Planned in 48 hours! KAPITI COUPLE’S WHIRLWIND WEDDING

When Cyclone Gabrielle ruined her dream day in the Hawke’s Bay, mum-of-one Jenna Ambler-Johnston organised a ceremony at home in breakneck speed

Jenna Ambler-Johnston is used to diving into damage control as a wedding and event planner, but the mum-of-one never expected she’d be scrambling to save her own big day in 48 hours because of a deadly cyclone!

The Paekākāriki local and her now-hubby Alex were set to tie the knot in Te Awanga, Hawke’s Bay, on 17 February, just three days after devastating Cyclone Gabrielle hit.

Despite most of her suppliers pulling the pin due to flooding, damage, loss of power and road closures, the 31-year-old didn’t give up. Instead, she moved her wedding to the couple’s backyard on the Kāpiti Coast and rallied to find new suppliers at the last minute.

“I fell in love with Hawke’s Bay when I was at university, and used to visit my brother and stepsister who lived there,” says Jenna, who met her construction foreman hubby, 30, at a party in London. “It’s made for events with lots of wineries and beautiful venues. When Alex proposed in Queenstown while I was pregnant in late 2021, Hawke’s Bay was the first place we thought of for the wedding.”

Everything was running to plan for Jenna last month, before Cyclone Gabrielle hit on 14 February and a national state of emergency was declared a day later. She had the Champagne ready and waiting from a winery in Hawke’s Bay, and a food truck that made tacos from local ingredients organised. She’d paid thousands to her wedding venue, which the couple later lost, and had prepared a thorough run sheet for the day.