Rugby star Stephen Donald ties the knot

Congratulations to All Black 2011 Rugby World Cup hero Stephen (Beaver) Donald who married his long-time girlfriend, nurse Alex Anderson last Friday at beautiful Matarangi in the Coromandel.

Star guests included a number of Donald’s former fellow Chiefs players, including All Blacks Damian McKenzie and Anton Lienert-Brown, the latter taking his girlfriend, Isabella Stone, daughter of Real Housewife of Auckland, Angela.

The couple had an outdoor ceremony, marrying in a rotunda with the stunning bride wearing a cap-sleeved lace gown with fish tail and the groom looking handsome in a black Working Style suit.

The new Mrs Donald’s bridesmaids wore gunmetal grey full-length dresses with shoestring straps, and the groomsmen matched Beaver in black suits. One looked extra handsome — former All Black and Chiefs’ player Richard Kahui, back from Japan where he played with Donald at Toshiba last year.

The groom is a Holden Ambassador, so the bridal carriage was a black Holden ute, with bridal ribbons adorning the bonnet.

“I couldn’t imagine a more perfect day,” the bride wrote of her day on Instagram. “Thank you to those who helped us out pulling the day together, as well as those that helped to pack down and cleaning up on the other side. I know Matarangi is a bit of a trek for most, but we would like to thank everyone who travelled up to celebrate with us. Hopefully you all got to experience this slice of paradise we both love! It took a while, but I can finally now call you, Stephen Donald, my husband!”

The groom whose magic World Cup-saving moment was captured in the movie The Kick, had fewer words in his own post: “Great weekend. Lucky she showed.”

This week the pair enjoyed time on the Coromandel, with a lunch at Lukas Pizzeria, in Kuaotunu and a run on the beach with their doggie, Coppa.