Briefly down-to-earth for celebrity wedding couple

WELCOME HOME: TV wedding couple Kelly and Kelly Heke cut their wedding cake back in Te Awamutu amidst scores of family, friends and well-wishers at Saturday night’s celebration at Marist Clubrooms. 282071AD

CELEBRITY celebrant Kay Gregory conducts the wedding service for Kelly Heays and Kelly Heke on TV One’s ‘Good Morning’ on Friday. TVNZ screenshot.

By Dean Taylor

Life has returned briefly to normal for celebrity wedding couple Kelly and Kelly Heke of Te Awamutu.

The winners of TV One’s ‘Good Morning’ wedding competition are back at work this week after a hectic month since they entered the competition. Just a week after being announced as winners they were married live on air by celebrant Kay Gregory in front of 30 of their closest family.

On Saturday the ‘real party’ took place as about 200 people came to Te Awamutu Marist Clubrooms for the homecoming celebration.

It was a dream come true for the couple who met two years ago when Kelly asked his little brother if his girlfriend had an older sister. She did, and they have been together since. It was at another wedding, ‘Kelly boy’s’ sister, that he took the microphone and in front of 100 guests first asked Mike Heays for permission before going down on one knee to propose to kelly.

The couple had been guests of TVNZ in Wellington all week leading up to the wedding and say the television staff were fantastic, really taking an interest in the couple and making sure they had a thoroughly great time. Highlight of the week - the wedding and ‘the two Kellys’ becoming a married couple.

Everything was taken care of for the couple, their bridal party and their family for the big event. ‘Kelly girl’ says the bridal party of Kelli Hawkins, Jessica Heays, Nathanial Rowe and Shannon Heke and parents Mike and Normia Heays and Jerry and Rona Heke were made to feel like royalty by TVNZ hosts and staff.

Friends and family back home went all out to organise the homecoming, and were rapt with the way everyone pitched in to help. Three cars picked up the wedding party right off the tarmac when they landed at Hamilton Airport on Saturday afternoon and they were whisked away to get dressed again for the party.

Lots of local businesses helped out with sponsorship for the event, and at 4pm Saturday afternoon the ‘two Kellys’ and their wedding party were called on to the venue and enjoyed another wedding celebration, including speeches and cutting the cake.

Bridesmaid Kelli Hawkins put a lot of work into organising the event, and says everyone approached wanted to help. She thanks Campbell Lane, Sincerity Drycleaners, Te Awamutu RSA, Rosetown Liquor Centre, Magills Meats, Te Awamutu Wines & Spirits, Bottle King and Memories Beauty Therapy Clinic for making it all possible at short notice.

The couple only have a short time to get back to normal before flying to Tahiti for a week for the honeymoon as part of their prize.

They say even now it all seems so unreal. Mike Heays says the two Kellys have received support from all around New Zealand to make this dream become a reality. In fact TVNZ reported votes coming from overseas as well as New Zealand for the winning couple.

Miss Hawkins says she knows that once the word got out about the text vote, friends of friends of friends were all encouraged to help the couple. Now the two Kellys simply say thank you to everyone who did anything to make them the happiest couple in the world.