{"id":214183,"date":"2026-01-03T02:49:07","date_gmt":"2026-01-03T02:49:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/214183\/"},"modified":"2026-01-03T02:49:07","modified_gmt":"2026-01-03T02:49:07","slug":"inside-wilhelmina-shrimpton-and-ben-okeeffes-dream-queenstown-wedding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/214183\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside Wilhelmina Shrimpton and Ben O\u2019Keeffe\u2019s dream Queenstown wedding"},"content":{"rendered":"

Theirs is a story of passionate and intense love. Ben, who\u2019s also a musculoskeletal registrar when he\u2019s not on the rugby field, even flew to India to meet the TV and radio star for a third date while she was working in a Delhi newsroom! Even then, both of them knew that this day would eventually come…<\/p>\n

\"WilhelminaWilhelmina and Ben’s story is one of passionate and intense love. Photo \/ Jonny Scott Photography<\/p>\n

Fast-forward to a glorious day in Central Otago, with a cloudless sky and the sun beating down on Arrowtown venue Ayrburn\u2019s the Dell, and 120 guests were buzzing with excitement to see Wilhelmina<\/a> and Ben exchange their vows.<\/p>\n

It had already been a morning of exhilaration for Ben and his groomsmen, Brendon Pickerill, Jim Knowles, Liam Scanlon and Vincent Ringrose, after surprising his mates with bungy jumps in true Queenstown fashion. He laughs, \u201cI just thought, \u2018Why not? We\u2019re here!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Wilhelmina, on the other hand, enjoyed a more sedate, relaxed morning with her bridesmaids, Olivia Holtum, Haley Featonby, Brooke Dobson and Claire O\u2019Keeffe, over the hill at Millbrook Resort, where they sipped Champagne while getting ready.<\/p>\n

And in true Wils fashion, having already slipped into her first wedding dress<\/a> \u2013 a stunning custom dove satin Trish Peng gown, finished with a dramatic lace-trimmed veil \u2013 she was ready to head to her wedding half an hour early, tradition be damned!<\/p>\n

She announced to her attendees, \u201cI\u2019m too excited \u2013 let\u2019s just do this! I want to get there and marry Ben.\u201d <\/p>\n

Decked out in a dashing T. Begg Tailoring tuxedo, Ben had been the picture of calm, but with just minutes to go before Wilhelmina appeared, the nerves began to show as he paced the aisle.<\/p>\n

\"Wilhelmina'sWilhelmina’s bridesmaids were dressed in black silk by Billy J. Photo \/ Jonny Scott Photography<\/p>\n

And finally, as the first strains of Sleep On The Floor, by the Lumineers, began to play, the bridesmaids \u2013 dressed in black silk by Billy J \u2013 made their way down the aisle, followed by a radiant Wilhelmina.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was when I almost lost it,\u201d Ben recalls. Indeed, his eyes were wet as he watched his bride make her way to the white rose petal-strewn altar. \u201cThe tears were flowing and I can\u2019t blame allergies or anything! She just looked so, so beautiful and her dress was so stunning. But then Wils and I locked eyes, and we kind of just connected, then it was easy.\u201d <\/p>\n

Former Newshub and Today FM presenter Wilhelmina adds, \u201cI thought I was going to lose it too, but then I saw Ben and it was like tunnel vision \u2013 an overwhelming sense of calm came over me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Welcoming their guests, the celebrant \u2013 Ben\u2019s aunt Mary, who became certified just to marry the lovebirds \u2013 remarked on the special love the couple share, before inviting them to exchange their vows. <\/p>\n

Through tears, Wilhemina said, \u201cToday is the day I become your wife, which means I get to love you for the rest of my life. From the moment we met, I couldn\u2019t shake the feeling that this was pure magic. It wasn\u2019t just a spark or an attraction \u2013 it was a quiet certainty that I had met the person I was going to spend the rest of my days with.<\/p>\n

\u201cBen, you are the man I\u2019ve always wished for and wanted. Strong yet gentle, determined, driven and full of heart. You are my calm in the chaos, my greatest adventure, the safest place I\u2019ve ever known and the father to our future children<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou see me in all of my forms, have softened my jagged edges and every day you inspire me to be the best version of myself. But what I treasure the most is your heart \u2013 and I can\u2019t believe I\u2019m lucky enough to love it for the rest of my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"TheThe couple were proclaimed Mr and Mrs O\u2019Keeffe. Photo \/ Jonny Scott Photography<\/p>\n

Ben then shared, \u201cMy whole life, I had been searching for you. I didn\u2019t know what you\u2019d look like. I didn\u2019t know how you\u2019d sound. I didn\u2019t know where you\u2019d be. But I always knew that when I finally found you, everything would make sense. <\/p>\n

\u201cAnd from the moment I first laid eyes on you, when we smiled at each other, when we talked on our first date, I knew my search was over and that our adventure was about to begin. <\/p>\n

\u201cYou are my home, my strongest support and my greatest joy. Today I choose you and I will choose you every day for the rest of my life.\u201d <\/p>\n

After exchanging wedding bands \u2013 diamond-encrusted for Wilhelmina, classic gold for Ben \u2013 they were proclaimed Mr and Mrs O\u2019Keeffe, and shared a long, passionate kiss as husband and wife, before walking back up the aisle to Fred Again\u2019s Adore You.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere aren\u2019t enough words to explain how this feels,\u201d Wilhelmina smiles. \u201cAnd as a journalist, I know that\u2019s so ironic! But I said it all in the vows \u2013 we tell each other we love each other every single day, multiple times a day, but being able to tell everyone else and reflect on that love, and make those promises, was amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"WilhelminaWilhelmina and Ben. Photo \/ Jonny Scott Photography<\/p>\n

While the newlyweds were whisked away for their mountaintop photos, guests enjoyed margaritas and Pimm\u2019s cocktails, before the beaming couple returned to sprays of Champagne, ready for their stunning candlelit reception and dinner in Ayrburn\u2019s Bakehouse. <\/p>\n

Wilhelmina had changed into her second of three dresses for the night \u2013 a gorgeous long-sleeved lace gown, also by Trish Peng, who was on hand to make sure no thread was out of place.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had three different venues within Ayrburn, so that naturally meant I needed three dresses!\u201d Wilhelmina laughs, adding that a dazzling sparkling mini was also on hand for the after-party because \u201cyou know sister\u2019s going to bust a move!\u201d <\/p>\n

\"ItIt was the most perfect day for the couple. Photo \/ Jonny Scott Photography<\/p>\n

Not to be outdone, Ben also had an outfit change, rocking a white suit jacket with black-and-white chequered \u201cparty pants\u201d for the couple\u2019s gorgeous first dance in Ayrburn\u2019s intimate barrel room to Lord Huron\u2019s The Night We Met.<\/p>\n

With acclaimed DJ duo the Sweet Mix Kids on the decks, the tune transitioned into the Pitbull hit Fireball and trays of Fireball shots were brought out, kicking off a party that went into the wee small hours and even saw Ben doing his debut DJ set in a golden vest.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

It was, the couple tell us, the most perfect day and one they were thrilled they got to share with so many family members, as well as friends who have become family.<\/p>\n

For Wilhelmina \u2013 whose past few years have been a \u201croller-coaster\u201d as she navigated heartbreak, redundancy and everything in between \u2013 their big day meant everything and she credits Ben with teaching her how to love again.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m the safest, happiest and most secure I\u2019ve ever been in my whole life,\u201d she enthuses. \u201cOne of our friends said to us that he didn\u2019t feel like he was watching a wedding \u2013 it was like watching people\u2019s dreams come true and that\u2019s exactly how we felt too. All of my dreams came true today.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Theirs is a story of passionate and intense love. Ben, who\u2019s also a musculoskeletal registrar when he\u2019s not…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":214184,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[95,1863,4057,15361,129610,21639,21048,11773,299,92871,24392,2174,2753,46662,47065,2944,5511,809,9066,6635,111,139,69,129611,129609,48211,193,13028,2730,20930,114732,801,8730,108628,42312,213,11767,12825,23850,199,1361,165,2846,8229,12637,21419,53865,10510,15315,108627,102,63258],"class_list":["post-214183","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports","tag-and","tag-back","tag-behind","tag-ben","tag-cecil","tag-champagne","tag-couldnt","tag-deeply","tag-dream","tag-drenched","tag-each","tag-exchange","tag-eyes","tag-headed","tag-helicopter","tag-inside","tag-just","tag-keep","tag-loved","tag-mountains","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-okeeffe","tag-okeeffes","tag-ones","tag-other","tag-peak","tag-personal","tag-queenstown","tag-queenstowns","tag-rising","tag-rocky","tag-shrimpton","tag-snowcapped","tag-sports","tag-standing","tag-stunning","tag-summit","tag-take","tag-that","tag-their","tag-them","tag-they","tag-together","tag-towards","tag-vows","tag-waiting","tag-wedding","tag-wilhelmina","tag-with","tag-witnessed"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/214183","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=214183"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/214183\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/214184"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=214183"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=214183"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=214183"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}