Editor’s note: Happily ever after

Twice a year, Metropol publishes its popular wedding supplement, featuring many of the local retailers who support this lucrative industry.

Bringing bridal parties and wedding suppliers together is a marriage made in heaven for many parties. Ten years ago, the wedding industry in New Zealand was estimated to be worth $58 million annually. Now, a low-key wedding averages around $40,000, with many couples spending a great deal more. From $80,000 to $120,000 is now considered mid-range, with high-end nuptials around $300,000 plus.

Getting married comes in all shapes and sizes, depending on what the couples (or their families) want. The ceremony is usually just the start of the want list; what most couples really want is a marriage that endures, regardless of the cost.

The same can be said for other forms of marriage, those that are a combination or mix of elements, such as music, cuisine, and events. Most parties enter into such arrangements having agreed on the parameters, and conditions, just as SailGP did when marrying its foil racing event to Lyttelton’s marine mammal sanctuary.

Traditional wedding vows often include “for better or worse”. Sadly Christchurch experienced the worst from SailGP CEO Sir Russell Coutts when, like a sulky little boy, he tossed his toys out of the playpen because racing was cancelled to protect dolphins in the sanctuary.

With talk of moving future SailGPs offshore, it seems like this is one marriage that won’t last. That really would be a shame, after all the effort our region put into the event, not forgetting if it hadn’t been for Christchurch, when Auckland pulled the plug, the 2024 leg probably wouldn’t have happened at all.