Monique & Nik
1st July 2023 · Canggu, Bali
Please join Monique and Nik from 28 June - 2 July, 2023 as they celebrate their wedding in Bali.
Our Beginning
Nik first caught Mon’s attention when he pulled out his “famous” salmon on a dance floor, during a work night out. After many months of working in the same office but never speaking, she was intrigued as to what exactly he was doing. Questionable dance moves aside, they soon bonded over a mutual love of travelling, terrible dad jokes and eventually, Nik’s hair.
Their friendship later turned serious when Nik asked Mon on their first date, with Mon excitedly accepting, thinking it was a Rolling Stones concert (it was actually a little old band called the Stone Roses, which she’d never heard of). Battling through the bucket hats and 35 degree heat at Wembley, they had a wonderful time and both knew this was something special. Since then, they haven’t stopped laughing, exploring new places and being by each others’ sides.
When Mon changed her football team to Chelsea, this confirmed for Nik what they’d both always suspected – they were soul mates.
Our Proposal
Anybody who knows Mon loves that she loves a plan – if she can use a spreadsheet, she will. This also means that she hates surprises. So no one was more shocked than Nik when she happily accepted his suggestion that he do some of the planning for their upcoming trip to Santorini.
Mon should have been suspicious when Nik packed woollen socks for the trip to Greece (ring hidden inside) - and hadn't actually left his packing until an hour before they were due to leave for the airport. He managed to keep his nerves under control when Mon took them to the wrong airport on the morning of the flight (early signs of baby brain seeping through) and he strangely seemed to be on a first-name basis with the hotel staff, despite only just having arrived on the island.
After a day of pampering, he told Mon they were heading out on a boat cruise. Mon still wasn’t suspicious after arriving to a yacht he’d chartered just for them. A couple of hours in, Crowded House started playing in the midst of Greek music while Mon was lying in the sun. Still none the wiser, it wasn’t until Nik appeared up on deck with flowers and a little box that Mon had any idea what was happening. As he got down on one knee, Mon cried (of course) and forgot to give him an answer, although it had been obvious from the beginning. A very relieved Nik and ecstatic Mon toasted to their future and literally sailed off into the sunset.
Our World
Family means the world to both Nik and Mon. One of the things that initially drew them to each other was how close they both are with their immediate families. They were delighted when the oldies met and got on famously (although a little freaked out when they started seeing each other unsupervised).
It was only a matter of time before they decided to start one of their own.
Just before the world shut down for a couple of years, their world changed in the best possible way. They got to meet their beautiful daughter, Sienna Louise Hannay, in January 2020.
Although she didn’t know what was happening, Sienna was the catalyst for another very special moment for Nik and Mon, as it was the first time most of their family from Australia, Denmark and the UK had all been in the same place (just one aunty, uncle and a couple of nephews missing).
This was such a magical time for so many reasons. And what they’re most looking forward to about their wedding is having all of their loved ones - friends and family alike - from across the world, in the one place. If it only happens once, they’re going to do their best to make sure it’s one hell of a party.
