Author Archive: David Partis

Happy Anniversary!

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Me and My Darling celebrated our 1st Wedding Anniversary on the weekend!

We can’t believe where the time went.

Because the I gave My Darling a framed photo for his desk at work. We had a polaroid camera at our wedding which guests could snap away with and a pen to write a note on it. The one I chose was of us toasting with cool champagne saucers and one of the kids had written “LOVE U” on the bottom. Very cute and a good remembrance of a fun day.

My Darling put me to shame though – he went to extraordinary efforts to make our anniversary incredible including an adventure picnic with all my favourite things, plus props to remind me of our big day, amongst other beautiful touches!

I think I’m very lucky to have My Darling in my life and this was another reason why!

Looking into the meaning behind 1st Wedding Anniversaries, the first year of marriage is often considered the year of adjustment. As you celebrate this special 1st wedding anniversary, reflect on the both the delicate and hardy aspects of your marriage and of your love for one another.

Here are some first wedding anniversary ideas and symbols to help you choose paper or clock gifts associated with your 1st marriage anniversary.

1st Anniversary Traditional Gift
Paper. It symbolizes the strength in paper that comes from the interlaced connection of the paper’s individual threads.

1st Anniversary Contemporary/Modern Gift
Clocks. Henry Van Dyke wrote, “For those who love, time is eternity.”

1st Anniversary Gemstone
Gold Jewelry, Pearl, or Peridot

1st Anniversary Color
Gold or Yellow

1st Anniversary Flower
Orange Blossom or Pansy.
The meaning of a pansy is that the recipient is being thought about. The pansy’s name comes from the French word pensée which means thought or remembrance.
The meaning of an orange blossom is purity, innocence, eternal love, marriage and fruitfulness, and fertility.

Here are some good gifts you could choose…

Books
When purchasing a book, think about your better half’s passions, interests, and hobbies. If you can’t write a love poem yourself, get a book of poetry for your lover.

Matching Tattoes
I really wanted to do the wedding band tattoo thing, but My Darling didn’t go for it!

Board Games & Puzzles
This gift would be a promise to spend an evening together working on a jigsaw puzzle or playing a classic board game like Scrabble. You can get custom made ones too.

Stationery
This could include pretty or practical writing paper, personalized business cards, note cards, and envelopes.

Tickets
Purchase a couple tickets and take your partner to his/her favorite sports event, movie, or the theatre. Other tickets could include airline, ferry, train, bus, or balloon rides.

Paintings
Everyone loves artwork that touches our heart and soul and brings beauty to our life.
Vouchers
Write out a voucher for a massage or for a dinner out or for a walk in the rain. Think in terms of gifts of your talents, gifts of your time, and promises you have made.

Love Letters
Write a love letter. You can do it!

Posters and prints
Posters and art prints have become a very popular art form. You should be able to find one that matches your partners interests.
Calendars

You could get an electronic one, or a pictorial calendar, or a diary, or a journal style, or an appointment book. Mark all the days that are important to the two of you, and add in a few new ones as a surprise.

A Journal
An anniversary journal to record your memories of your anniversaries throughout your marriage. You may think that you will never forget how you celebrated your anniversaries, but the chances are you will! Write down how you spent your anniversary together and what gifts you gave to one another.

Postcards
If you plan in advance you could remember to bring one home from your honeymoon. A framed postcard is a fantastic reminder of a romantic time.

Magazine subscription
This gift keeps on giving for the length of the subscription. Go online and order.

Paper weight
We were given one for our engagement in the shape of a heart.

Sheet music
How great would it be to have the sheet music to your first dance?!

Road map
To a romantic anniversary location!

Egg timer
Hmmm could have various meanings!

Kitchen timer
Again, take it whichever way you like!

Wrist watch
A beautiful wrist watch is the keepsake for a lifetime that will get loads of practical use.

Outdoor sundial
If you’re into garden sculpture this could be for you.

Pinata
Your loved one may be sweet enough, but stuff a pinata with your partners favourite candy and they’ll love you forever!

Time Capsule
Pack with facts, a newspaper, movies, music from your year of marriage… you get the ideas

Picnic
Plan a picnic with paper plates and cups. If you saved any of these items from you wedding reception, use them!

Treasure Hunt
Give your partner a treasure map and leave clues throughout the house that eventually lead to a romantic location.

Paper Flowers
How gorgeous! Imagine receiving paper flowers! Use them as a centerpiece for your anniversary dinner.

The Ketubah
The Hebrew marriage contract dating back to ancient times is called the Ketubah. The Ketubah is usually printed in a very beautiful, artistic, and creative way as a keepsake document for the bride and groom and as an heirloom to pass on.
The literal translation of ketubah is “it is written.” The Ketubah, dating back 2000 years, is one of the first legal documents giving financial and legal rights to women.
Most of the ketubah texts today reflect on a couple’s commitment to love and honor one another, and their respect for one another.
The content of a ketubah generally also includes the date and place of the wedding, the names of the bride and groom, and their fathers’ names.

Marriage is like a good cardio workout…

Save the Date Stop Motion Videos

Have you ever seen stop motion video before? It’s a very quirky cool effect!

How about making a Save the Date stop motion video?

Basically its hundreds of photos snapped consecutively and quickly, put together to make it look like a video (remember when you were bored in school and you used to doodle stick figures at the bottom of your exercise book then flip through the pages so it looked like they were animated – that sort of thing!!)

Check these out…

The Gorgeous Mrs Griffiths…

I was blown away when gorgeous Bride Tracey Griffiths mentioned me in her speech.
Such kind words.

It was my absolute pleasure to help put the finishing touches on Tracey and Hayden’s magical wedding day as their wedding day co-ordinator.

Thank you to Tracey for having me – and to Mother of the Bride Sue for booking me!! Of course my long time friend Kim for recommending me!!

Not to forget professional videographer Mario Geremia for the video. If you live in the Wairarapa region you can contact Mario to film your wedding and create a beautiful video story to capture your big day or any other special occasion at: mardi53@hotmail.com

 

Valentine's Day ♥ Date Ideas

It’s almost here, February 14th… whether you love it or think it’s mass consumer madness, it’s still fun. Here are a few cool ideas for one of the most romantic days of the year…

An outdoor movie screening of The Princess Bride under the stars at Silo Park. Take bean bags and get cosy! There’s even a market where you can grab food and a bucket of popcorn!

 

A sunset beach picnic… with a bonfire, toasted marshmallows and hot chocolate… and maybe a skinny dip!!
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A romantic educational under the Auckland Observatory Stardome stars, including a glass of bubbles, nibbles and adopting a star of your very own!

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Note, I have not mentioned movie night watching the Fifty Shades of Grey film. I don’t think watching a cheesy sex-fuelled movie with more sex packed into it than the last 10years worth of movies combined makes for an authentic romantic evening. Or does it?! It’s got to be better than the terribly written books, surely.

 

Kimberly Sanders Marriage Celebrant, Auckland Lucky in Love Wedding Planner
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Love knows no bounds…



It transcends gender, race, religion, age… and as this cute video proves… it even transcends species!

Introducing Mrs Wendy & Tamara Matthews!

I had the pleasure of marrying the lovely Wendy and Tamara one week ago today!

The sun was shining on this couple in Cornwall Park where they were married under the shade of a tree overlooking green paddocks (and a few sheep!). The backdrop suited their grounded and serene personalities beautifully.

These ladies made the journey to NZ to make their 10 year partnership ‘official’ and I’m sure they believe it was well worth it, combining their honeymoon into it.

With friends as witnesses, in person, and in spirit, the ceremony was full of laughter and love.

Happy first week anniversary Mrs Wendy & Tamara Matthews!!

Aroha mai, aroha atu!

Kimberly Sanders Marriage Celebrant, Auckland Lucky in Love Wedding Day Event Management
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What's your top Honeymoon destination?

At last!!! My Darling and I finally booked our delayed tropical honeymoon!!! I am sooo excited!!! We actually had a cool honeymoon at a bach (beach house) on a private beach in NZ, but we always thought we would go somewhere tropical when winter got here, but of course, life got in the way and we’re only just doing something about it. A year late, is better than never!
So, here are my top romantic honeymoon picks… what are yours??

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Private Beach Bach, New Zealand

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Paradise Suite, Yasawa Group, Fiji
This is the description listed for our honeymoon resort…Situated facing the amazing waters of Paradise Cove, the 1 bedroom Beachfront Paradise Suite offers luxurious serenity, a private plunge pool, hanging day beds, total opulence.

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The Royal Hawaiian Pink Palace, Waikiki, Hawaii

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Overwater Bungalow, Bora Bora, Tahiti

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The Maldives

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♥. Any Ice Hotel where you can see the Northern Lights

 

Marriage is about love – not gender.

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I’m thankful to say marriage is now a legal option in New Zealand for ‘same-sex’ couples (since 2013). I hate the way we even differentiate ‘gay’ couples with the ‘gay’ or ‘same-sex’ label. Do I go around calling myself part of a ‘heterosexual mixed-race’ couple? (My husband is a very handsome man, I’m European/American and My Darling is NZ/European/Maori). No.

Marriage is about love – not gender. Or anything else.

Very tragic to think that some countries still treat gay couples with discrimination which reminds me of how draconian our world still is. Hopeful though if we think back to the time where marriages between people of different colour and religion were also not accepted by the mainstream. But I guess, who wants to be mainstream!

This post comes in the week that I actually officiated my first ‘same-sex marriage’, having the privilege of marrying two very lovely ladies whose partnership is one of the most grounded I’ve experienced and full of lots of laughter – the ceremony was so relaxed and full of humour. And that really is something special to celebrate – particularly when they had to leave their own country (Australia who still do not allow the same human rights to everyone) and travel to New Zealand to make their union ‘official’.

The other major event which happened for me this week was the complete opposite of that happy occasion. With a very heavy heart I sadly said goodbye to my cousin. Among many many beautiful qualities he possessed he always appeared to approach everything in life with a kind loving nature and a great big smile on his face. No matter what adversity this thing called life presented to him.

My gorgeous cousin was a loving husband to his husband for over two decades. Looking back through his photos there’s one of them way back in 1994 celebrating their ‘marriage’ with a fully spectacular ceremony including the grooms dressed in top hats and big purple silk cravats – very 1990s!!

Those cravats weren’t the only brave thing about that ceremony though – for me, it is the fact that in the States and in most of the world – the early 90s were still a time of discrimination against people choosing to love differently from heterosexuals.

My cousin leaving this world is a shock to us all. And it has had me doing alot of thinking, especially that wedding photo. Even though I never thought of it this way because I don’t consider gay couples any differently, however I realise that in these times being ‘different’ is still a big thing no matter what you’re looked upon differently for.

So, I am really proud and have much admiration for my cousin and his caring husband, for celebrating their love for each other in such times, with their families and friends there to support them. I just wish he was here so I could tell him personally.

And that is what it is all about – love.

Our love is with you always cuz.