might just a little... haha. My lovely assistants! Surprise! It's a rainbow!