A local couple had no idea that their special day would coincide with one of the most momentous wedding occasions of the century - that of Prince William and Catherine Middleton.
Diana Grant and Philip Page insist that it was William and Kate who copied them, saying they chose the wedding
date well before Christmas last year.
The couple aim to tie the knot at 11am, the same time as the royal wedding at Westminster Abbey.
Diana, who is from Wellington, and Philip, originally from Cornwall, England, decided to marry after a 12-year courtship, which began in Tauranga. Philip proposed to Diana on a romantic getaway, similar to William's proposal to Kate.
The similarities to the royal wedding do not end there. The wedding invitations bear the same entwined initials that have adorned royal invites of the past and a royal wedding seal was added "just for laughs".
The couple also decided to have two wedding cakes - traditional fruit cake and lemon meringue - never dreaming that the royal couple would follow suit.
Even the French Dukan diet made famous by Kate as she tried to shed a few unwanted pounds had already been adopted by the Tauranga couple months before.
"I swear she's the copycat," Miss Grant said.
The ceremony itself, however, will take on a different form to the lavish one prepared for William and Kate.
An intimate outdoor setting with views of the Bay of Plenty will contrast sharply with what the likely future king and queen will experience.
Miss Grant will walk down the aisle in a coffee-coloured dress with turquoise and cream accents adorning the venue, as opposed to the traditional British red and white.
The newly married Mr and Mrs Page plan to tune in to the royal ceremony after their own celebrations are over.
"In years to come when there is a pub quiz question asking when Catherine and William got married, we're sure to know the answer to that one," Mr Page said.
