- Across Aotearoa, wedding bells are ringing. - (MAN SPEAKS TE REO MAORI) - I do. - I feel very lucky to be a celebrant. - And making them official... - So fancy. - ...are our Maori celebrants. - Which one is it? - Ah, I nearly gave him a wring around the ears. (ALL SHOUT) - Raise your glasses for the newly-wed couple. - From the vows to the rings,... - You may now kiss your bride. (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) - ...they help couples say, 'I do.' This is Aroha Nui. Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. www.able.co.nz Copyright Able 2022 Tamaki Makaurau, the home of a thousand lovers, and making it official... - All right. - ...is celebrant Lois Hawley-Simmonds. - Ooh! (SNIFFS) (SPEAKS TE REO MAORI) Cheese. Awesome. - We just need the knife. - And that. - Yum. - I reckon, eh. Love it. I am an independent marriage celebrant, and it's important for me to do the best job for my couples. - Lois is hooked on getting others hitched. - I thought, why not me? Why not me, the Maori woman? Why not me, a Maori woman who loves being around people. Here we go, guys. It's my Maori version of a pizza. I hope you don't choke. I'm only joking! (LAUGHTER) So just enjoy it. For me, it's about feel the wairua and the aroha. This week, I am marrying a beautiful couple named Puna and Tui. Put the juju lips on. (LAUGHTER) They approached me and asked if I would be their celebrant, and of course I jumped at the opportunity, because I love this whanau very dearly. Oh, did you wanna get married on the grass? - Yeah, on the grass. - Oh, sheesh. - We chose Whaea Lois because of her presence. - She just has the ability to connect with people instantly, and it's a deep connection. - # Signed, sealed, delivered. # - She's funny. - Yeah. - Funny as. - She's hard case. Crack up. - And she's... she mocks everyone. - Yeah. - And she's cheeky. That's what I like. Reminds me of myself. - Whoo-hoo! - During the working week, Lois is fronting a different kind of crowd. - Come, girls. Haere mai. So I'm an assistant principal at Rowandale School. Morena. Morena. Morena. Holy! There's a whole heap of you. One of my portfolios is doing te reo Maori, me ona tikanga. Morena, kids. - CHILDREN: Morena, Whaea Lois! - So we're leading them with kapa haka and embracing that. So I'm the guitarist. - # Tutira mai nga iwi. - # Tutira, tutira` # Oi! (LAUGHTER) - You fellas, did you have a bowl of patero for breakfast? (LAUGHTER) - Cracking jokes is part of the gig. - I love having fun with kids, being a kid, building those really important relationships. Can we remember how we started? We go... # Tutira, tira mai, tutira, tira mai. - ALL: # Tutira mai nga iwi. - CHILDREN: Aue! - # Tatou tatou e. - (SPEAKS TE REO MAORI) - # Tutira mai nga iwi. - Aue! - # Tatou tatou e. - I love waiata music. Before I pursued a teaching career, I used to do a lot of singing, and I enjoy it because it's part of who I am as a Maori. Being able to waiata is also a doorway for the kids I teach to sing and build their confidence in whatever they want to sing and how they sing. Ka kite, kids. - Ka kite, Whaea Lois. - Hurihuri. Turn around. (UPBEAT MUSIC) - After a busy day at school, Lois is catching up with Puna and Tui to go over their wedding details. - I think the side bonus of me being the celebrant, it's actually embraced a whanau as if I'm about to marry being parents at Rowandale School. Kia ora! - Hi! - And I have taught their daughter, Kalia. Ooh, we're having a rest today from netball. (LAUGHTER) I made you some kai. Haere mai. - Oh, wow. Excited. (LAUGHS) - Oh, wow. The usual. - You all right, darling? - Where's your famous rewana? Oh, there it is. - Yeah, yeah, yeah. - Whoo-hoo! - There it is. Got one for you to take home later. (LAUGHS) - Oh, wow! - For me, I communicate effectively with people through kai. Come. Haere mai. - All right. - Mai te karakia anei. - Nice. (RECITES KARAKIA) Haumi e! Hui e! - ALL: Taiki e! - Amene. - Amene. - Anei. Hey, thanks heaps for asking me to be your celebrant. It means to much to me to be able to do this for you both and seal the deal, because of this girl, eh? So absolutely love it. So, without further ado, let's have a kai, and then I'll take you` we'll walk through your script, eh. Ka pai? - I'm marrying this man because I know that no matter what happens, he will be there for me. And he's everything I want in a man. Couldn't imagine life without him, so... Yeah, that's why I'm gonna marry him. - Well, one of the things I wanted to have a korero to you both about is I want to be very manaaki around the culture of, you know, Cook Island Maori. You guys are my tuakana. So for me, I want to make sure if you know that there's any things that are going to happen on your wedding day perhaps that you could let me know so that I can be very sensitive about it all and mahi on the side of you both. - She's the dancer of the family, and so she... most likely will see her perform. - Yeah. - That is so cool. It'll be actually quite moving to see that. - Yeah. We'll see what my family bring to the table and stuff on the day, cos, yeah, they could surprise us or there could be just nothing. (LAUGHTER) I'm marrying this lady because... she's a strong woman who always puts me on the right path and on the right time, cos my family are really bad, and she always encouraged me to be the best version of myself. - With Puna and Tui, when they asked me to be their celebrant, I said yes, and then I said, 'Oh, whereabouts is it?' They said Gisborne, and I went, 'Wow!' - Lois better start packing now,... - Check, one, two. - ...as there might be a few more challenges ahead of her. - If we put a sock on this, it should be OK, eh? To be honest, I don't wanna put my undies on it ` be plenty room for about four microphones if I have to do that. (LAUGHTER) - It's the day before Tui and Puna's wedding in the beautiful Turanganui-a-Kiwa. - I have arrived now at Gisborne Yacht Club. Oh! Kia ora. - Hi. - How are you? - Good. Bit wera. - (SPEAKS TE REO MAORI) - Oh, ae, ae, ae. - Oh, man, it's beautiful here. - It is, yeah. - Just sit here watching the entertainment at the front. Whoo! Hey. How are you? - Yeah, all good, all good. - Eh? - How are you? All right? - Oh, such a beautiful... - It's nice, eh? - Yeah. - We both imagined a beach wedding, cos he loves the ocean. I was a water baby. Had to be white sand ` that was something I was always adamant on. It was through a friend of ours who's from Gisborne ` her Snapchat, actually. - And we saw it, eh? Like, wow. The view and stuff. - Yeah. The following week, we booked it. Yeah. - Yeah. - Well, I've got your licence. - (GASPS) - It's all printed. It's done. - Yay! It's official now. - (LAUGHS) - I was like, 'Oh my gosh. Are we gonna be...?' - Like an illegal, illegitimate. - Yeah, yeah. - Yeah, no, no, your daughter has waited long enough for you to get married. - (LAUGHS) - So that's where we are tomorrow, eh? - Yeah. - Yeah, yeah, over here. Yeah. So we've got the arch and stuff here. Oh, we've got all the stuff. - Oh, wow! - We'll just offload it. - So, can I ask ` are you walking from here out? - Yeah, pretty much the centre of that is where we'll end up. - OK. Ka pai. - So then we'll just set come chairs up on the side, put the arch. - Oh, just chuck it over there. - Shall we work a chain gang, eh? Work a chain gang. Here we go. - Everyone's mucking in, including Lois. - As expected, there's a lot of hustle and bustle, setting up of the venue. - (LAUGHS) Yeah, hello? I'm like, 'OK, I'm gonna look busy.' - Yep. - These are fairy lights. - Oh, ka pai. OK. I'll do that. - You grab one box. - We'll grab one box each. (LAUGHTER) - It's not very often that I get to go to the pre-make up of the wedding. Like, I do the rehearsal, but this is all humming in the background as we do this, so for me... These guys are whanau to me. Are all the grooms coming for the rehearsal and the brides? - Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. We've still got one coming down. - If we end up doing it and she's not here, then I can signal her tomorrow where she can stand, or even the brides. Cos generally what happens in the rehearsal if someone's not there, the other brides just kinda whisper in the ear, say, 'Hey, how come you weren't here yesterday, stink bum?' - (LAUGHS) - Nah, nah. They don't do that. They just say, you know, come stand up over here or whatever. But we'll wait, so we'll wait, and we'll go on your cue. The main aim of me being there is to make sure that the rehearsal runs smoothly. So let's see how far we can go out of range. Check one, two, two. Tahi, rua. (WIND BLOWS) If we put a sock on this, it should be OK, eh? To be honest, I don't wanna put my undies on it. - Go get your sock. - There'd be plenty room for about four microphones if I have to do that. (LAUGHS) So... Down on the beach, there was a bit of wind that was coming through, and the sound was being affected. It needed something to cover the microphone. - Whaea offered up her undies and stuff, and we just couldn't stop laughing. (BOTH CHUCKLE) So we were like, 'No, no, no, no. No, no, Whaea. Don't` 'Just leave it on. Leave it on.' - And she was on the mic as well, so the whole beach would've heard her. (BOTH LAUGH) - First of all, thank you for this opportunity. Honestly, eh, to do this for you both is... I've said it, and now we say it in front of everybody that means the world to you coming tomorrow. For some of them, they've never done a wedding before as a wedding party. So my job is coordinating at the right speed and pace, timing with the waiata, and then running through the services as best possible and fixing the hiccups along the way if there's any. Come and stand straight over there, and you hold hands. Hold hands. Ka pai. So your flowers will be given to your matron of honour. OK? And then that's when you can, you know, put the juju lips on, suck it up and... (LAUGHTER) - Oh, sorry. Oh. - Get that ready. OK? - Things look to be in hand. - We'll go down, and we'll have that practice, and I'll go through the whole service. OK? - Yeah, that's good. - Ka pai? Ka pai, whanau? OK. - Yep, all good. - All right. Come, groomsmen. Haere mai. - Having Lois there, her presence, she just has this wairua about her that kinda gives you that calm. - So, the flower girls will walk in first. - And then they sit down and wait or...? - And then they come sit down, yep. OK, so Ona, come here, darling. Kalia. Come over here. All right? So you two are gonna walk down first. OK? - Are we missing someone? Oh, Lucy. - Is there one more missing? - Yeah. - Oh, OK. Is there one more person that can walk in her way? - That guy? - That guy! - That guy! - Yay. This is Petrina. - No, no, you're a bridesmaid. Go that side. (LAUGHTER) - One of our bridesmaids are missing, and so we... didn't have any girls to fill in, so we got one of Puna's boys from work to fit in. - Shot, Peter. My man. - Yeah. Well, Peter slash aka Petrina. - (LAUGHS) - So that was his name on the day. Don't know if he was happy about it, but, man, shout-out to Peter. (LAUGHS) - Yeah, shout-out. - Petrina. (BOTH LAUGH) - Going through with that rehearsal on the beach, it actually ran very smoothly. - And knowing that she had everything under control, I know that I will be ready for tomorrow. - Done. And then what's the song we're walking out to? # Signed, sealed, delivered... # Oh, no. (LAUGHTER) - As long as Lucy turns up and the wind drops,... - Like... - ...it should be smooth sailing at the Gisborne Yacht Club. But will the course of true love... - Which one is it? - ...run smooth? - Ah, I nearly gave him a wring around the ears. - Tua tai mai te ranui. It's Tui and Puna's wedding day, and Puna is hard at work with his groomsmen... and also praying. - It was very windy that morning. And I was hoping that the wind would hopefully drop down. Like... - How many ropes on each? Is there two or one on each leg? Two on each leg? - Yeah. - One that way, and then one the other way. - When I arrived, the wind had completely dropped out from the day before. And it was the perfect setting for a fairy tale to unfold. - While the fellas do the set up, Lois can focus on her own prep. - When my couples are getting ready, I'm actually going over my script, checking, proof-reading. Welcome to your wedding. I also sit down on the day and fill out my part on the wedding licence. So, there's two parts. There's` One's the wedding licence for the couple, to the married parties, and for the registrar. So you just have to make sure that all of that is coordinated carefully. For me, it's about making sure that they understand that this is a commitment that's recorded for the rest of their lives ` as in their licence, as in their commitment to each other. - Just the lead up to this and having Lois being a part of that has kind of reminded me of the simple things. We can't control everything. Yeah, it's just allowing certain moments to happen and just take it all in. - Oh, don't worry; I will. Like, I plan do. Puna's just as` That's his priority as well. We will take time for ourselves. - Do you want to fold the collar down or...? - Yeah, try. How's that? All good? Yeah, I'm feeling excited. I can't wait. (CHUCKLES) I can't wait to, you know, do the business. (CHUCKLES) - (CHUCKLES SOFTLY) - With their picturesque beach wedding set, the groomsmen in place, and the bride ready, it's time for Lois to get the business done. - When the music does start, that the indication that the bride has arrived. The whanau, being from Cook Island descent and Maori descent, arose to their feet, waiting for their putiputi, their flower, to step out. In this case, it was a bouquet of flowers with their bridal party. (GENTLE GUITAR MUSIC) Nga whanau katoa. Nau mai, haere mai. Our wahine. Homai te pehea te pakipaki. (SOFT MUSIC) She walks towards me, and, of course, I have to say, there were a little bit of tears in my eyes, because here this built-up relationship from being a parent in our kura to a friend. So I was watching two beautiful friends get married in front of me. Nau mai, haere mai korua ki to marena. Welcome to your wedding, Puna and Tui. I would like to extend a warm welcome to you all today, to the whanau and the friends who have travelled to be with Puna and Tui as they sign their love treaty in this beautiful setting here. - Today is not only about those that are present but those who have passed on. - Uh, so it's been one week... since I lost my sister Hera. You know, and I felt her presence. And I even had a picture of her at one of the stands as well. And it's... Yeah, it's tough. - For me, that's... such a beautiful way to carry a taonga like that to your wedding ` a taonga like a sister ` to the wedding. To not forget about her on the day. - I felt my dad, who passed almost a year. I felt like when the moment happened, the weather, the wind, everything, it stood for us because our loved ones were with us. - Tui brought the memory of her father, and her mother was there. And he was a very prominent figure in her life, so it was important that, you know` that they spent and acknowledged that time of them both. So, we will now have the reading of the vows. - I will always love you and our daughter, Kalia, and walk this journey with you both beside me. - I too will help raise our daughter alongside you, my strong, handsome, humble... - ...smart-arse man. - Yep, definitely a smart-arse man. (LAUGHTER) - Take the ring out. Puna (LAUGHS) wasn't sure which finger to put the ring on. - Which one is it? That one? - Uh, I nearly gave him a wring around the ears. Yep, that one. Yep, the left hand. - Oh, that one. Oh, OK. There you go. Choice. (GIGGLES) - (LAUGHS) - Finally gets it right with the right guidance from two women. (LAUGHS) Now by the authority vested in me as a marriage celebrant, I am delighted and honoured to be able to pronounce you as husband and wife. (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) Hey, big fella, you may now kiss your darling wife. (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) - After 18 years of courtship, Tui and Puna have officially sealed the deal, thanks to their good old mate Lois. - They're laying the leis of putea around the couple, and as the sun is coming down, you can just feel the wairua and the aroha. The sun's setting, and all I could think of was 'i whiti te ra te pou.' - Thank you, Whaea Lois. The amount of love that she has... - Yeah, that... Yeah. (ALL SHOUT) - She brought it all together. So, so honoured to have her... deliver our wedding. So, so thankful. - Next time on Aroha Nui ` we catch up with husband and wife team Iripa and Jess Rangi. - The only thing we're missing is your vows. - Yeah, I know. I know. - That's the legal part. - The duo working overtime in Te Papa-i-Oea. - (SINGS) - Because they have such a large bridal party, it is very much like herding cats. - (LAUGHS) - But this might not be the biggest headache they have. - We wake up on the morning of the wedding, and we look at each other and are like...