Stuffs' wedding of the week

Forty-eight-year-old contact centre team manager Leonie (Lee) and 41-year-old capability development advisor Dena didn't let a little rain get them down on the day. They tied the knot in a simple yet beautiful ceremony at the Cossars Wineshed, Canterbury, followed by some quirky photographs shot around the Christchurch rebuild.
But we'll let Lee spill all the romantic details . . .
How did you meet?
Dena told the story as part of her wedding speech.
"Lee crashed a barbecue at my house in 2010 and I didn't like her much," she said.
"But later, over a particularly good chicken dopiaza, things changed and I realised I had found 'The One'."
Tell us about the proposal: We had returned from a fantastic holiday in Melbourne in 2012, where we had spotted some rings by Jeanie Alderton.
Dena had to wait to have hers made and when it arrived at my work I came home, threw the bag at Dena and said: "Do you want to be my missus?" That was it!
Later I proposed in a slightly more appropriate way, down on one knee with white roses from our garden. The proposal was accepted – all whilst Dena was standing in the driveway spraying weeds.
Location of wedding: Cossars Wineshed in Tai Tapu, Canterbury.
WANT YOUR WEDDING TO BE FEATURED HERE?
Describe your wedding day: Dena and I stayed at The Heritage Hotel the night before, and picked up best babe Denise (my big sister) for hair and makeup on the morning of the big day.
Janine Jansen did a fabulous job with our "dos" as the champagne flowed. Following that, the MAC makeup counter at Ballantynes made us look and feel beautiful. We walked back to the Heritage in the December sun to meet Dena's best babe, David, and to dress.
Our photographer Emma Scott arrived and we took some fantastic shots around the vintage hotel and the ever-changing Christchurch CBD. We were then collected in a friend's vintage Holden Kingswood to travel out to Tai Tapu. We stopped for more pictures at Halswell Quarry but the weather gods had other ideas! There was such a rush to get everyone back into the Kingswood that we steamed up the windows!
The ceremony took place in Cossars' beautiful barn and our celebrant, Sean Joyce, brought solemnity, humour and joy to our nuptials. He included our UK friends who Skyped into the ceremony and had got up at 3:30am just to be there!
The reception featured beautiful food by White Tie catering, yummy table desserts, moving speeches and a lot of laughter before dancing and sparklers well into the night.
The dress: Two brides mean two dresses. My work team took me shopping and I found a style that made me feel beautiful. Dena looked for a classic style. Both dresses were purchased overseas from different stores but arrived in the exact same colour and fabric – perfect.
The flowers: The reception flowers were candy pink roses, freesias and green chrysanthemums provided by Moffats. The best flowers were the handmade paper ones used as garlands in the wedding barn and reception hall. Hundreds of them were made by our friends over three afternoon teas - it was their gift to us and they looked stunning!
Highlight of the wedding: We both had a "Perfect Day" and used this song by Holley Maher when signing the register. We could not have asked for more than a day surrounded by love, laughter, beautiful friends, food, wine and music, and this is exactly what we got!
Was there any drama? After a so-so day of weather, it rained 10 minutes before the outside ceremony was due to start. The Cossars and White Tie team threw Plan B swiftly into action, and we married inside the barn festooned with our paper garlands and candles. The cloud cleared afterwards and we could meet and greet in the stunning French provincial-style courtyard.
The honeymoon: Due to so much of my family coming over from Australia, we spent the week after the wedding with them touring Queenstown, Wanaka and Dunedin. T-shirts were printed for us all with the words "Cowen-Willis Familymoon 2013". We're planning on a relaxing break in a warm climate sometime in mid-2015.

Your photographer and favourite photo? Our photos were taken by Emma Scott from The Wedding Collective. We love the picture of us together in the Heritage Hotel laughing, and the shots in the pastel-coloured New Regent St, Christchurch.