12 September 2024

In Fields of Clover

Ngā Mārena. Rural Weddings.

writer: Felicity Connell

photographer: Jess Howzen

A shared love of outdoor adventures, along with a little help from family, brought Ella Stokes and Morgan Hunt together. The pair wanted an authentic and relaxed wedding weekend, with plenty of time to spend with their guests. Their ceremony was held in the middle of a field of red clover, with blue skies to match the blue-and-white wedding theme.

Above. Ella says some of the qualities she most loves in Morgan are his smile, optimistic outlook on life, unwavering can-do attitude, the confidence her has instilled in her and his fierce loyalty to his loved ones.

While Ella and Morgan moved in similar social circles, they didn’t connect until Ella’s sister, Katy, played matchmaker by inviting Ella on a jet-boating trip. “I ended up in Morgan’s boat,” Ella, 25, recalls. “But – surprisingly – it didn’t feel awkward, even though we both knew what was going on. After that trip I thought, ‘Oh, I actually do quite like him.’ We definitely have a similar mindset and approach to life. We both grew upon farms, love being outside and being active. All day, every day, is rural for us, which hasn’t changed much from both of us growing up. Horse-riding is one of my passions, and Morgan grew up around horses, so it’s helpful he knows his way around horses.” Morgan, 29, agrees. “I reckon one of things Ella found most appealing about me was that I knew how to lead a horse,” he laughs.

Top left. Ella’s Dad died of cancer in 2019. “My dad not being there definitely added another level of emotion into an emotional day,” Ella says. “I wasn’t going to have flowers on my hat because of the extra expense. But my sister, Katy, encouraged me. She said, ‘Just do it. It’s your wedding.’ I’m so pleased I did – it was very ‘me’ and quite special. I always wear my Akubra hat. And my dad always used to wear a hat, so it was another way we brought his memory into the day.” Top right. In a nod to Morgan’s job as an agronomist, the ceremony took place in a field of red clover. “I was a bit nervous that it was going to disappear,” Morgan says. “Technically ,it should have been harvested the week before, but Bruce committed to keeping it there until after the wedding.” Ella’s brother Ben built the arch. Middle left. Ella with her bridesmaids, Fiona, Katy – her sister and matron of honour – and Georgie. Her bridesmaid Brooke is not pictured. Middle right. Ella says, “My shoes were meant to be my ‘something blue’ but actually I ended up with a lot of something blue, as I knew, from early on, I wanted a blue-and-white colour scheme. It happens to be the same colours as the local Southbridge Rugby Football Club Morgan plays for.” Bottom left. The bridal party heading for photos. Bottom right. “My brother, Ben, his wife, Finley, along with my sister, Katy, and her husband, Scott, gave us a meat carving knife engraved with E & M Hunt as an engagement present. We used it to cut our wedding cake. We plan to pass the knife on to our kids, and hope this will be the start of a new family tradition,” says Ella.

Ella’s love of horse-riding was key to Morgan’s proposal. On a weekend stay a tElla’s family farm, Wyndale, in Sheffield, Morgan got up early and stashed a bottle of bubbly and other treats at the pinnacle of her family’s beef and sheep farm – one of their favourite spots with an amazing outlook. However, when they headed out together later in the morning with Ella on horseback and Morgan on his motorbike, persuading Ella to dismount turned out to be trickier than expected. “Normally we’d just have a quick yarn and then head backdown again, so when I asked her if she wanted to get off her horse, she thought I was being weird,” Morgan explains. But dismount she did, and, proposal accepted, wedding planning got underway.

“We talked about what was important to us and worked things out together,” Ella, communications manager for Irrigation New Zealand, says. “Morgan’s strength is keeping lists and ticking jobs off. Our spreadsheet was essential to keeping us on track.” They’d recently bought a home with a lifestyle block, so keeping wedding costs down was a priority. But with the skills and connections of family and friends, everything came together. Over a beer, Bruce – the father of Morgan’s childhood friend and groomsman, Jake – suggested his garden might the perfect spot for the ceremony. Ella’s brother, Ben, is a clever builder and made a lot of accessories like plinths, signs and seating. “His building helped us save money and still have what we wanted, so we were very grateful!” Ella says. “Also, the things he made are set to be re-used at least three other friends’ weddings. Ben’s wife, Finley, mad eour delicious carrot and chocolate wedding cake. My sister, Katy, and her husband, Scott, catered our day-after celebrations, and our friend Henry McIlraith sang at the ceremony. It felt pretty special.”

One of Ella’s favourite photos from the day is with her grandma. “Our oldest and one of our most precious guests was Grandma Nessie, my mum’s mum. She’s awesome. She turned one-hundred this July, and she still texts.”

“Morgan was adamant he’d chosen the right day for the wedding. We did have a back-up if the weather packed up, but we didn’t want to use it. But on the day, the sun was shining, and while there was a little bit of a classic Ellesmere easterly, which cooled things down a bit, it also made my veil blow in the wind, which looks great in the photos.”

Another friend, Maddy Llyod, runs Studio Alchemy – a wedding coordination service– so she was the logical choice to be the celebrant and on-the-day co-ordinator. One of Ella’s bridesmaids, Brooke, who owns Canterbury Glamping Co., provided tents so friends could stay over the weekend. Friends of Morgan’s had classic cars, which were used by the wedding party and for the photos, while friends from the local Lions Club did the bar. Other community connections helped out by running the courtesy van.

“It was wonderful to have that support and so many people happy to help us in so many ways,” Ella says. “It allowed us to have everything that was important to us. It’s the one time in your life that everyone’s there to celebrate the two of you together. I wanted people to feel the love.

Top left. Ella’s bouquet. “I love dahlias and hydrangeas and roses – some of the flowers you will find in my garden!” Top right. “I felt nervous and a bit wound up getting ready in the morning. But once my mum, brother and sister and I got in the car to leave, then I was excited. I thought, ‘We’ve done all the planning, let’s get the show on the road. Let’s do it.’” Middle. Ella’s mum, Nicki, took the lead on the large outside flower arrangements, as well as the flowers on the tables at the reception. “Mum and her friends, Val and Rosa, raided their own gardens, as well as doing some creative foraging around the district,” Ella says. “Rosa also runs a florist, Flowers by Rosa, so that was a great help, too.” Bottom left. “Morgan’s groomsmen are a tight-knit group of friends who have shared countless adventures and supported him through thick and thin.” Bottom right. All the tables were named after places that are significant to Ella and Morgan.

A pre-wedding trip to Europe and the UK inspired the choice of Coldplay’s “Yellow” for their first dance. “Pretty much any bar we went into in the UK, if there was a live band, they were playing ‘Yellow,’” Morgan explains. Ella, who studied dance for thirteen years throughout her childhood and teens, persuaded Morgan to take dance lessons. “It might sound a bit cringe, but it was a fun thing to do together,” Ella says. However, things didn’t quite go smoothly on the day, with their live band playing the song at a different tempo than the Coldplay version. “We couldn’t quite hit the marks we’d practised,” Morgan recalls. “But Ella and I are both pretty determined. We looked at each other and said, ‘Let’s just crack on and get it done!’ And we did. And we did it well, too!”

In their typical style, their honeymoon was both understated and active. “Our European trip was like a pre-honeymoon,” Morgan explains. “For our actual honeymoon, we had a weekend glamping on the West Coast. We did a couple of cool runs over Hokitika way, as well as just chilling out.” Ella says they’re relaxed and positive about their future. “Our plans include renovating our home and developing our lifestyle block. We’d like to have stables for me, a workshop and a shed for Morgan’s jetboat. If we’re lucky enough, we’d love to have a family down the track. For the moment, we’re working hard and playing hard, and really enjoying life together.”

Top image. Morgan never got the chance to meet Ella’s father before he passed away. “My mum gave Morgan one of Dad’s ties. It’s a family tartan from Dad’s mum’s side of the family. It was special to incorporate it into the day.” Above. Morgan’s friends provided the classic cars. Below. “We are active relaxers,” says Ella about their camping honeymoon in Hokitika, “which is also paired well with our love for a beer or wine, so we had a great time. You definitely don’t need to go somewhere flash for your honeymoon. The lead up to the wedding is such a hustle and bustle. Just chill and enjoy each other.”

ELLA AND MORGAN
8 March 2024

Bride Ella Stokes, 25, daughter of Nicola & the late David Stokes, Sheffield
Groom Morgan Hunt, 29, son of Sharon & Grant Hunt, Leeston
Wedding Location Leeston
Ceremony In a clover field in front of their family friends, Bruce and Min’s, home
Reception Lakeside Soldiers Memorial Hall

Celebrant & Wedding Coordinator Maddy Lloyd, Studio Alchemy
Photographer Jess Howzen Photography
Bride’s Dress Brides of Merivale
Bridesmaids’ Dresses RUBY
Jewellery Petersens Jewellers Merivale
Hair Alex Hannah Hairstyling
Makeup Loving Lashes and Beauty
Catering Catering Co.
Cake By Ella’s sister-in-law, Finley Stokes
Flowers Ella’s mum and her friends did the ceremony arch flowers, and Farmhouse Botanics did the bouquets, button holes and hat
Wedding Ceremony Singer Henry McIlraith
Signage Ella’s brother built the arch, plinths and signs, and Brooke did the design

Honeymoon Canopy Camping near Hokitika
Living In Southbridge

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