Mandy Smith & Dean Barker
The popular sports stars pledged their love with the words, “I am here for you whatever life brings. I will be there beside you forever.”
Sleepless night is nothing unusual for a bride-to-be the night before her wedding, but Mandy Smith was so relaxed about her forthcoming marriage to her soulmate, Team New Zealand skipper Dean Barker, that not even the tail end of fierce Cycling Ivy could keep her awake. Despite unseasonably chilly conditions and with the everpresent threat of a storm, former New Zealand hockey star Mandy was every inch the flowing bride as she made her entrance on the arm of her father, Ian, wearing a stunning ivory silk gown designed by Jane Yeh and carrying a bouquet of white lilies. In a romantic ceremony at Queenstown’s secluded Matakauri Lodge, located high above magnificent Lake Wakatipu with the picturesque Remarkables mountain range forming a stunning backdrop, the popular sports stars pledged their love with the words, “I am here for you whatever life brings. I will be there beside you forever… You are my best friend and I will love you always.”
