Francis’ romantic surprise - ‘HE’S HUSBAND OF THE YEAR!’

Whisking Kaiora off to a tropical island for some family fun was just the start of the Casketeers’ top-secret celebrations

- Wendyl Nissen

He’s the much-loved star of the TV series Casketeers, but today Francis Tipene is almost drowning in love from his wife Kaiora because the father-of-five has just pulled off the most romantic event of their lives. Somehow, he managed to get his wife to Fiji and surprise her with a second wedding.

“I’d take planning a funeral over a wedding any day,” says Francis, 38. “Oh, man!”

The much-relieved husband may have just had a stressful few days, but he really looks quite happy about it. In fact, he looks very much like the cat that got the cream.

“It was so beautiful,” says Kaiora, 39. “I got to walk down the aisle, which I didn’t get to do at our first wedding.”

The loved-up couple have been together for 18 years, which is when they became boyfriend and girlfriend, and their first wedding 17 years ago was at a registry office in Kaitaia.

“We didn’t have any rings,” recalls Francis. “So a kuia [female elder] who was there took her ring off and gave it to us to put on my wife’s finger as a symbol. It was such a beautiful thing to do and I remember saying to Kaiora, ‘One day I’ll give you a ring.’”

The couple had a small reception at the local Chinese takeaway and there was no honeymoon as they both needed to get back to work.

The idea for a second wedding to renew their vows was something the couple had planned last year to have in Auckland and had got so far with the planning that Kaiora had a wedding dress made for the occasion. But when a Covid lockdown got in the way, they put it on hold.