Invitation to Jump the Ditch and Get Hitched

New Zealand fashion designer Annah Stretton is celebrating the fact that same-sex marriage in New Zealand is to be legalised from 19 August by launching ‘Come on Oz, Say “I do”’. The competition, which is open until 30 July, will see neighbours fly over the Tasman Sea to enjoy the new laws. “This is a cause that I am incredibly passionate about,” Stretton writes on her website. “I have always been proud to call myself a New Zealander and even more so now that we do not discriminate against those who want to be married based on their gender. Because they cannot yet get married in their own country, I’m inviting our Aussie neighbours to jump the ditch and, using the platform I have been given at New Zealand Fashion Week, be married for the world to see.” The wedded wives-to-be will be dressed in gowns by Stretton, receive return flights, accommodation and enjoy a wedding party for up to 250 guests and a photography and video package. But that’s not all, Stretton will dress the entire bridal party and all invited guests in what she describes as: “a fashion show extravaganza that will be remembered for years to come.” Waikato-based Stretton has shown at the last four Australian Fashion Weeks. Her latest book Rock the Boat – Life On Board the HMS Capability was published in 2012.