Tourists decide to tie knot on holiday

GETTING HITCHED: Peggy Oud and Peter Twidle travelled all the way from Canada to get married at Wanganui's Virginia Lake.PHOTO/STUART MUNRO 180215WCSMWEDDING1

Peggy Oud and Peter Twidle have travelled further than most to get married.

The couple from British Columbia in Canada, yesterday tied the knot in a relaxed ceremony at Virginia Lake.

Neither had been to Wanganui before but Mr Twidle has visited New Zealand.

The Lake Country-based pair have been together six years and met when Ms Oud decided to learn to ride a motorbike. Her instructor was Mr Twidle.

"We were always going to get married at some point," Ms Oud said. "We had planned this trip to New Zealand and decided to get married while we were here, because Peter loves New Zealand."

They chose Wanganui because Ms Oud's cousin, Mari van Baarson, lives here. "She organised the celebrant and she suggested locations for us."

They were able to organise the official paperwork from Canada thanks to the "incredibly helpful" staff at the Whanganui Courthouse.

Ms Oud and Mr Twidle have been travelling through New Zealand for several weeks, and didn't get around to telling family back home about the wedding until a couple of days ago.

"Everybody's initial reaction was to laugh, then they all said they weren't surprised," Mr Twidle said.

The short, relaxed ceremony was held on a grassy lawn next to Virginia Lake. The bride wore a simple sundress and carried a single red rose, while the groom wore shorts and a shirt.

Guests included Ms van Baarson and her family, and friends Don Lindley and Deb de La Mothe, who had travelled from Canada. Celebrant John Peill kept the tone of the ceremony light, and read blessings in Maori and from Canadian First Nations people.

Mr Twidle said an outdoor wedding would not be possible in Canada in February "unless you had a skiing wedding".

"When we left Canada the snow was about [a metre] deep on our lawn."

Post-wedding celebrations included drinks and nibbles at Ms van Baarson's house and a night at a hotel. Today the couple continue their travels up the Whanganui River Rd.

They head back to Canada on March 16.