Alcina & Shilou
The Story
Where all good love stories first begin of course, outside The Steyne Hotel in Manly, NSW.
In the early hours the day after Australia Day in 2006, and our good man Shilou was indulging in a slice of pizza whilst swinging his legs in a phase of excitement.
Meanwhile, Alcina and her friend had just walked out of the club past Shilou and his piece of pizza, when Shilou noticed Alcina’s friend was wearing a bone carving necklace; he did what any fellow Kiwi would do and shouted out “KIWIS”, which subsequently got the girls’ attention. Straight away, Shilou thought Alcina was fun and bubbly, and he was relieved that he found someone to laugh at his jokes (in reality, Alcina was just giggling at how many drinks Shilou had had).
At first, it was a slow burn, but as Alcina and Shilou hung out at the same clubs with the same circles almost every weekend in Manly, they began to notice each other. One night, Alcina stepped out of the club to get some fresh air, and Shilou took the opportunity to make a move and ask Alcina for her number.
With no time to waste, Shilou sent Alcina a message the next day before they became boyfriend and girlfriend just a week later.
Although Alcina endured a slow burn and had to wait 15 years(!!), the proposal finally happened.
Shilou felt very nervous and a little unorganised as he wanted to propose earlier in the day to bring in the New Year, but he didn’t quite have his shit together. And so, the scene was set on the first day of 2021.
It was a little later on in the afternoon of January 1 where Alcina looked over whilst laying on the couch and saw Shilou kneeling on one knee, before she blurted out “what is that?!”. Upon Alcina realising Shilou’s intentions, she shouted “YAAAAY” and quickly took that ring from his hands.
To this day, Shilou hasn’t officially asked Alcina to marry him, nor has he received an answer, so I’m going to open this one up for the final time.
The Ceremony
Fast forward to the ceremony, set at Summergrove Estate in Carool, New South Wales. I gave Shilou the opportunity to drop a knee for the final time and officially propose to Alcina (she said yes, by the way!). As the Marriage Celebrant, I kicked off the ceremony by asking guests to raise their hand and repeat after me, with statements that supported the couple and wishing them an amazing day. I should mention that it then shifted to guests supporting Shilou in having one last shot, followed by the groomsmen downing a shot before the bride entered (we love to get the party started!).
We designed the ceremony to be fun and lighthearted, where guests laughed and cried throughout the celebrations filled with amazing energy. Guests even performed a traditional dance as part of the celebrations!
In a nod to their Kiwi heritage (and love of rugby but of separate teams!), we designed a cheeky spin on the I Do’s:
Shilou: “and do you promise that if the Hurricanes win the next game, you’ll clean the whole house, wearing a yellow jersey?”
Alcina: “and if the Chiefs win, you’ll call him Chief for the rest of the week?”
And so, Shilou put a ring on it! I loved being part of the ceremony bringing to life their love story, supported by their two kids who walked down the aisle and did a special signing with their mum and dad.
The Details
Photographer: Jenny Meyer
Venue: Summergrove Estate
Musicians: Fonoti Brothers and McGee Entertainment
Florist & Stylist: Ivy and Bleu
Dress: Made with Love Bridal
Hair & Makeup: Bella Rae
