Lockdown love: Tourists' last-minute wedding thanks to kindness of strangers

None of it was meant to happen the way it did.

First they were planning to marry in June, then it was brought forward to March, atop the stunning Coromandel Peak.

In the end, Amanda Cheung and Ashley Ramsay tied the knot in a bit of a hurry, at the celebrant's house, with their families watching on Zoom.

In fact, when they woke up that Monday morning, less than 48 hours before New Zealand entered lockdown, they didn't even know they were going to get married that day.

The whole wedding was put together in a matter of hours, thanks to a community of kind strangers in Wanaka. Canada-based Ashley and her partner Amanda, from Boston, met while travelling and were adding New Zealand to their list when the pandemic hit.

"Two months in New Zealand, followed by three weeks in Japan for our pre-honeymoon before returning to Canada for our wedding in June 2020."

Then Covid-19 brought the world to a halt.

"We found ourselves in Wanaka as Covid-19 was getting worse elsewhere in the world," Ashley wrote online.

Then Canada and the United States closed their borders to non-citizens and the pair were worried they wouldn't be able to stay together upon returning home.

"We immediately called our parents and they agreed that for now, it was safer for us to stay in New Zealand."

So a plan was hatched. And the week before New Zealand was to enter a five-week lockdown — although no one knew it yet — the pair filed for a New Zealand marriage licence and found a celebrant. They booked a helicopter to fly them to Coromandel Peak on Wednesday the following week for their Plan B perfect day.

Ashley and Manda married at the celebrant Jill's house less than 48 hours before New Zealand entered lockdown. Photo / Supplied

"Then, the next morning, we woke up to more news … New Zealand was closing its borders, to ALL international flights starting at the end of March. Gimme a break!" Ashley wrote.

The couple hastily booked a flight to Boston the following Friday.

"So our plan, as of March 20, 2020, was to get our wedding licence on Tuesday, marry on Wednesday and fly out on Friday."

Sounded simple enough, all things considered. They met their celebrant, Gill Loughnan, and "immediately hit it off".

"She asked what our plans were for clothing and we told her how we hadn't been prepared to travel with clothing for a wedding. We were thinking to go into town and buy any dress that fit."

• Covid19.govt.nz: The Government's official Covid-19 advisory website

But Loughnan had another idea. She posted on the Upper Clutha Facebook group to see if anyone had an old wedding dress they could borrow. What followed was a flood of kindness — four people offered wedding dresses, others offered flowers and their Airbnb host invited them to share a beer and a barbecue with him. The following day, Loughnan took them to Novia Brides, where they picked out dresses.

"We were floating on clouds. In all the stress, panic, and uncertainty, it was a moment of love, bliss and happiness, all through the kindness of strangers."

On Monday March 23, the pair were walking along the Hāwea river when they got more news. The wedding licence had arrived early but New Zealand was about to go into lockdown — on the day they were meant to get married.

"We'd sadly have to cancel our helicopter dream wedding, but we were determined to at least get married. We decided to have the wedding that day, Monday, at our celebrant's house." Loughnan picked up bouquets offered by a local on the Facebook group. "She didn't have much time with the sudden change in plans, but said she could put together 'simple arrangements' … they were anything but! They were massive, and stunning."

The pair said Wanaka had become their temporary home in lockdown. "We feel very fortunate that our path found us here in these difficult times, and we cannot say thank you enough to those who made this day happen for us," Ashley told the Herald on Sunday.