03 July 2024

Dancing in the Woolshed

Ngā Mārena. Rural Weddings.

writer: Tamara Bisseker

photographer: Ellen Taylor

Getting married in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle, Abby and George Whitehead’s celebration wouldn’t have been possible without the support of an incredible community of family and friends. They reflect on the countless little moments that made their day so magical.

Above. Abby says, “To us the wedding was just so easy and really organised. We both agreed on basically everything. The only thing was just making sure that I could find a dress in time!” Top image. “We’ve talked about whether there was a moment where we knew each other was ‘the one,’” Abby says. “You start doing life together and grow. We just have the same values and the same goals in life and enjoy being together.”

For Abby and George, the best part of their wedding day was experiencing their incredible community coming together. “It was just so special having all our favourite people, who we absolutely love, all in one place and having a really fun time,” says Abby.

Both from farming families, Abby, 30, and George, 27, met at the Gisborne A&P Show. At first, Abby thought George seemed reserved, until they started to talk. She remembers quite liking his “kinda shy, cocky confidence” – thinking to herself there was something special and different about him. “I guess because I’m so loud and bubbly I was like, ‘I can make this work,’” Abby says with a laugh. George carries on, noting how easy Abby was to talk to on account of her outgoing nature and how they “just clicked.”

Above. “One of the first times I met the Whitehead family was at the Castlepoint Beach Races. And we went to the woolshed that night for the beach races party. I remember we said to each other that this would be a cool place to get married,” Abby says.

At the time Abby was a beginner teacher in Gisborne and George was completing his final year as a cadet at Waipaoa Station. Shortly afterwards, George got a job on a farm, living in single-room quarters an hour from Gisborne. Abby would occasionally travel to visit so they could have some time together in person. They continued in this quasi-long-distance relationship for two years, until George accepted a job that came with a house they could both live in. Settling into life together, the couple found out they were pregnant with Willow, and Fergus wasn’t too far behind.

Although they’d previously talked about marriage, George’s proposal in 2021 still came as a surprise. “Abby was at work, and it was just me and the kids, and I had a thought: ‘Today’s the day,’” George recalls. When she arrived home that evening, Abby was greeted by a big sign and their daughter Willow, 3, shouting, “We got you a gift!” over the top of their little son Fergus, 18 months, and the volume of his thank-God-Mum-is-home cry. After taking in the chaos happening around her, Abby suddenly noticed that George was on one knee. “He caught me very much off guard, which is what he wanted. He wanted it to be a complete surprise.

Above. “The venue had a 10pm curfew, but there were so many different after parties,” Abby remembers. “There were lots of texts going on, and every bach seemed to have a party. If you were walking home, it was like, ‘Oh they’re still up, let’s go there!’”

Above. George surprised Abby with his proposal. “I saw the sign that George had made with the kids, and I thought, ‘Oh, this overachiever! He has one day at home with the kids and does cute artwork.’ Then, next minute, he’s on one knee and I’m like, ‘Whoa!’"

Proposal complete, every detail fell into place ahead of the big day. The plan was to have their March 2023 wedding at Rangiwhakaoma Castlepoint, twenty minutes from Tīnui, where George’s family farm, Ngataki, is located. They even had family members frequently going to the house where the ceremony was to be held to keep mowing the lawn.

Then, three weeks before their big day, the devastating Cyclone Gabrielle caused widespread damage across the North Island. The community of Tīnui and the Whitehead family farm were severely impacted, causing the couple to wonder whether going ahead with their wedding was the right thing to do. “I kept saying to George, ‘It just feels wrong to be celebrating right now,’” Abby recalls. “The farm and the community got hit so hard, it felt rude to be having a party.” But the insistence of their family and friends helped them decide to go ahead as planned.

Above. “On the morning of the wedding, we were all getting our hair and makeup done. I had some sisters decorating the cake, some sisters babysitting... Then, because of the weather, everyone headed straight to the woolshed after the ceremony and my sisters were there frantically trying to finish setting up and find the games to put out.”

Descending on the small Wairārapa coastal town required navigating road closures, delays and detours. “Cyclone Gabrielle definitely made the travel to the wedding ridiculously longer, and people were still having to work around closures even with the road north being ‘good,’” Abby remembers. “Some people couldn’t attend our wedding due to not being able to get off the farm at all because their farm systems had been smashed and they needed to make sure their stock had water.”

Nevertheless, every listed holiday house was booked out, and some relied on local connections to ensure they had a bach for the weekend. The weather was grey and windy, with rain breaking through every so often. The morning of the wedding, Abby sent a few messages to George wondering if they should move the ceremony inside. He confidently replied, “It’ll all be alright.” But the weather clearly didn’t dampen the mood of the day. Everyone arrived ready to party and the ceremony took place outdoors, as planned.

Above. “It was quite easy to pick a venue. Castlepoint has always been special for George. Whenever we go down to visit his family, we always go over to the beach,” Abby says.

Above. Abby’s veil billowing in the breeze. “The weather was classic Wairārapa wild!” Abby says.

Above. The view off the Castlepoint coast. “Our kids have the best
backyard to play and explore in, and we are
thankful for it every day.”

Abby and George chose a relaxed set-up in the woolshed, where the reception took place with armchairs and couches with revolving canapés. “We had time to talk to everybody, making it really easy for us to socialise with everyone,” says Abby. “The dance floor – which was going off! – was in the middle of the woolshed, so you couldn’t avoid it. People thought the floor was going to fall through because of how much everyone was jumping. We had to pause the dancing for the speeches, and we didn’t get a first dance because there was no way we were stopping that dancefloor twice.”

The post-wedding momentum of life is ongoing for Abby and George. They recently took on a lease for Abby’s parents’ farm, with George managing the farm business and Abby back to working full time as a teacher. With their nuptials done and dusted, a third baby is due in the winter of 2024. Both of them are unfazed, with Abby philosophically remarking, “I guess when you get married after you’ve had kids, you’re already there, aren’t you? It’s just been nice to keep moving.”

Above. Abby and daughter Willow’s slips.

Above. Abby’s bouquets were pretty in pink, but the woolshed was decked in yellow blooms. “George’s mum, Vicky, was driving home from town and noticed someone had a big field of sunflowers. And, of course, she happened to know them. They said we were welcome to them and that they could pick them for us.” Abby and her daughter, Willow, helped make the cake decorations together. Abby says, “I grew the flowers, and Willow and I would pick and press them. That summer, we were just constantly picking flowers. My sister made the cake and brought everything over from Gisborne to Castlepoint.”

Above. The wild Wairārapa wind caused a few funny moments during the ceremony. “Once I got to George, the wind blew my veil completely off – it landed on the videographer’s camera. Thank goodness it blew that way and not off the cliff!

Above. “My bridesmaids are witty, funny people,” Abby gushes. “I remember their speech was really good – it was really funny, but in a very wholesome way. The groomsmen are men of few words, but it was very heartfelt.

ABBY & GEORGE
3 March 2023

Bride Abby Hope, 30, daughter of Mary & Gary Hope, Gisborne
Groom George Whitehead, 27, son of Vicky & Scott Whitehead, Tīnui
Wedding Location Castlepoint, Wairārapa
Ceremony On a hilltop overlooking Castlepoint
Reception Castlepoint Woolshed

Celebrant Katie Boyle
Photographer Ellen Mary Photography
Videographer Tiago Kerber Films
Bride’s Dress Kenny & Harlow
Bridesmaids’ Dresses Leave Her Wilder
Hair Adrianna Brasier
Makeup Charlotte Wilson Beauty
Catering Salt Streetfood
Cake By Abby's sister, Meagan Davis
Flowers Suzette May Florist
Furniture Flock Events

Honeymoon Went down south and explored Fiordland National Park and Queenstown
Living On a sheep and beef farm at Ormond, Gisborne

Have you recently tied the knot in provincial Aotearoa New Zealand? Do you want to see your special day featured in the pages of Shepherdess? We love a beautiful, rural wedding - and so do our readers. Romantic, adventurous, rustic, or traditional, we want to hear from you!

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