Hawke’s Bay farmers win dream wedding at Magpies match after 14-year engagement

Heath Kingston and Te Ana Anderson are set to "say I do on the 22" at McLean Park during halftime at a Magpies game.

After 14 years of being engaged to wed, one lucky Hawke’s Bay couple has won the chance to have their special day in one of the most Hawke’s Bay ways possible.

Heath Kingston and Te Ana Anderson are farmers near Hastings and are huge Hawke’s Bay Magpie fans.

The couple has been together for the last 16 years, 14 of those years they’ve been set to wed.

Now the couple will get married on the 22m line of McLean Park during halftime of the Magpies v Wellington match on Saturday, September 6 after winning The Hits radio station’s ‘Say I Do at the 22′ competition, thanks to the Hawke’s Bay Rugby Union.

Hawke’s Bay’s The Hits co-host Megan Banks will be the celebrant.

Anderson said she and Kingston had booked a wedding years ago when they first got engaged, but life kept getting in the way in the form of pregnancy and work.

“Then maybe five years ago, we planned another wedding to the point I actually booked a venue, booked hair, booked makeup, booked everything, and then we really just couldn’t agree on anything,” Anderson said.

“He wanted heaps of people and I didn’t and now he’s got his wish because there’s going to be 1000 people there at least.”

Anderson has had a dress waiting in her closet for the past 14 years and is hopeful it will still fit.

“I did try to put it on the other day, but I needed a bit of help, so I’m not sure if it actually fit properly, but fingers crossed,” she laughed.

But Anderson said she was “down for whatever happens”.

“Whatever they come up with, any ideas, I’m down for everything,” she said.

“I’m just happy to be actually getting it done and actually having some help to plan it, that was one of my biggest barriers when I was organising a wedding previously.

“So much work and so much to do and now I’ve got some help, so it’s made it a lot easier.”

The prize the couple won includes the wedding at McLean Park thanks to Hawke’s Bay Rugby Union, planning help from Planit Events, flowers from The Flower Barrow, clothes from Rembrandt Menswear and Magazine Clothing, transport from Tranzit Coachlines, jewellery from Sandra and Simon Spice, Make Up with Micki, accommodation thanks to Big Barrel, catering from Orton’s, Roam, and Sharni’s and spray tan and nails from Alannah’s Beauty Therapy.

Jack Riddell is a multimedia journalist with Hawke’s Bay Today and has worked in radio and media in Auckland, London, Berlin, and Napier.