Oh, Sarah-Rose

18th January 2006

Wellington was sad to see us go.
Driving in to the airport the weather was so bad that we couldn’t see Somes Island and I worried that we weren’t going to be able to fly.

Craig kept putting on his giant giant headphones so I had to make my own fun mainly by seeing if he would turn around every time I did – yep.

The flight up to Auckland? 45 minutes in the air and I read pretty much the entire time.

We arrived in Auckland at 2:05pm, and our international check in time? 2:10pm.
And it’s a 10 minute walk just between the domestic and international terminals! We power walked it and my poor poor legs screamed at me. I didn’t even have time to use the bathroom.

Also – when we were leaving? we were at the budget exit. We had to get our boarding passes ripped and then get on to a Bus. Filled with old people and a couple of families with children. yeuch.
The bus did take us to an actual plane, a regular medium sized plane, for which I was very thankful.

Leaving Auckland.

The flight to Norfolk is just under 2 hours. Not long enough to play a movie, but long enough to play annoying episodes of Futurama and Will and Grace.
also – Air New Zealand food is really ok, and they serve free drinks and give out lollies for descent, so I forgive them for that one time about 3 years ago when they didn’t call and tell me that my flight was cancelled.

We flew over the three kings islands.
I didn’t notice until they were there … very bottom left.

As I was using my old (and actually, still current) passport, so I had to use my maiden name.
But both Craig and I got to select “Now Married” on the declaration form.

Norfolk Island.
yes those are Norfolk Pines, yes they Are endemic to Norfolk Island and yes it’s strange to see them mixed in with palm trees as I think of Pine Trees as being covered in snow.

We de-planed at the tiny little aeroport and walked into heat that felt so sticky after the dehydrating air conditioning of the plane – I think it was actually only 25C. The building where we collected our luggage? had no airconditioning. I was bummed.

It felt so small, everyone from the plane still standing around waiting on the baggage handlers who we could see out the door to our left. Tiny Tiny airport. NO AIRCONDITIONING.

Our bags FINALLY came around and we walked through customs (passport stamp!) and out into more of that stupid heat thing. A very cheerful Australian lady accosted us
“So, who are you with?”
“uh – him?”
“no no where are you staying”
“Oh, the South Pacific, we have … transfers?”
“your names?”
“Burke … and Mulligan”
“hm. there’s noone here for you. just a sec. Chreees? Chreees? are you going by the South Pac? … right. Chris’ll sort you out”
“uh okay, thanks”
We were ushered on to the oldest bus in the world, along with another couple from the plane. In the confusion and the bustle and the “CHREEESS?” we’d been apparently booked on a free half day tour the very next day. Or at least that’s what the brochure in my hand said.

We were driven to our hotel, everything we passed seemed dilapidated, dusty and rusty and fading. A lot of pine trees, a lot of palm trees, cows and old-people stores. uhoh.

The South Pacific Resort Hotel.
it certainly wished it was.
We walked in to “hi! is this Craig Burke and Sarah Mulligan? or is it Sarah Burke now?” which made me smile.
I was feeling drained and far too hot (I was wearing jeans) so I faded in and out, drinking the ‘complimentary cocktail upon arrival’ which was also completely non-alcoholic and disappointing, as Craig and the other couple from the aeroport listened to information about towels and rental cars and I don’t even remember what else.

We were shown to our room. Again, NO AIRCONDITIONG. I almost cried.
They’d left us a bottle of ‘champagne’ in an ice bucket which was kind of sweet …
Craig turned up the near-ineffectual fan and we both stripped off, changing in to much lighter clothing.

I felt … despondent.
I was too hot and sticky and I didn’t feel at all like I was overseas.
So Craig and I decided on going for a walk as we were close to the town, and it was only 2pm.

As we were walking out of the grounds of the hotel a tree caught my eye – it was a Tiaré tree! the national flower of Tahiti and a flower I love in general, it smells amazing.

I walked over to take a photo (but I couldn’t get it focussed) and went to go in closer when behind my shoulder I heard
“uh Sarah-Rose?”
uh-oh. Craig only calls me that when I’ve forgotten something or I haven’t noticed something or … what the hell …
and as I looked around to him, I noticed something out of the corner of my eye, something which I was instantly certain had been what he was pointing out to me …

a GIANT cobweb.
layers and layers of cobweb, all the way up taller than the Tiaré tree, which is taller than Craig, and all the way down to about my knee height.
And we counted at least TWENTY spiders in it like this

they were about 3 inches long. Each of them.
and the twenty we counted? didn’t include all the ones that were obviously hiding in the trees and bushes waiting to eat me alive.
I jumped behind Craig and said “okay, I want to go home now”.
yeuch.
I’d forgotten that on an island that was almost-australia, there would be almost-australian sized bugs.

The first day on Norfolk Island just kept getting worse.
Vaguely terrified, Craig insisted we were going to the shops. Which were closed. At 2:30 on a Wednesday. Oy.

We still looked around, at pottery displays and “My Grandma went to Norfolk Island and all I got was this crappy t-shirt” shirts, Craig’s house of Knitwear and Perfume and Liquor stores. Oo Nice. Craig saw the lego stores and peered longingly through the windows.
It didn’t take long until we’d exhausted the main drag. Norfolk Island is SMALL.

As we were walking back to the hotel, hand in hand, Craig remarked “I think I could live in a small town” and it was decided that I really really couldnt.

We had terrible overpriced chicken at the hotel ‘restaurant’ and went back to the room, where we watched Hurricane and I drank the terrible champagne.
I drank enough for both of us.

19th January 2006

We spent a lot of today going around and around the 8km of this island.
The free half day tour was in the morning, and I’m sorry to say that I actually found it interesting.
Sorry! I’m a history geek.

Norfolk Island was a penal colony twice over. The second time it was closed down was because it was just so violent that even Queen Victoria thought it was a blight on her empire.
It was finally settled by the children of the Bounty Mutineers, as their island (Pitcairn) was/is only 2km square, and they were over populated by 190 people. These 190 people settled Norfolk Island, and there are still a lot of people here who share surnames … make of that what you will.

Our first stop was a church built by the Melanesian Mission (?) and it had a pretty green stained glass window.

I forget what it’s called. I want to say St Bathans, or St Barnabas.

Their fake graveyard.

Okay, not really, the original graveyard was down in a field and the cows kept knocking over the headstones, so they moved them up here, easier than moving the bodies. The field in which the bodies remain is marked with an obelisk. Cows still graze there, the obelisk must be harder to knock over.

They took us to a pretty pretty look out.
I don’t remember why, but it’s pretty.

The tour guide started telling stories. And he talked and talked and talked.
And I got bored.

We drove down to Emily Bay, which is the only beach on Norfolk that is suitable for swimming. Almost all of the rest of the coast line is cliffs.

We could see out to Phillip Island.

It’s 7km out from Norfolk Island and the same size as Pitcairn Island (2km sq).
Norfolk seems roomy in comparison.
(I also love the cloud. poor eyeore island)

Other things we learned about Norfolk Island.
x There has only been one murder in the 150 year history
x All the electricity on the island is diesel generated, so it costs 3x as much as it does on the mainland (Australia). Hence the lack of airconditioners.

It started raining on the way back to the township.
Craig and I got off outside … Hibiscus something-or-other where we had a rental car waiting for us.
I forgot that we didn’t have any cash so we had to walk, in the rain, to THE ATM. the only one on the Island.
At least our eftpos cards worked there – it was fun putting in our New Zealand cards and getting out australian money. a little fun.

hibiscus in the rain.

our car!
look how freaking short the licence plate is!

We went back to the hotel and decided to go exploring the island. Sort of a slower and less informed version of the tour we’d just been on.

Emily Bay from a Peninsula :

The ruins.

Down by Emily Bay there are ruins of the old barracks, the pentagonal jail, the civil hospital and the … crank house?

(where the external stairs used to be)

Husband found a hole.
He was going to jump in but we decided that there was no way I could get him out if he did.

Looking up to the :

husband through the chimney

I took a photo of myself in the dissecting room.
As one does.

We drove around looking for a place with enough lego sets to sate craig’s appetite. We found a tiny tiny store packed floor to ceiling. The one Craig REALLY REALLY wanted wasn’t there, he bought the one requested by his brother (and Craig’s second favourite) and of course decided to not get one for himself, despite my assurances that he’d regret it if he didn’t.

That evening we made a stupid stupid decision and went for Chinese Food.
on a very white (or french-polynesian) island.
It was the blandest chinese food we’ve ever eaten, and overpriced.
(We were served by a kid who was wearing a pretty Tiaré necklace … it sounds stupid now but I decided to half-look for one the next day. what? I really like the flower)
The place was empty. As with the night before we’d called up about reservations … and were pretty much the only ones in the place.

We went for a swim when we got back to the hotel.
It was 8pm and we were the only ones in the pool. It was silly and romantic and fun – they had cheesy music playing from the ‘bar’ and we swum and kissed and stuck around until we were cold (it was a change!).

20th January 2006

It was friday and my clothes ended up smelling like woodsmoke, my hair thick with salt and chlorine.

Craig and I drove up to Mt Pitt – starting the day with the highest point on the island.
You can see horizon all around you, 360 degrees.

sea stretching off as far as the eye can see, til the horizon of blue-sky and blue-sea is blurred and paling.
It’s an eternal cliché but it felt daunting. So much sea. So little island.

Husband found … stuff. They have signs explaining everything, except of course the creepy chained off machinery.
We think the round thing is some kind of light.

(the only photo of us together on the island)

We went back to Emily Bay,

we laid out towels and for the first time since Tahiti I played around in the sea, Craig dug holes and we got covered in sand and salt and sunscreen.

Craig and I swum together in the ocean, salty kisses and his eyelashes stuck together.
We saw fish and decided to return with our masks.

After the beach Craig and I shook the sand off and went to a local (the local) deli to get some food for lunch – we ended up getting food that we needed to cook and went to a lookout called ‘Cook’s Landing’, where you can see the inlet purportedly used by cook as his landing point 10/10/1774, and also one of the many places where the rangers have provided wood and concrete barbeques for the public to use.
So we did.
(I was better at keeping the fire going than Craig, even though we only got the wood to char)

We made a terribly smoky fire and cooked sausages which we ate with strange australian tomato sauce, coleslaw, bread and chunks of watermelon.

it felt so wholesome but it was fun.

we walked down past the view of the inlet :

(at the very bottom there)

and down to … the peninsula, basically a cliff overhang where it was terribly windy, but overlooking sheer cliffs that are pretty much inaccessible save by birds and fish – so so blue.

the water really was that blue.
so blue.

On the way back through town we stopped at the bond store and spent too too much money on cheap liquor (duty free plus 30% off for travellers).
The next place we stopped was a perfumerie where we tried to test perfumes but our hands (and hair and clothes and everything) smelled like smoke.
I was floored when I found Hot Couture by Givenchy, as it’s been discontinued, and I bought the self-titled perfume by Lolita Lempicka – both scents I have loved since Tahiti.
I also loved Stella by Stella Mcartney but it was too much on top of the rest, husband wasn’t a fan and it’s practically the signature scent of Kat.

The perfumerie was close to the South Pacific so we went back to the room where we felt so sticky and sandy and terrible that we went back to the hotel pool.
Again just my husband and I in an empty pool. chlorine kisses and his eyelashes stuck together (so beautiful).
Long haired children showed up and ruined our newlywed time.

We decided on pizza for dinner – safe enough we figured.
Because I’m picky we called for directions (everything just said “Taylors Rd” – it’s the only main rd and it’s not that short. gah) and the instructions were “cut across the mini golf course and turn right. the blue pitched roof right next door”.
oh.

it was amazing!
we had pizza and gelato and coffee and all of that? was less than each of our previous dinners, and at least twice as nice.
We talked about how 13s were related to the wedding (rehearsal on friday 13th, seated in row 13 and then that night table 13), what our last meals would be and we walked home in the dark.
the pitch black dark.
They may have more than one street light, but there are still only about 5, and none where we were walking.

21st January 2006

Our final day on the island. And we still couldn’t get hold of the scuba guy, the most we heard was that he might be off the island. very freaking convenient.
It still ended up being a water day.
As it was a saturday the shops were only open until 12 so my husband trailed up and down the main street looking for the perfect Tiaré necklace, we looked for more lego but still didn’t find the truck that Craig wanted, and he refused to buy himself anything else. It took about 5 different souvenir shops and I still hadn’t found my necklace, I was settling for a second favourite when I asked the elderly man behind the counter who disappeared into the back and came back with a necklace all but identical to the one I’d originally seen! pretty.
(I also bought violet perfumeria gal balm in an art nouveau tin)

It was overcast all morning, but we really wanted to go to the beach.
We decided to drive the long way around the island in the hopes that it would clear up by the time we got to Emily Bay.

Along the way we saw Nightmare Trees.

AKA Moreton Bay Fig Trees.

I didn’t want to get too close, but the part off to the right? snaking past (EATING) the other tree? it was pretty much as tall as me.

nightmare trees

(just looking at the photos creeps me out a little)

and you know what?
the drive did it, because soon after we got to the beach, it cleared right up.

We used our snorkels and masks and swam out to a pontoon in the bay, seeing ghostwhite fish along the way.

the water was so amazing (and since I knew it would be our last chance) I didn’t want to get out. Craig got out and covered up to save himself from the sun, and dug another hole.

This time he played Lieutenant Dan.

and I took photos in the water

salt heavy hair.

and when Craig went out to wash the sand off? guess who wanted to go back out to the pontoon?
So I ended up drifting around in the water, watching him jump off the pontoon and actually make a flip into the water.
I had my giant sunglasses on and felt like a silly movie star. I should have also had a cocktail.

We had lunch on our way back through town at 2pm.
Pretty much the only places still open were the cafés. Everything closes at 12 on saturdays, and isn’t open at all on sundays.
We had lunch at a café and I ordered a chicken salad sandwich. It turned out to be pretty much bigger than my head!

Finishing up on the Island we returned the rental car, walking back to the hotel and stopping off to take photos of

Craigs for Knitwear : The Specialists

tiarétiarétiaré

the entrance to our hotel.

We packed our bags, ending up with far far too much stuff as carry on (but still within the limits) and Craig realised that he couldn’t part with the lego.
Of course at that point it was too late to buy another for his brother, so we decided instead that Craig should listen to me much much more because I knew that this would happen.

We decided to go back to Pizza on Norfolk for dinner, we felt a little silly, but really I couldn’t face having a terrible meal on our very last night.
And it wasn’t terrible. it was as amazing as the night before. Tiramisu and Cassatta gelato. gah.

Upon our return to the hotel Craig and I went for a final swim in the hotel pool.
Earlier that day a tour group of elderly people had arrived at the hotel, and they were availing themselves of the Barbeque Buffet so our vespertine swim garnered some bemused looks.
We swam around until I started shaking.

22nd January

Norfolk Island was sad to see us go

Husband and Wife spent the day travelling back to Wellington.
On the flight back into New Zealand we lost an hour and a half, and Craig kissed me on the descent into Auckland as it was bumpy and I hate that.

While Craig waited for our suitcases I bought a bottle of Peach vodka and heard yet another specification as to how many litres of spirits one can bring in to New Zealand in any one go.

We met up with Craig’s parents and went out for lunch, and looking around a local mall. We had 3 hours to kill and it was better than being stuck in the airport!
Craig bought amazing bright orange and purple and black dunks. And he got to say to someone “oh nah, I’m just here with my wife” which he told me with a grin on his face.

I spent the flight from Auckland to Wellington sulking because Craig and I were split up. I had to sit next to a scary looking boy who wore no shoes. There was a space next to me!
The stewardess at Norfolk Island must have hated us.

In wellington we were met by my mother and promptly delivered back to my familial home where we had dinner with my family and Erin, and Kirsten, Adrian and their children came over for dessert and we looked a million photos, the Norfolk Island ones and then also the professional wedding photos!
very exciting.

Craig and I were fading at 10 which is when we were delivered back to our house.
We arrived home to a letter from Births Deaths and Marriages telling us we weren’t really married.
That was the biggest downer ever.
I went to bed teary-eyed, distressed until I realised that Craig and I were as married as we were on the day of the wedding, and Tisha would be able to fix it.

at 5:50 the next morning my alarm went off and real life as Sarah Burke began.

I woke up early on the 14th.
I always knew I would, I can never sleep late when I’m excited or nervous – plus my hair appointment was at 9 so we couldn’t stay in bed all day.
I had been in a terrible mood pretty much all day on the 13th but spending time with Craig in the evening made me much much calmer than the Rescue Remedy I’d been pounding ever could.

At 7:20 I was lying awake in bed and Craig turned over and smiled at me
Craig : Happy Wedding Day baby
Me : Happy Wedding Day.

I padded around the house all barefoot, thinking about how my nails were done, and I was already wearing my gauged earring for the wedding, making sure all the bags were where they needed to be so that I was as ready as I could be.
I sat outside on the back step and saw that the ground was wet – it had been raining overnight. And the sky was somewhat grey – but I hoped that was just because of the time.
I took deep breaths and thought about how I was going to be married, my name was changing, that I would be tied to Craig forever (always in some way). And after a couple of minutes spent staring at rain drops on the flowers outside our house I realised that nope, I wasn’t scared, I was barely even nervous.

I looked in at Craig asleep again.
I love his face so relaxed.
Then, listening to a song written and performed especially for our wedding by one of my closest friends, I cried.

The Middle by Kat McKenzie

So this is what I know for sure
That when a brown-eyed girl met a blue-eyed boy
It set the world afire
And the light could not be kept from any door

And I’ve seen what no one else has seen
And I’ve been where no one else can be

I don’t want the end
I want the beginning and the middle with you
All holes we can mend
I want the beginning and the middle with you

I’ll see the middle with you..

And every day before you came
Were just in waiting for the one I knew would fit
So when you looked my way
Something stirred inside me, more than I’d admit

Don’t want to face each day alone
Can’t unearth all these seeds I’ve sown
In us
I’m happy when I know you’re home
Your voice on my telephone

You’re my own
sweet
dream

So let me kiss you just once more
Before I know that I can do it for all time
Bind our hands as one, this day
So I’ll be sure that I am yours and you are mine

And I’ll be wherever you will be
And I’ll see whatever you will see
And we’ll be whatever we will be
now

We can’t see the end
I’ll have the beginning and the middle with you
All holes we will mend
I’ll have the beginning and the middle with you
I’ll see the middle with you..

I know this time
Know this face
Know what’s coming around
I know I won’t be this
With anyone
With anyone but you

I don’t want the end
I want the beginning and the middle with you
All holes we can mend
I want the beginning and the middle with you

I’ll see the middle with you.

Let’s have the middle..

We sat together on the couch and ate breakfast in near silence.
I may have been in a better mood but I was still dreading the hours I was to spend apart from him – what if he got nervous? what if I got nervous?
The plan was that he would drop me off at my parents at 8:50am, my Mum, Charlotte, Jayne and I would go to the hair appointment (meeting Petra there) and Craig would go in to the Wellesley to start setting things up on the tables etc.
We (the girls) would come back to my parents place, have lunch, and go into the Wellesley at about 2 to get dressed.

I showed up at my parents place at 8:50 (always punctual) but they weren’t ready to go.
Erin, a distant cousin from Canada, had arrived the night before and needed some clothes to wear to the wedding (backpacking around New Zealand, and working in a vinyard does not really require evening wear). We eventually left probably at about 9.
My hair took the entire Three Hours to do. Three Hours. Just my hair. Jeez.
Charlotte, Jayne, Petra and Mum had their hair done by a couple of other hair dressers and we ended up sitting around reading magazines and talking.

I felt like a country singer.

I ended up with my hair completely done, and with my tiara and veil comb in it … it felt very strange walking out of the hair dressers knowing I was walking down the street in jeans and a black singlet with a freaking tiara on my head.
I also felt pretty.

We arrived back at my parents place and Craig’s car was still parked outside.
I was surprised that he would even take the chance of seeing me – this is the boy who didn’t want to see the shoes that I bought because they were part of my wedding outfit!
It turned out that he wasn’t there and I felt a little … disappointed, because I always look forward to seeing him.

We sat around and had lunch – my mother said she was celebrating my wedding by eating bread. ha.

Petra and I hung around and talked – I tried in vain to concentrate on an article about David Bowie, and she did her Maid of Honour Duty and ensured that the cards were stuck to wedding presents.

I’d always thought people were kind of exaggerating when they talked about the weather being fine just in time for their special day, but the weather gods were kind to us as well. For the week before the wedding I kept checking different weather websites trying to gauge what the likelihood of rain was, because while the ceremony and reception were all inside, our chosen spot for photos was outside. All the weather organisations led me to believe that there might be showers, that it would probably be cloudy, but that it should fine up … fine but grey was the consensus.
And yet the sky was blue. It was almost insanely warm, and standing in the exterior doorway in my parents sun room I felt as though I could possibly get sun burned.

Craig showed up at about 1, 1:30. He just walked on into the house and I half heartedly said “Oh no! baby! you’re not meant to be here” but he smiled so wide, took my face in his hands and kissed me … I’ll let that boy have anything.
He walked out to talk to the rest of the family (and meet Erin, and my Aunt and Uncle who were staying at my parents place) and Petra came up to me “Feel calmer now?” “yea. a lot”

one last photo as an unmarried couple

At 2 o’clock we piled everything into the car – 5 girls, 3 fancy dresses and one fancy skirt, a suitcase and favours.
I got a flutter of nerves – everything we did was sort of “This. Is. It” leading up to the wedding.
People kept asking if I was nervous which did NOT help.
We picked up the flowers which were much much more than I expected them to be

The hot pink bouquets were exactly the kind of roses that I’d had in mind, but all I’d specified was Hot Pink and my pale pink bouquet was so pale, and so antique looking that I was completely relieved that I’d been told a last minute change to white roses was not possible.

The Wellesley Hotel.
We went up to our suite, the Honeymoon Suite, AKA the Blundle Suite.
It was a gorgeous room – I was greeted by a beautiful bunch of flowers that I at first assumed were from the Wellesley, until I read the card.

We’re sorry we missed such and Amazing day!
Love you both very much,
Your Aussie boys T & R

I almost cried (the first of many times that day), it was such a sweet thing for them to have done,especially since I was severely disappointed that neither of them were going to be in the country and thus couldn’t have made it anyway.
Plus – pink and black? those boys still know me.

My cousin Cherie called from Hong Kong, to wish me luck and say she was sorry she couldn’t make it – it was nice of her to call, but she kept trying to calm me down – I was the calmest out of everyone in that room!
Petra was freaking because we had decided she would do all the make up for us … and didn’t really bring exactly the right stuff.

I ended up taking photos of the room as we sat around trying to not touch our hair, and watching C4 (the music channel)

the very strange picture in the room – slightly menacing

One of my Must-Take personal photos was a shot of me in the claw-foot bath, because I just adore them.
If they made claw foot jacuzzi baths I would be in heaven.

The bathroom was so white that I look deeply deeply tan, when I’m actually the whitest person I know.

(Mum’s skirt was amazing. I just loved the colour, and it was very flattering also)

Mum kept popping down to check on things around the rest of the hotel. For which I was very thankful, because I really wanted to do that also.

(The professional photographers took some photos of the venue which I hadn’t thought to ask for and I’m very glad to have)

I did ask for one venue-related photo – the painting hanging in the stairwell, just about Jayne and Charlotte’s heads

It’s an original Goldie, who is a very big deal in New Zealand painting.

4 very long stem roses in this colour were laid along the middle of each table, and there was an enormous vase of them on the sideboard as well. They smelled amazing.

The Head Table aka Sweet Home Alabama

Each of the tables was named after a movie Craig and I love, and had a quote from the movie accompanying it :

Sweet Home Alabama
Melanie : What you want to marry me for anyhow?
Jake : So I can kiss you any time I want

Labyrinth
Jareth : Everything I’ve done, I’ve done for you. I move the stars for no one.

Love Actually
Jamie: I love you even when you’re sick and look disgusting.

Empire Records
Lucas : In the immortal words of The Doors, ‘The time to hesitate is through.’

Pirates of the Caribbean
Jack Sparrow: A wedding? I love weddings. Drinks all around.

Garden State
Andrew Largeman: I don’t want to waste another moment of my life without you in it.

People really liked the idea – even if they didn’t know what all the movies were.

Mum kept sending people up to the room – she sent up Kat and Mary to say hi and … I don’t know, I guess she thought it might have kept my mind of the nerves which I did Not Have, but it was nice to see them and say hi and leviate some of the boredom I was feeling – there’s only so much music TV and calming of bridesmaids one can take.

One last photo of Mum and her unmarried first born child.

People started arriving at 4, my parents were downstairs greeting people and mingling – I presume.

My little cousins handed out programmes

Rose, Conor, Beth
We included them not only because we love them, but because my sisters and I were involved in the wedding of their parents 10 and a half years prior. I sang, and we all handed out the hand-painted stone favours.

I like this photo of my dad shepherding my grandma inside

he thinks it looks like a paparazzi court arrival photo – I say that’s what I like about it.

I ended up getting ready at about 4:10pm. I was expected downstairs at 4:20pm.
Everything went smoothly, I got the underwear on and the dress done up, and I looked in the mirror and felt … not like a princess, not terrified, the feeling was less than I’d been led to believe by movies. It was a definite “… huh” happy moment.
I looked in the mirror, saw a bride and thought “yes, that’s me.” no nerves, I felt very right.
and far far too hot. I don’t think the room was air conditioned.

I walked out of the bathroom to Oohs and Aahs from my sisters and Petra. I couldn’t stop smiling.
Charlotte grinned and said “you’re getting married!!” before giving me a hug.
I like my sisters more and more every day. (I mean, I’ve always loved them, like is different) I’m so glad they were with me.

Then.
I Lost The Ring.
I could not remember which of the “okay, I won’t forget it there” places I had put it – it wasn’t out on any surface and it wasn’t in any pocket, and I hoped it wasn’t in my bag because my Aunt had that downstairs!
That was when the nerves kicked in. kicked in BIG TIME.
My mind was going a mile a minute, but nothing useful, just “no. no no no no No. you did NOT just lose his ring. How freaking cliché is that. You MUST have it around here somewhere. Idiot. idiot idiot idiot. come onnnn just find it already we have to go”
Finally I found it, in the shut ring case, in between Craigs jeans a shirt for the next day, in the closed cupboard where I’d put the things he needed for the next day so that they didn’t get in the way – it was SO not a “I won’t forget it there” place!

Everyone took a large dose of Rescue Remedy (I don’t care if it’s psychosomatic as long as it works) as my Dad showed up to the room with Tisha (the celebrant). She was coming to check I wasn’t pulling a Runaway Bride (But I’d have to pass Craig to get out of this place – not exactly subtle) and she disappeared pretty quick as it was time for her to get everyone organised for the ceremony and for Dad and I, Petra, Charlotte and Jayne to take the lift down to the second floor and wait for the music to start.

I was shaking.
But being very very quiet as, I suppose, I hoped noone would notice the sudden onslaught of nerves.

On the second floor landing I peeked over and saw the top of Craig’s head.
My heart stopped for a second, then beat so fast.
I stood close to the wall so he couldn’t see me.

I heard Tisha say … something … and then the music (Reflecting Light by Sam Phillips) started and I felt the urge to grin and the urge to cry at the same time.

Petra led the way down the stairs, followed by Charlotte and Jayne.

I love this photo because everyone is focussing on walking, or getting people arranged, or staring off into space (kieran), but Craig looks like he’s watching for me ♥

My beautiful sisters

Dad took my hand, said “you ready kiddo?” …

never more so in my life.

And now that I’ve worn, I’ve worn out the world
I’m on my knees in fascination
Looking through the night
And the moons never seen me before
But I’m reflecting light

Tisha started :
Marriage, Marriage is what brings us together today. Marriage, that blessed arrangement, that dream within a dream …

We have gathered here so that Sarah and Craig may marry each other.

Love Sonnet by Pablo Neruda

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where,
I love you simply, without problems or pride:
I love you in this way because I don’t know any other way of loving
but this, in which there is no I or you,
so intimate that your hand upon my chest is my hand,
so intimate that when I fall asleep it is your eyes that close.

(Craig was holding both my hands because they were shaking so much.)

Craig: Sarah, I have lived with you and I love you. Today I give myself to be your husband and I take you to be my wife. Whatever life may bring, I will love you and care for you always.

Sarah: Craig, I have lived with you and I love you. Today I give myself to be your wife and I take you to be my husband. Whatever life may bring, I will love you and care for you always.

Sarah, I give you this ring as a token of the vow made between us, and as a sign of my love and affection for you.

Craig, I give you this ring as a token of the vow made between us, and as a sign of my love and affection for you.

I now pronounce you husband and wife.

Just then I realised that Craig was completely clean shaven for the first time in our (nearly) 5 & 1/2 years together

I was still shaking.
The blood was racing around my body, I felt euphoric and relieved at the same time. It made me attractively blotchy.
Now we just had to (try and) make it legal.

It was hard to pick up the heavy gold pens.
I barely noticed them at the time – i was too busy trying to remember how to spell my own name, and remember my address, and I sort of assumed that the Wellesley had set out their fancy pens for this exact kind of occasion.
But no, my sneaky, sentimental father had bought fancy parker pens and had them engraved specially – I was signing with Craigs.

mine reads Sarah-Rose and Craig. It was especially sweet since on the pen my first name is hyphenated, and he doesn’t like that so much, but he did it because I like it that way.
So. Sweet.

Kat performed Lovesong, and I had to hold back tears – she was/is amazing.

However far away,
I will always love you,
However long I stay,
I will always love you,
Whatever words I say,
I will always love you,
I will always love you

Petra and Kieran were our official witnesses

(apparently at this point some stranger walked down the stairs. They closed the front entrance but obviously forgot to put any sign or anything at the top of the stairs telling them to use the lift instead. But I didn’t even see the guy so I’m not bothered)

and Tisha makes it legal

We had to go back up to the landing for the dismissal – including a piece written by Madeleine L’Engle that I chose :
There comes a moment when a decision must be made. Ultimately two people who love each other must ask themselves how much they hope for as their love grows and deepens, and how much risk they are willing to take.

To marry is the biggest risk in human relations that a person can take. If we commit ourselves to one person for life this is not, as many people thing, a rejection of freedom, rather it demands the courage to move into all the risks of freedom, and the risk of love which is permanent; into that love which is not possession but participation. It takes a lifetime to learn another person. When love is not possession but participation then it is part of that co-creation which is our human calling, and which implies such risk that it is often rejected.

Because it is in the nature of love to create, a marriage itself is something which has to be created, so that, together you become a new creature.

and then it was done

It is with great pleasure that I ask you to welcome amongst you as husband and wife, Craig and Sarah Burke

My mother herded everyone together for an entire wedding photo – everyone who attended the ceremony

it looks like quite a lot.

At that point I had stopped shaking, but I couldn’t stop grinning – Craig kept squeezing my hand.
For some reason I was very very glad that I had decided to wear a veil.

We had Family Portraits in the entryway to the hotel

with my Grandmother first – she kept wondering what all the fuss was about, silly old broad.
(I mean fuss as in photos of her, at that point she was fine with the whole It’s A Wedding thing)

Unfortunately my parents were busy trying to keep things organised so there aren’t enough photos of just us and them – a tiny regret.

But I like this photo :

Craig’s Grand-dad, his Step-grandma, Mother-in-law, Father-in-law, Craig and I

(one of my favourite photos. Actually taken by Craig’s aunt and not the professional guys)

everyone again.

Two taxis showed up at that point to take us over to have our non-family wedding photos taken at a nearby garden.
Everyone was laughing and having fun, the girls all piled into one taxi, the boys into another, Craig and I kissed and went in different taxis.
It was strange piling in to a car wearing a long long dress and a veil – I don’t know how girls do it wearing huge poufy dresses.

Earlier in the year Craig and I had chosen where we wanted our photos taken – Bolton St Cemetary.
We really, honestly, only chose it because it was so pretty and verdant, and there was a lovely chapel/museum and it was all kind of gardens-y and classic looking.

It was Really hot. When we weren’t actually in the photos, we were trying to stand in any shade possible!

The Wedding Party
Jayne Mulligan, Charlotte Mulligan, Petra Lenihan, Sarah and Craig Burke, Kieran Davies, Simon Burke and Kieran Burke

Girls

Boys

Kieran kept swigging from a playboy flask hidden in his jacket pocket and filled with vodka – apparently he was more nervous than Craig!
He’s an ok drunk though, not bleary and slurry and horrible.

Siblings

New Siblings

Narnia photos!

I love this lamp-post, but it does somewhat look as though it is growing out of my head.
I also love the photo because it shows off the mini train thing we did with my dress!

how can anyone not like laugh lines?
how can anyone not love a boy who makes me laugh like that?

after the narnia photos we all trekked down a hill – I was taking teeny tiny steps and realising that my shoes really were a size too big, and so my feet were sliding down and felt like they were being sliced off around my toes.
ouch.

We took some photos on stone steps that didn’t end up looking so good – but meant that the photographer had to take them while standing on the edge of the Common grave AKA MASS GRAVE and that creeped him out which amused me.

When we were ‘scoping’ out places to take photos, Craig found a $5 note exactly where he is standing in these photos – that decided it for him.

Upon seeing this photo -
Kirsten : Oh, that’s a nice photo, in front of the old lamp-post,
Sarah : Kirsten? That’s actually a grave.
Kirsten : … Can I stick with lamp-post?
Sarah : Of course.

Craig and I are using mypublisher.com to make a coffee table book of wedding photos to give to each set of parents (and one for ourselves). A black and white version of this photo (AKA the superman photo) is going to be on the coverpage.

After the bush/grave photos we trekked back UP a hill – steps and a ramp – for some photos on a grassy area overlooking the MASS GRAVE.

This is a very nice one of my Petra (MOH) and I – I should print it out and send her a copy.

We were now coming to the back of the Chapel that we started out in front of, the boys had collapsed on a bench. Smiling (and drinking vodka, KIERAN) can be tiring.

I collapsed on a bench opposite them because I was desperate to fix my shoes – but oh no, photos of us too

“uh okay i just sat down to fix my shoe but okay …”

it was verry serious.

(in the uncropped version of this photo Jayne is making an insane monkey face)

They’re actually photos I love. And eventually they did let me fix my shoe.

We ended up back behind the Chapel having some final photos taken.

Mike and the other photographer guy (I don’t think we ever found out his name) set us up kind of like chess pieces – it felt weird but we let them do their thing, and the photos are great

they’re actually technically brilliant, because everyone is in focus, and that’s hard to do.

This one reminds us of the movie Big Fish!

This one is titled “Smell my pretty flowers Craig”

I like all the dark colours in this one.

pretty.

We piled back into the taxis – they’d hung around and waited for the entire time we were at the cemetary – and drove back down to the wellesley.
People started trying to corner Craig and I to talk but we had a couple of photos left to take actually at the wellesley

the stairwell

the stairwell and … ghosts?

THE BISON HEAD!
it’s really really huge.
Neither Craig nor I had seen such a large head mounted before… wait. I mean, we hadn’t seen a bison head stuffed and hanging on the wall before, it’s very very large.

At that point we were in the wine bar where all the guests were as well, we were caught and talked to be oh so many people, and then we actually made an effort and starting making around everyone, making sure we spoke to every single person for at least a little while.

I spoke to Sara Williams for a bit, it was so exciting seeing her

Sara and I have known each other since we were 2 Years old.
Our families moved in next door to each other on the same day, all 4 parents were teachers, they each had a blue lancer car, and their eldest (and at that point only) child was called Sarah/Sara (but pronounced exactly the same).
Our families have been friends ever since. Sara has been lving and teaching in Japan for the past couple of years, so I’ve not seen her.
It was a flying visit down to wellington pretty much specially for the wedding – she flew out of Wellington, to Japan, the very next day.

Lyn Meylan. I just really like this photo.
Incidentally Lyn’s husband had called up a company that I answer phones for, and had spoken to me about a problem they were having with flickering lights, I wasn’t certain that it was actually him so I didn’t mention anything – turns out it was!

My little cousin Beth (you can see her flaxen bun and pink flower in those 2 photos) was my shadow – she wanted to hold my flowers (and ended up also holding Charlotte, Jayne and Petra’s as well!) and wanted to talk about my nails and my ring and my pretty pretty jewellery – it was very cute.

We ooh-ed and aah-ed over little baby nicholas, only 7 weeks old but so adorable, and talked to my heavily pregnant cousin Cushla.
Cushla and Kirsten couldn’t believe that we’d bough Craig’s ring at the Warehouse for $80. But it was Titanium, and exactly what he was looking for so what does it matter where it came from??

At 6pm we started trying to get everybody upstairs as it was about time for speeches and then dinner.
After what seemed like forever I took Beth, Conor and Rose up in the lift with me and the upstairs room was practically empty! getting people upstairs hadn’t worked too well.
The music was also off. I’d asked Craig to make sure he’d organised one of his brothers or a friend or SOMEONE to go upstairs before 6pm and turn the music on – and it hadn’t happened. And I couldn’t work out how to do it. Luckily Craig and my Dad both showed up about then and fixed it.

It was at that point that Craig came back over and sat with me and we breathed a sigh of relief after so much familial obligation speak and not enough us-kissing time.
Dad came over and pointed out what was on the sweet sweet pens, and Mum came over and told me how he was so sneaky she had no idea about his plan.

Beth took a photo of a happy but smiled-out Sarah and Craig (We still look happy though).

We had speeches which Chris filmed

Both my Sister and my Dad made such sweet speeches, they made Petra cry, had me on the verge of tears, and made the decision to video the wedding completely worthwhile.
Craig’s parents spoke and my Uncle acted as MC. My Uncle actually worked with Craig’s Dad years and years ago so that was nice, he told a story about crazy driving.

We had dinner which was less than stellar, I had lots of great salad and a pasta thing which was good, but I also had chicken curry but that was so weak I couldn’t stand it.
Other people … seemed to like the food which was a good thing, or they’re all impeccable liars.

Petra and I accumulated the bottles of Sauvignon Blanc down our end of the table and drank. a lot.

this photo of my sisters?

taken before any drinking. I love it.

Craig and I made our way around the tables again, I think we finally managed everyone at the end of the evening. We felt kind of … not harassed I suppose, but every time we turned around, or happened to be talking away, a flash would go off. There were far too many photos of us with our mouths full.

Cake!

our cake was amazing.

This photo shows the colour best – whitewhitewhite on white

This one shows the detail – the As You Wish

The mini cameras on the tables were a great idea, I’m glad we only got them developed on to cd because they’re probably not worth getting printed, but they sure are amusing :

my Aunt Adrienne and Sister Dominica Knox (a relation and a nun)

Craig’s Grandad and Step-Grandma (Aka Eleanor)

The Main Family (cousins of Craig’s). That blonde kid (Laurence) or the girl (Claudia) were making the peace sign in every single table-camera-photo I swear.

Amanda and Kieran.
Kieran was the best man chugging vodka, Amanda had her own flask as well, she came over just after dinner and had one of those “Why do you never talk to me? Do you find me intimidating?” kind of talks at me.

Susan Davies and Noel.
Susan is Craig’s childhood crush, she’s Kieran’s sister and very nice, smart and pretty. Noel is the guy who was in the demolition derby and ended up breaking his leg. We had to have chairs around for the ceremony for 4 very old people, one very pregnant lady, and one Noel.

Martin. He works with Craig.
These are incriminating photos, I swear.

a more normal one of Martin and his wife, Raewynne.

my beautiful cousin Rose.

wedding cake! all cut up and so so good.
Why don’t I have a photo of it all in one piece? I know I have them, just not on the internet.

my Aunt Jenny and Uncle Ron, the MC who knew Craig’s Dad years ago.
Note the alcohol flush – it was getting on in the evening.

Parents-In-Law

The Williams Family! Martyn, Trish, Anna, Sara. Martyn had just recently shaved off a moustache that he’d had for 27 years. I almost didn’t recognise him! except not really because it’s only a little bit of hair missing.

adorable adorable babyface nicholas. Oh, and his Dad, Joel.

Charlotte and Conor

I accidentally sat the Irish club friends and family down the end of the room with the photos of the Queen and Prince Phillip … it would have been much more amusing if I’d done it on purpose … actually now I think about it, I think I did. Ha.

While Chris filmed, Rajeev wooed

Mary and Kat

Petra and Mary

successfully wooed? no, she knows all his tricks.

Elwyn (the defacto partner of my heavily pregnant cousin. He asks what she wants for christmas and she says “A HUSBAND”) and Craig and I trying to fix the computer.

and again.
I look so sober but really I’m going “craig? I can’t … get … the … thing … to … thing” and going all over the place with the mouse.

note the wine glass in my hand.

We ended up dancing.
I abandoned the shoes that killed my feet and found that dancing drunk, in barefeet and a long flowy skirt, on thick, bouncy carpet is pretty much the best thing ever, and you feel about six years old.
Lots and Lots of people danced, well, more than I thought. My sisters and Irish club people and Kat and Rajeev and Mary and my Mum, Kieran and Amanda, Craig’s Aunt Lynny and cousin Claudia, Craig and his brothers came into the room but ended up standing at the side.
Craig actually did end up dancing with me for a little bit (I think that makes it 6 times?) to Love Shack by the B-52s. Ha! which actually was the song my cousin Kirsten and Adrian had as their “first dance”. Craig and I just didn’t do it the traditional way.

They turned off the liquor at 12, but said we could stick around until 12:30.
We ended up using that time to make sure we had everything organised, and made it up to our room at about 12:45am ….

The next morning we woke up when the alarm in the room went off BEFORE 7:30. GAH.
Craig was back asleep instantly, while I (because it was on my side) had to make sure that I’d hit Off and not Snooze. I did get back to sleep, and did so for another hour and a half.

I got up about 10 minutes before Craig did – I think I woke him with my muffled screaming and lurching about the room. My calves were punishing me.

We woke up blearily and got everything ready to leave.

The first photo I took of my husband. hungover in the honeymoon suite.

playing with the mirrors in the bathroom.
Wearing jewellery from the day before, but washed out curls.

We took the elevator down to the lobby so we could have breakfast, and who was writing a note for us? My parents. So we said hello to them (quietly, quietly) and they took a car full of presents cake and roses home for us.
(I had peaches for breakfast)

It took only one heavily laden trip to get all of our stuff (suitcase, suit in bag, wedding dress in bag, bag of other clothes and flowers flowers flowers) downstairs and in to the car.
Craig packed all the stereo gear into the car, I was relegated to holding the boot open and looking after the flowers.

One last look at the wellesley

and we were on our way home as Husband and Wife.

(So naturally our first stop was at my parents house)

We picked up all the presents and went home.

presents presents everywhere.
and almost better than presents we had roses everywhere!

my bouquet

and the leftover Long long long stem roses from the table

(that’s the pink colour I was worried that my bouquet would end up being)

It felt as though there was no real end to the wedding at that point, nothing concrete that is.

on the 15th we opened presents and went to a lunch with Craig’s side of the family – I got badly sunburned and by the end of the day I was exhausted, sore, cranky and sick of the sly smiles and “Mrs Burke eh?” there’s only so much one can take.
One pretty cool thing – the Burke family archivist was at the lunch, and I had to give her all of my details because now I’m part of the Burke family tree.

on the 16th Craig and I spent the day running errands. We visited his family in the morning and got digital photos from his dad’s camera, and talked about wedding ring inscriptions – his parents just have their initials and the wedding date.
We dropped off all the suits back in Wellington, running into Yvette (who I worked with at Subway Lower Hutt) on the way, so it was pretty cool being able to say “oh hey Sarah, what’ve you been up to?” “oh, you know, working, getting married, stuff like that”

Finally we spent the afternoon clearing out all of our old plates, mugs, bowls etc and replacing them with a sparkling new white 8 piece dinner set. all new.

Craig spent the day calling me his “wifey”, and in the evening I went to a barbeque with my cousins (while craig bowled and had fish n chips with his)
and the most exciting part was this conversation
Sarah : Jayne, can you listen out for someone at the door please?
Jayne : ok, is Craig coming round?
Me : yea
Random Little Girl : Who’s Craig?
Sarah : My … Husband … that was weird …
– the first time I called Craig my husband to a stranger

The 17th was spent packing for our Honeymoon …

our pages have had over one thousand views!
I feel so proud.

In other news, I am becoming Mrs Sarah-Rose B left right and centre, banks and my drivers licence …
damn. I forgot to change my address at PSIS. Again.
well, I’m sure I will one day.
It’s only been … a year and a bit.