Kiwi scoops up Kidman's bouquet

When Nicole Kidman threw her bouquet, Evelyn White swooped. "What can a girl do when it falls at her feet?" the Taupo woman said yesterday.

Ms White, a retirement village manager and close family friend of Kidman's New Zealand-born husband Keith Urban, had been talking to other guests when the Hollywood star flung the bouquet off a balcony at her wedding to the country singer on June 25.

Ms White, who is no longer married, said she was delighted when the cluster of fresh peonies, gardenias and roses landed on the floor in front of her, but doubted it was a sign.

"I'd love to get married again, but there was no wedding bell in front of that bouquet," she said.

Ms White, who attended the celebrity nuptials in Sydney with other Urban family friends, said speculation that she fended off other women - including Kidman's movie star pal Naomi Watts - for the bouquet was untrue.

She said an announcement had been made that Kidman would throw the bouquet before leaving the reception, but it took time and guests went back to talking.

Ms White was below the balcony to Kidman's right, watching a group lined up to catch it, but the bouquet did not reach them because, Ms White suspected, it was too heavy for the lanky Australian to lob directly over her head.

After picking it up, Ms White offered flowers to other guests, knowing biosecurity rules would make it difficult to bring the bouquet home.

Several accepted the offer, but the bouquet of about 40 stems still looked beautiful after plucking and was given to Urban's parents.

Ms White, who met Urban's mother Marienne at primary school and his father Bob as a teenager in Whangarei, was invited to the wedding two months before the event, and sworn to secrecy.

She looked hard for the right dress, eventually settling on an outfit designed in France. "I felt a million dollars, having had the hair and the makeup done."

She said the wedding was a "lovely family wedding.

"The numbers were such that you just got to mix and mingle with everybody. It's probably one of the friendliest weddings I've ever been to."

It was also emotional. "Many times there wasn't a dry eye."

She said Kidman and Urban had made everyone feel very welcome and spoken to all their guests, but she would not reveal what they had said to her.

However, she was full of praise for Urban ("he's gorgeous") and his bride.

"She's lovely to meet as a person, and beautiful, absolutely beautiful."

She said the wedding had been "a moment to treasure for the rest of your life.

"I'm probably still on a little bit of a high from it, but work brings you back to reality."

Ms White returned last week and said residents at the retirement village were so curious that there would be a morning tea tomorrow to discuss the wedding.

And even though she had to leave the bouquet behind, she came back with more than memories.

A Tiffany clock - given to all the guests - is now in Ms White's lounge.

"It will certainly occupy pride of place," she said.


GUESTS' GOODIE BAGS

* The 230 guests at the wedding each received a Tiffany clock valued at an estimated $600.

* The clocks were inscribed: "A moment in time, 25th June 2006, Nicole and Keith" on the back.

* Each clock came wrapped in pale blue and a white ribbon with a personalised card.