TESS
&
BEN
December 20th 2025
December 20th 2025
Wedding day at The Farm -
ceremony, reception and party
December 19th 2025
Pre-wedding mingle at
Omata Winery in Russell
Wine & Pizza (pay-as-you-go)
4 pm - 7 pm
Location
Venue: The Farm
Address: 3632 Russell Road, 0184 Whangaruru
Parking: Available on-site
Ceremony
1:30 pm - Guest Arrival
3:00 pm - Ceremony
We'll gather outside Top Kitchen and then walk together to the ceremony site. The ceremony will begin promptly at 3:00 pm.
Reception
4:00 pm - Cocktails, games & mingling outside Top Kitchen
6:00 pm - Dinner in Woolshala
As much as we love your little ones, due to limited dinner space, we kindly ask that children stay with a sitter for the evening.
Party
9:00 pm - Bar, DJ and dancing!
OUR STORY
How we met
It all started on February 1st, 2014, at 'a farm' tucked away in the hills of northeast New Zealand. Tess had just arrived after backpacking her way around the country, and Ben had just returned from his own adventures in America - only to find a little curious Swede showing up at his family’s doorstep with a backpack (read: a giant suitcase) and no idea she'd just walked into her future. Somewhere between school camps, masquerade parties, camping under the stars, surf trips, and a few questionable horse-riding escapades, something quiet wonderful started brewing (possibly love, possibly sunstroke - summer 2014 you were hot in all kinds of ways).
Fast forward to
Fast forward eleven years, fourteen countries, seasons spent sailing around the world, a handful of homes across the globe, a few startups, one oversized dog, and one very loved daughter later.
There's been adventures, learning curves, magical moments, unexpected turns and all the goodness in between - and somehow, they’ve kept choosing each other. Again, and again, and (yes) again.
And now, here they are: one Swede, one Kiwi, a whole lot of love, and a wedding at the very place where it all began - with all of you to help celebrate the journey!
The proposal
On a sunny Sunday morning, the 13th of September 2020, Ben insisted on a morning surf at Secret Beach. Tess, slightly grumpy about the early start, tagged along. As they walked the forest trail towards the beach, the day grew calm and beautiful. Near the top of the hill where the view opens up, Ben paused and said, “When you reach the top, take a deep breath… and really take in the view.” (Nothing out of the ordinary. He says things like that).
When Tess reached the viewpoint her eyes widened. Giant letters were stretched across the sand below, reading: “MARRY ME?” in huge unmistakable writing. "OH MY GOD!” she burst out. “Someone’s getting proposed to!!!”
She glanced up, imagining some grand, airborne gesture - a plane, some lucky woman pressed against the window gasping at the words below, something outrageously dramatic and romantic. Then she turned around to make sure Ben saw it too.
And there he was. On one knee.
The biggest surprise of her life - and a big, happy yes.
Five years later, we figured it was time to throw a proper party!
One more thing
DRESS CODE: COCKTAIL ATTIRE
WE HOPE YOU
CAN JOIN US
Registry
Your presence at our wedding is the greatest gift we could ask for, truly.
That said, if you do feel moved to give, we’d be so grateful for a small contribution toward the celebration - or, for something more tangible, a fruit tree for us to plant in a little orchard on the farm. Both would be beautiful ways to help us grow lasting memories.