Mock wedding takes the cake!

New Zealand Historic Places Trust Information release
29 March 2006

The Bridal Party - photo Peter Marko

The re-enactment of a 150-year-old wedding ceremony to celebrate a slice of New Plymouth's early history has been hailed as a "tremendous success" by event organisers.

Hundreds of "guests," including local MP Harry Duynhoven, New Plymouth Mayor Peter Tennent, and even the Italian Ambassador to New Zealand, flocked to St Mary's Pro-Cathedral on Saturday 25 March to attend the ceremony.

The mock wedding, which re-enacted the nuptials between Harry Albert Atkinson and Amelia Jane Skinner, took place in the same church where the couple wed 150 years ago to the day.

This time round the wedding drew a crowd of almost 500 curious locals, with dozens more waiting outside to get a glimpse of the "happy couple" as they were whisked away after the ceremony on a horse and buggy.

The event was used to mark the sesquicentennial of Hurworth Cottage, where Atkinson, a future Premier of New Zealand, and his young wife went to live following their marriage.

True to history the mock wedding also ended at Hurworth, with about 150 people following the "young couple" back to the cottage for a Victorian picnic, complete with speeches, Elizabethan and Morris dancing and games.

One of the event organizers, Janette Theobald, says she was overwhelmed by the support locals showed for the event, not just with the large numbers of people that turned up at the church, but also the efforts made by many to dress for the occasion in Victorian attire.

"The whole day was absolutely stunning and I was just overwhelmed by the turnout. It's been a tremendous success with so many people helping to make the day so special," says Mrs Theobald.

"I must send out a big thank you to the people of New Plymouth for taking part so positively and enthusiastically getting into the spirit of it all."

Mrs Theobald says the success of the event was also due to the "unbelievable" support of local sponsors, such as Professionals Real Estate, the New Plymouth District Council, the Taranaki regional branch of the New Zealand Historic Places Trust, Jago Print, and the New Plymouth Floral Arts Society.

She was also keen to point out the contributions of the Elizabethan and Morris dancers, for their entertainment at Hurworth Cottage, Fridtjoff Hanson, for supplying the horse and buggy, and CC Wards, a 1800s haberdashery that shared its expertise in the making of the dresses for the bridal party.

The wedding even had an international flavour, thanks to the presence of Italian Ambassador to New Zealand, Liana Marolla, who was in New Plymouth for the opening of a Leonardo Da Vinci exhibition. A chance sighting of the re-enactment story in the local paper led to some enquiries by the Ambassador's staff and a somewhat perplexing answer phone message for Mrs Theobald.

"We got this message saying the Italian Ambassador would like to book three tickets for the wedding ceremony. Initially, we thought someone was playing some kind of practical joke, but it was fantastic having her there."

Mrs Theobald received an even greater surprise the day before the mock wedding when she got a phone call from the other side of the world.

"It was from a gentleman called Harry Atkinson - the last surviving grandchild of Harry Albert Atkinson. It was absolutely fantastic to hear from him. He was thrilled with the idea we were going to re-enact his grandfather's wedding."

Mr Atkinson, who heard of the event through family still living in New Zealand, was born in Wellington in 1929 and was the son of Harry Temple Atkinson, born in 1880, the last child of Harry Albert's second wife (and first cousin) Annie.

By sheer coincidence, Mr Atkinson's grandson Thomas Harry Atkinson (the fifth generation in the family to carry the Harry name) is in New Zealand on holiday with his girlfriend. Mr Atkinson hoped Thomas would be at the mock wedding of his great, great grandfather, but he wasn't able to attend.

Mrs Theobald says the re-enactment will live long in the memories of all those who were there. But just in case, professionally taken photos of the day are also on offer to help people remember the unique and special occasion.

Photographs of the entire re-enactment can be purchased from St Mary's Pro-Cathedral, phone 06 758 3111 or email enquiries@stmarys.org.nz with the proceeds going towards the up keep of the church's archives, including its flags and, the original wedding registers.

For more information

Janette Theobald
Taranaki LEOTC Education Coordinator
Tel: 027 286 5851
Email: jtheobald@historic.org.nz

OR

David Watt
Central Area Coordinator
Te: 04 802 0004
Email: dwatt@historic.org.nz