Mary Darlow and Brad Heath have had their wedding plans scuppered twice by Covid-19 lockdowns. First in lockdown 1, now in lockdown 2. Photo / Supplied
Twice Mary Darlow planned her wedding day.
Twice, and almost four months apart, Covid-19 and its associated lockdowns and border closures scuppered it.
She might be New Zealand's unluckiest wannabe bride, but the Aucklander and her husband-to-be, Brad Heath, are still smiling.
"Covid is not my friend," Darlow told the Weekend Herald this week, as Auckland crossed the halfway point of a two-week level 3 lockdown sparked by new community transmission of the virus.
But the 43-year-old always tries to keep a positive outlook on life, and that doesn't have to change.
"You get through the heart-wrenching moments when you realise things aren't going the way you want them to. But I'm a full believer in whatever's meant to be will happen."
Here's how it was originally meant to be - a beach wedding on Australia's Gold Coast in April, with about 65 friends and family at their side and a big, fun celebration.
"We chose there because we love a party, we love a drink and it would be a big holiday for everyone," Darlow said.
But on March 14, the day Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced almost everyone arriving in New Zealand must self-isolate for 14 days, Darlow - as she prepared for her hen's night - realised her April 24 nuptials couldn't go ahead.
"I remember going to my hen party and knowing I'm going to have to cancel my wedding."
Five days later, New Zealand's borders closed to non-citizens and residents; six days after that, the whole country went into level 4 lockdown.
She was "absolutely mortified and exhausted" at the situation, and - like most Kiwis - set about getting through lockdown one day at a time.
On what would've been the couple's wedding day they got some treats and bubbly from the supermarket, went to a local beach and shared a video call with friends, Darlow said.
That "really nice" moment was a turning point.
"It wasn't 'til the [original wedding date] had been and gone that I started to come out of it. I was able to move on, let things settle a bit and then [in early June] start planning another wedding."
Australia was out, and closed borders had also stranded half her Australia-based bridal party on the wrong side of the Tasman, so Darlow instead looked for a wedding venue with big screens for Zoom video calls, a restaurant and bar and - a must - a good dance floor.
She booked The Zookeeper's Son restaurant and rooftop bar in Royal Oak and chose August 29 - next Saturday - as the new wedding date.
"Because people are the heart of who I am, it's really about everybody having a good time, so [we went] back to the party theme.
"Everyone was told ... and then it was the waiting game again for the day."
It was a friend who broke the bad news, after Ardern told the country in a late evening broadcast 11 days ago that the country's 102-day run of no cases of community-acquired Covid-19 had come to an end.
"She sent me a message: 'Are you listening to the news? There's four new cases of community transmission'.
"My heart just dropped."
Ardern put Auckland in a level 3 lockdown and the rest of the country in level 2 for three days from noon August 12, before extending the measures to Wednesday this week.While Aucklanders will find out on Monday if the city's level 3 lockdown will be extended beyond Wednesday, or if restrictions will drop to level 2 or lower, Darlow and Heath, 47, have called off their booking for The Zookeeper's Son.
If the city stays at level 3, the wedding will be postponed. Although 10 people can attend a wedding, the couple refused to choose so few family members.
"We've already said no to all our friends, which is heartbreaking enough. To say no to half our family, that's just not on."
If Ardern returns the city to level 2 the couple will marry, but at her sister-in-law's home with about 20 immediate family members at their side and everyone else watching via video call.
"The first one was a beach wedding, so this would totally not be that, but at the heart of it, you know, we just want to be married."
While up to 100 people can gather under level 2, other restrictions would mean they couldn't have the kind of celebration they wanted to share with those they loved - so the full reception would be postponed until the city was in level 1, Darlow said.
At level 2, everyone would have to remain seated at assigned tables throughout any celebration and, worse, there'd be no chance to cut some shapes on the dance floor.
She wasn't going to let that be the celebration they put on, Darlow, who calls her and Heath "a Danny Doolan's success story" after the pair met while on a night out at the central city pub in 2013, said.
"I mean, who wants a wedding without a dance floor? It really wouldn't be much of a party."
The item is described as 'perfect for relaxing after a long day of work'.