Melanie and Mike
Our Love Story
We first met during high school in Florida when we were about 15 years old. Mike and I weren't close, but had a handful of mutual friends. Back then, he was persistent in getting to know me, but I was on my path at the time. We shared some classes in college, but after that, our lives went on different courses. Years later, when I relocated halfway across the country to Colorado, I stumbled upon Mike on social media. I reached out and we reconnected, catching up as adults. He was still living in Orlando. After almost a year of building a quite flirtatious friendship, and a couple of visits back and forth, we decided to try long-distance and made things "official" in October 2018. About eight months later, I relocated back to Florida so we could be together. Since then it's been a whirlwind of adventures and new places to call home. From Orlando, we moved to Las Vegas and Seattle. (Not Seattle exactly, but no one knows our small town and Seattle is easier). Even with our many moves across the states, we still found the time to explore the world. In 2020, we made it to England before COVID hit and in 2023, we made it to New Zealand - twice! Mike and I were huge Lord of the Rings fans even before meeting, so it has been a fun fandom to share. On our first New Year's Eve, we made seven hobbit meals, binged The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogies, and lined up the midnight countdown with Theoden's line, "So it begins" in The Two Towers. We always wanted to travel to New Zealand to explore Middle Earth and experience the country. That became a reality in April 2023 with a 14-day, cross-country Lord of the Rings tour by fabulous Red Carpet Tours. Having discussed wanting to get married, and Mike having already purchased and sized the rings I picked out, we knew this was the perfect opportunity to begin our lifelong journey as husband and wife.
Our Proposal
We discussed where we wanted it to go down and finally decided on Mavora Lakes, aka Nen Hithoel, one of the last days of our tour. Not only did it look beautiful in our pre-trip research and the movies, but it also held a deeper meaning. In the Fellowship of the Ring, Nen Hithoel is where Sam and Frodo paddle away from the group onto the next stage of their journey. It felt a fitting place for Mike and me to embark upon the next stage of life together as one. So that's what we did. We didn't want an audience, so Mike spoke with the tour guide and let her know our plans. She was kind enough to swiftly move our group of 30 along, knowing we would hang back to have our moment. We asked a few friends to capture the moment and it was perfect. It was a gorgeous day and we were lucky to have the space to ourselves. I was dressed as a hobbit since that day had multiple filming location stops and I wanted to be in character! Alas, Mike was dressed normally. He had a very sweet, loving speech prepared and we both got misty-eyed. He got down on one knee in the sand, and took this hobbit's hand forever, with my grey stoned, coffin-shaped engagement ring.
Our Wedding Planning
When thinking about celebrating our union, we wanted the day to be about us, and make intentional, purposeful decisions about our wants and needs. We initially planned on either getting married in Florida, since that's where most of our families and friends are or considered having a small elopement in Washington state and celebrating with our people back in Florida. It was honestly quite stressful trying to figure out what to do and we realised that we were putting too much emphasis on others. We decided to elope in New Zealand, just the two of us. As much as we love our family and friends, we realised all we needed and wanted for this adventure was each other. We felt connected to New Zealand and loved all the people and places. Looking back on our experiences there, we knew we wanted to go back to make this official - and Mount Sunday, aka Edoras, was the perfect place. Everything fell into place so smoothly once that decision was made.
Our Elopement Day
We decided on a sunrise elopement on Mount Sunday / Edoras. Our Airbnb was approximately 50 minutes away, per our test drive the day prior. The plan was to meet with Kineta, Robin + Andie in the parking lot at 6:30 am. We got up around three in the morning to have time for showers, hair, makeup, dressing, and driving. Since it was just the two of us, I handled my hair and makeup and Mike helped me with my dress. I almost panicked when I got out of the shower and my hair brush blow dryer, which I confirmed with the manufacturer that it would work in New Zealand, would not turn on. Fortunately, it was a simple fix - panic resolved! I wore my gown with warm leggings and hiking boots underneath. I had no clue how I was going to style my hair as I had elf ear cuffs that I wanted to show, but I also wanted my hair mostly down. I had toyed with different styles and pinning at home but didn't know what the final look would be. The morning of, I threw in some pins and ties and it worked perfectly with the ears. Little did I know the wind had other plans for my hair! My jewellery consisted of the silver elf ears cuffs, a sword necklace, a ring specially made with our cat Garbage's whiskers, and, of course, my coffin engagement ring. Mike wore a slim wool mix suit in herringbone green from ASOS DESIGN, a bat bow tie, and cufflinks also specially made with Garbage's whiskers.
About five minutes into our drive to Mount Sunday, there was panic. Mike starts fumbling and I ask what's wrong. His bow tie is missing. It's super dark out, in the middle of nowhere and I'm digging around the car, searching pockets, checking our bag, can't find it. We pull over on the side of the road to search together. Can't find it. We debate the importance of the tie and worry about running late. But we were so close, that I convinced him to go back. We zoom back to the Airbnb and I wait in the car while Mike runs in. A couple of minutes later, I see him stomping out and beelining for the backseat. Without a word, he grabs the bag and pulls the bow tie out of a pocket we both completely missed. It was in the car the whole time! We pull back out onto the road, stressing about time and seeing the sun start to peak. It was a beautiful drive and we pulled into the parking lot right on time and the first ones there.
Meeting Kineta and Robin + Andie in person was a hoot! I fondly recall Andie calling me a "nutter" while embracing me in a warm hug. We took a quick selfie with the rising sun and made our way up Mount Sunday. "Up, up, up we goes" as Gollum would say, up Mount Sunday. The higher we got, the windier it got. Livestock poo pats everywhere. Once we made it to the top, we quickly realised the situation we were in. It was so windy! Mike and I had picked out a couple of spots the day before when we hiked up, and none were usable due to the wind. Once we decided on our new location, we all grabbed each other and were like "This is it. Let's go". We signaled at Robin + Andie and began.
Kineta performed a lovely ceremony for us. All holding on to each other, trying not to fall over, repeating ourselves with the wind. I will always remember looking into Mike's eyes that day on top of Edoras. It was the most magical moment in my life, being there with him, promising to love one another forever. Taking out the rings was a juggling act - we didn’t want them blowing over the edge! Before we knew it, our vows were spoken, and we were kissing and holding on for dear life.
After the ceremony, we all hugged and then came the photos. Kineta disappeared, getting the papers ready, while Robin + Andie helped us capture the day. We did the signatures, took selfies while our witnesses signed, and were giddy fools. We worked our way back down Mount Sunday with excellent guidance and fun from Robin + Andie. They met us back at our Airbnb where I adjusted my hair after the wind manhandled me. We captured more intimate and detailed shots, and had lots of fun with the champagne showers and some offscreen vodka shots!
Once Mike and I were alone, we simply enjoyed our day. We got into robes, ate & drank, listened to music, made dinner, and ended the night in outdoor hot tubs watching the sunset on the mountains.
Our Favourite Moments
I loved that we did a sunrise elopement because then we had the rest of the day to relax and enjoy each other. We ended the day in outdoor hot tubs with champagne, watching the sun set behind the mountains.
Our Advice
When it comes to the elopement or wedding, do whatever makes you both happy and feels right. That day, that moment, is about you two coming together, so you're all that matters.
Our Dream Team
Venue | Mount Sunday / Edoras
Photography & Videography | Robin + Andie
Celebrant | Kineta Booker
Dress | Foxblood
Bride Accessories | Bat bow tie - LRoseFabricArt, Elf ear cuffs - TannyBunnyShop, Sword necklace - CatCraftsCult, Cat whisker cuff links and ring - VolanaKote.
Grooms Attire | ASOS DESIGN
Rings | Coffin Gems, Woodsman Jewelry