Sometimes you know you’ve hit the jackpot, romantically speaking, and realise it’s time to go all in. For Kate, 29, and Michael, 30, that meant eloping to Las Vegas last year to get married in secret.
Though their wedding took place in a chapel with traditional music, it was far from conventional, nor was the road to get there. The couple skipped the traditional engagement step, going straight from dating to getting married. After eight years together – they met at a New Year’s Eve party and got together in 2016 – the time felt right.
“I believed that marriage could be the next chapter in our relationship,” Kate says. So, rather than wait for Michael to ask the question, she pitched the idea while they were planning a holiday to the United States, a cruise holiday for his 30th birthday. “I proposed to Michael that, on our travels, we should get married in Las Vegas.”
Having done some maths, comparing the cost of her dream wedding in Aotearoa with what they could spend on a small ceremony abroad, combining everything – holiday, birthday, wedding and honeymoon – made sense to both of them. “We decided to plan it as a secret elopement,” Kate says, and the couple was mindful of expectations. “It also prevented pressure on family.”
The vision
Kate is the self-described “planner” of their relationship (someone always is) and focused on some of the most critical details for their wedding, including the legal requirements to get married in Las Vegas, Nevada, the venue and finding someone to shoot it.
“Our photographer was very important as this was our way to capture our special day and share with our friends and family,” she says, and after researching local photographers they chose not one but two, Roselle Tuzon (@roserashidphoto) and Rina Mercado (@thefilmwomxn). “Rose and Rina captured our love, happiness and all our special moments. We love our photos so much.”
With their wedding small and simple, little details had added significance – like scent, which they put considerable thought into. “Fragrance is important to Michael and I. Certain scents remind us about important events and memories we have created,” says Kate, and they turned to Tāmaki Makaurau-based perfumer Curionoir for their wedding-day fragrances, choosing Irtiu Nefertiti and Pablo.
And if you’re having a Las Vegas wedding, you might as well have a Las Vegas wedding. “The personality of our wedding day was simple, relaxed and intimate just me and Michael. We chose A Little White Chapel as we loved how iconic the venue is,” Kate says.
The venue
Though the legendary Las Vegas destination (celebrity weddings count everyone from Mia Farrow and Frank Sinatra to Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez) is big in the fame stakes, its rooms are small, and that’s exactly what the couple wanted. “Both Michael and I come from big families and family is important to us. We didn't want the room to feel empty with so much space we wish we could have filled.”
The outfits
Kate’s wedding dress was from Aje, purchased from Facebook Marketplace, and it was “perfect”. It was within budget, fit just right and she felt comfortable. “I loved the open tie back.”
For the ceremony she wore white heels she already owned, though they ended up being a little bit too big, necessitating a wedding day swap. “When we went to do photos at Fremont Street Las Vegas, I had to purchase some sandals to continue my evening as I did not prepare comfortable shoes to walk in.”
Ever the pragmatists, they decided to borrow Michael's wedding suit for a few reasons. “We were travelling for at least three weeks before we got married, so travelling with the tux would take up a lot of luggage space,” Kate says.
As it wasn’t something he’d wear again, they couldn’t justify the cost of purchasing one, so renting made more sense, and the couple ended up going with a black peak-lapel tuxedo from Friar Tux. “It was important for us to be able to hire the tuxedo without being there to be measured in-store,” she explains. “We had to ensure our measurements at home were accurate.”
When it came to grooming, they kept it local to Las Vegas, recommended by their photographers. Hairstylist Maria did Kate’s hair, while makeup (which she rarely wears) was the work of Rosa from Primrose Glam. “I had to get my nails done in Las Vegas of course,” she says. “I came across Taylor, @lunar.nail.gorl, on Instagram; I knew I had to work with her. I wanted my design to be simple with colour, as all white on our wedding day was not for me.”
The ceremony
Married at 6pm one evening in April, the whole thing happened very, very quickly. “Literally a 15-minute ceremony and we were done heading out to celebrate.”
The couple had wanted traditional music for the ceremony, though that still came with an element of surprise. “When we were inside the chapel at A Little White Chapel, we thought the music would be played over speakers,” Kate recalls. “The celebrant pulls out a small UE Boom portable speaker and starts.”
Kate wanted a bouquet for the ceremony, but hated the impermanence of fresh blooms (and the look of dried petals) so went with something more long-lasting. “My flowers were fake flowers that I travelled with from New Zealand. My work colleagues purchased them for me after I mentioned that I wanted flowers to walk down the aisle.”
The whole thing was quick, as is Vegas style, and the couple were given only one minute for personal vows during the ceremony, which followed the standard format at the chapel. “Therefore, no cultural elements or family traditions,” Kate says. “We had no guests, besides our photographers – who were our witnesses – and the celebrant.”
For the wedding rings, both from Pascoes, Michael chose a flat-cut ring in yellow gold that suited his work back home (driving trucks around the North Island) while the bride went a more dazzling route.
“We are fortunate to have a family member work for Pascoes, where we purchased our rings,” Kate says. “She worked with me on going through the four Cs: cut, clarity, colour and carat.” It was the stone that swayed her. “When it came to choosing my rings, it was clarity for me and how the diamonds blinged under light.”
The photography
So far from home, and with the constraints of a surprise elopement, photographs were hyper-important to capturing the moment and sharing it with family and friends back in Aotearoa, and Roselle and Rina photographed the ceremony and shots afterwards on Fremont Street, a historic downtown location colloquially known as Glitter Gulch due to its plethora of lights and neon signs.
“Our photographer was very important as this was our way to capture our special day and share with our friends and family,” Kate says.
With high-stakes photos to capture, Rose and Rina made the newlyweds feel at ease in front of the camera, gently directing their poses and making it a fun experience. “Michael was worried that he wouldn't enjoy taking so many photos and be comfortable,” recalls Kate, but the opposite turned out to be true. Relaxed and relishing in the fun, their humour could shine, even when unplanned. “A moment I remember: I told Michael no hand signs – then there we were, doing hang loose hand signs on the pink Cadillac car. It is one of my favourite photos.”
With no guests, and no reception planned, the couple celebrated together after the last of the photographs on Fremont Street were taken. “We grabbed a drink from the bar that is in the middle of the street. Danced in the crowd. The people of Las Vegas love weddings, you get congratulated by them, bars provide a free shot, and the restaurant we went to gave us a free dessert.”
Post-wedding thoughts
“Since this elopement was a secret, a moment that stays with us forever,” considers Kate, “was when we video-called our family to let them know what we did.”
The party
Once Kate and Michael returned to Aotearoa, buzzing from their holiday and marriage, it felt like the right time to plan something with their loved ones back home.
“We still wanted to celebrate with our family on our marriage. A party would be the best way, and we know how. We didn't want speeches or first dances, just the party after the formalities.”
The wedding had been a secret, and they decided to keep the surprises coming. “Our family and friends thought they were attending Michael’s 30th birthday party.” Guests were told to wear black, and everyone was invited to the rooftop of Brew on Quay at the end of May 2024, which the couple hired for the occasion at no cost (other than a $2500 minimum spend for food and drinks).
“We didn’t have a particular song on our wedding day but our song was Sons of Zion ft Jackson Owens’ Love on the Run,” says Kate. “Michael and I would look at each other and giggle because we knew what this song meant but those around us didn't.”
They used it for the announcement video, which Kate made with her sister's help, and included photos and videos of Michael throughout his life, and the big reveal: photos of their Las Vegas wedding. It started playing once most of the guests had arrived. “We walked in where they realised we got married. There was so much love, surprise and happiness for us.”
They made sure to capture the moment, and after consulting photographer Kasia Kolmas (who was due to give birth the night of the party), they had Ethan Lowry shoot the event. “Ethan had patience with us, as the beginning did not go to plan, and went with the flow to capture everyone. He made time to take photos of Michael and I around Britomart (the ‘budget Fremont Street’, as Michael would say, with all the lights). The photos of the evening we will cherish forever of our family and the small moments Michael and I had.”
Kate wore her wedding dress (sans veil) while Michael hired another suit, this time from Frank Casey. For hair and makeup, they turned to the daughter of a family friend, Kaysey Taylor. “Absolutely love her work and what she is doing for herself. Michael and I loved how we could be ourselves around her and so could she.”
This was the occasion for a wedding cake, and they had a vintage-style heart-shaped cake made by From Sugar. It read “we tied the knot” and so too did the party favours: clear envelopes containing Lotto scratchies that read “WE TIED THE KNOT NOW WE HOPE YOU HIT THE JACKPOT. MR & MRS RANAPIA 29 APRIL 2024”, a reference to their Las Vegas elopement.
Advice for eloping
“We recommend eloping in Las Vegas 100%. You have the choice of being in the heart of Las Vegas, not too far from the strip, or heading out to the desert, like Red Rock Canyon,” Kate says. “Do it for yourself.”
They also recommend a wedding like theirs for anyone conscious of costs. “Eloping was so much cheaper, and we could get married for around $10k,” she adds. “Nothing that we had done was a waste of money. We ensured we stuck to a reasonable budget to what we could afford. As long as the three top things were covered – marriage license, photographer and venue – we were good.”
In fact, Kate and Michael generously broke down the costs of their wedding for Ensemble.
• Dress, NZ$140
• Veil from Temu, NZ$4
• Rings from Pascoes, NZ$2000
• Curionoir perfumes, NZ$100
• Other items like a handbag, other jewellery NZ$200
• Photographer, US$1700
• Little White Chapel ceremony package, US$249.90
• Marriage license, US$120
• Copy of marriage license certificate, US$20
Total: NZ$7907.49 (Some costs were converted from US dollars)
