A popular online deal site led to a Christchurch couple's surprise wedding in Rotorua.
Peter Fitt didn't realise buying accommodation in Rotorua off daily deal website grabone.co.nz would end with him planning a surprise wedding for his then fiancee Karen, but he's glad it did.
After Mr Fitt bought the accommodation voucher he was directed to Peter Duncan's The Wedding Guy website. "We were already engaged and I had been thinking about the wedding, so I thought why not?"
The couple travelled to Rotorua with Karen's family, who were visiting from the United Kingdom under the guise they were attending a business conference where Mr Fitt was receiving an award.
"There were a lot of cryptic phone calls with Peter [Duncan] to organise everything," Mr Fitt said.
Last Wednesday Mr Fitt took his fiancee and her parents to Rainbow Springs for the supposed business conference, then surprised Karen with a wedding.
Mrs Fitt said she took 30 minutes to decide but in the end agreed to the whirlwind ceremony. "I didn't know what to say but, to be fair, he did a very good job at planning it and keeping it a secret," she said.
Wedding planner Peter Duncan said: "It was a bit touch and go there for a little bit as the totally gobsmacked bride-to-be tried to get her head and heart around how to respond to such an outlandish proposal."
Mrs Fitt was previously married and her divorce was only settled on December 19.
Mr Fitt had the divorce papers sent to him so she didn't know she was divorced.
"There were a lot of things going on," said Mr Fitt.
The couple celebrated with a dinner and cultural ceremony at Mitai Maori Village.
They both agreed Rotorua was the ideal place for a wedding.
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