There will be a chance at the end for all of us to come

together to seal the blessing 

by all calling out together AHO. 

 

‘Aho’ means ‘and so it is’ or ‘and so be it’. 

It’s like a ‘bring it on’ for the blessing of Ruby & Mio’s marriage. 

 

When the real time comes, make it loud, make it strong. Use the power of your voice and really put your heart into it. All the love that you feel for Ruby & Mio, put that into it.

 

Ruby said that love is when home becomes a person, instead of a place. Mio is her home.

For Mio, love is that uncontrollable feeling of happiness that comes from within. It’s finding someone you always want to be around and never want to leave, someone you can be yourself with, someone that brings you joy and laughter, and brings life to your very existence.

Ruby & Mio were young teens when they briefly met for the first time at a mutual friend’s party. They didn’t think much of it, because they were both in separate relationships at the time.

Ruby’s first impression of Mio was that he was a bit cute, but she says back then he was (quote) ‘a skinny little white boy, with a clean shaven face, who looked about 12 years old’.

(For the record, she thinks Mio’s like a fine wine that just gets better with age).

Mio’s first impression of Ruby must have been pretty strong, because a couple of years later,  when he was newly single (and so was she), he decided to reach out on good-old MSN Messenger, to ask her if she wanted to go to the movies.

To which Ruby said yes. 

They started hanging out as friends, but the more time they spent together, the more the chemistry was slowly bubbling away. And then one fateful night, Mio picked Ruby up from a party.

Ruby was very drunk and decided she wanted to make a move on Mio in the car, where she leaned across and planted The First Kiss.  And the kiss was a good one.

Ruby’s memory of it is pretty hazy, but both her and Mio felt a definite shift in their friendship after it.  And they started messaging each other… every morning… all day… and late into the night. Ruby was studying hairdressing around the corner from Mio’s work, so they started meeting up every day on their lunch breaks and then after work Mio would give Ruby a ride home.

Ruby found herself drawn to Mio’s energy – to his calming and grounding presence.

She loved how much of a gentleman he was… so caring and kind, and always making sure she was ok. He wasn’t quick to rush into anything – he seemed to genuinely just want to hang out with her, and get to know her.  And he had this sense of mystery and intrigue about him, that drew her in and made her want to dig deeper and learn more about him.

Mio said that the more they hung out, the stronger his feelings became for Ruby. He said he found himself just wanting to be with her 24/7 and when he wasn’t with her, he found himself constantly texting her.

Ruby said there was an undeniable chemistry that kept getting stronger the more time they spent together and soon she knew she was in love with Mio.

Around the same time, Mio sent her a text saying, “Do you realise you make me happy?” 

And she knew that what he was actually saying was that he loved her too.

Mio said he fell in love with Ruby’s kindness, her beauty, and her loving nature towards him, and he knew he wanted to spend his future with her.

 

What sealed the deal for Ruby was that her family loved Mio straight off the bat and it was like he’d always been a part of it. (Apparently the family admit openly that they love Mio more than they love Ruby!). The pair soon moved in together, and a year later they moved to the Gold Coast, and had their two beautiful boys.

In 2018, Mio planned the proposal. He asked Ruby’s dad for permission, (which was very important to her), and her sister Briar helped him pick the ring. And then, he got Briar to help devise an elaborate scheme, to get Ruby to come down to Tallebudgera creek for a ‘siblings photoshoot’ to help out one of Briar’s photographer friends (ie. a surprise proposal).

The week before the ‘photoshoot’ Ruby decided she couldn’t be bothered, and started complaining about it to Mio, saying she didn’t want to do it. The day of the shoot came, and she even texted Briar trying to get out of it, using work as an excuse. But Briar wouldn’t have a bar of it.

And so the girls were at home getting ready for this “shoot” having a few wines, and Ruby noticed that Briar was being a bit weird, telling her she looked beautiful and just acting a bit off. But Ruby had no idea what was really going on.

Meanwhile Mio was at Ruby’s mum’s house throwing up, and having mini panic attacks.

When Ruby finally arrived at the ‘photoshoot’ location at the beach, she was shocked to see that instead of the photographer standing there, it was Mio standing there, in front of a beautiful bohemian-styled set up, where he got down on one knee, and asked her to marry him.

Ruby said it was the best moment of her life. 

Briar was there filming the whole thing, and then Ruby’s mum and auntie and the 2 boys came running down the beach to congratulate them, making the moment even more special.

Ruby says she didn’t know what love, respect or loyalty really meant until she met Mio. She said Mio’s the Yin to her Yang. The Storm and the Calm. Two worlds that collided together to make the perfect balance.

Mio said that when he fell in love with Ruby his whole world changed. All he wanted to do was make her happy, give them a better future, start a family, and share a happy life together.

Mio loves Ruby’s presence, her warm energy and her loving soul. He loves her ability to make him feel calm, relaxed and loved. He loves that she loves him for exactly who he is, quirks and all. He loves that she’s such an amazing mother to their kids, and that she’s the glue that holds the whole family together. He loves that she’s always looking out for him, even if sometimes she’s over-protective. He loves that Ruby’s Love Language is overfeeding him, even though she’s turned him into a sweet-tooth, and is constantly shoving food in his face. He loves it when Ruby bursts out singing and dancing with her play-around voice and her awesome, random dance moves. Mio loves how absolutely stunning Ruby is – and the way he always finds himself just watching her, captivated by her beauty. He also knows that she’s aware of this, and often has to tell her to stop strutting around the house.

To Mio, Ruby is his home.

Ruby loves how thoughtful Mio is, how genuine and down-to earth he is, the way he always puts everyone else’s needs before his own, and always makes everyone comfortable in his presence. She loves how generous and forgiving he is with people, that he has the patience of Yoda and is incapable of arguing. She loves how hard-working he is, and the way he’ll do anything to provide for his family. She loves that he’s such an amazing father to their children, how cheeky he is with her, and how he just knows her so well. She loves his beautiful, kind eyes, with the longest eyelashes you’ve ever seen. She loves the way he becomes more and more handsome the older he gets, and the way her attraction for him just keeps growing. She loves his old soul.

To Ruby, Mio is the most beautiful thing in the world.

For these two, happiness is the small things shared together:

It’s days at the beach or by the pool. It’s listening to old school Kiwi music, RnB, jazz and reggae. It’s lounging around the house, watching sci-fi movies or TV series, (even though Ruby gives up on a series half way through and then gets mad at Mio for watching the rest without her). It’s going away each year to celebrate their birthdays in tiny cabins in the mountains, drinking tea or in teepees with no electricity, sitting by the fire, drinking red-wine. It’s playing Scrabble or Connect 4 (over which they become VERY competitive). It’s relaxing with the kids… and without the kids. It’s bushwalking adventures and being out in nature, recharging their batteries and cleansing their souls.

And so many more adventures to come. 

Mio looks forward to having his best friend by his side for the rest of his life, having Ruby to talk to and confide in, love and laugh with. He hopes to travel the world some day with Ruby and visit the places she’s always wanted to see. He hopes to one day own their own place somewhere out in the bush away from all the noise, plant gardens and enjoy being out in nature, and just sit back and relax, and enjoy each other’s company.

Ruby is excited to call Mio her official husband and to have the same last name as him and the kids. Her ultimate dream is to build a home on a beautiful block of land back in NZ. To have fruit trees and vegie patches and a couple of dogs. To be sustainable and live a peaceful life in nature. To not be too far away from the beach. To raise their kids the true Kiwi way and to maybe have a daughter one day to complete the family. She looks forward to their shared life together, whatever that may hold…

EAST: Water- Humour & Play

‘As I offer sage to the direction of the East, I gather the blessings of the East, and the blessings of the element of WATER- for Ruby & Mio’s marriage – may their marriage always be full of joy and fun and play and laughter.

SOUTH: – Air- Health

‘As I offer sage to the direction of the South, I gather the blessings of the South and the blessings of the element of AIR for Ruby & Mio’s marriage. May their whole family enjoy long lives full of good health and vitality.

WEST: Fire- Beauty, creativity & art

‘As I offer sage to direction of the West, I gather the blessings of the West and the blessings of the element of FIRE for this union- may Ruby & Mio’s lives be full of creativity, passion and beauty. 

NORTH: Earth- a loving home

‘As I offer sage to the direction of the North, I gather the blessings of the North and the blessings of the element of EARTH for this marriage. May Ruby & Mio always have a loving home, a sanctuary, a beautiful space to raise their family and to call home.   

INNER WORLD: our hearts & souls- love

‘As I offer sage to the inner world, the world of our hearts and our souls, I gather the blessings of the Inner World for this marriage. May the love between Ruby & Mio grow stronger and stronger with each passing day. 

UPPER WORLD: great spirit/ ancestors- wisdom

‘As I offer sage to the Upper World, the world of Great Spirit and of all of our ancestors , I gather the blessings of the Upper World for this marriage. I ask all our ancestors, and especially Ruby & Mio’s ancestors, to bless this marriage with wisdom. The wisdom to face any challenge and to overcome any obstacle together. 

MIDDLE WORLD: family & friends- community

‘As I offer sage to the Middle World, this Earthly realm, I gather the blessings of the Middle World for this marriage. May Ruby & Mio always have the love and support of their friends and family and their community, through all of life’s ups and downs.

AND SO BE IT. AND SO IT IS. 

‘AHO’!

Congratulations, Ruby and Mio!

WORDS BY ANNA | WEB

Images by E.L Simpson Photography | WEB