Crystal's Story
My first impression of Nua was ‘does this guy talk?’ He was so quiet and shy that I didn’t really give him the time of day because I was so focused on nailing my audition for WPA.
As the year went on I was more and more intrigued and I remember thinking ‘why the hell doesn’t he want to talk to me?’. Taofi, Kali and I would always talk about us and I was sure he liked me, so it kind of became a bit of a mission to get his attention. Now that we’ve been together for so long I know that he’s obviously not shy and he loves to talk, so he was definitely playing hard to get.
There is so much I love about Nua, but one thing that stands out to me is how good he is with people and when it comes to me, he makes me feel loved, safe, cared for and he always puts me first, except of course the weekends when his other love comes around – the rugby.
We’ve been through so much together over the past 11 years and grown as both individuals and as a couple, which excites me to think where we’re heading and what lies ahead for us as Mr & Mrs Finau….geez that’s going to take some getting used to.
Nua's Story
It was 2003 and my mum had dropped me off at Pataka for my audition. One of our first tasks was to split in to groups and choreograph dance moves to introduce our names. Crystal and I were in the same group. I was the shy quiet Tongan kid and she was bossing us around, telling us what we should do and I remember thinking, “Who the hell does chick think she is”.
There are many things about her that amaze me, but if I had to pick one thing that I love most about her is she can make me laugh and I’m sure most of the people that know her would agree.
One thing that stands out was the year we went away for new years and Crystal had planned a road trip for us through the north Island finishing off at a hotel in Hastings. We had an awesome time driving around the country, exploring the land and doing the tourist thing till we got to the last stop of the trip - the hotel she booked was in Hastings, UK.
A lot has happened in the 11 years we’ve been together and I know for sure I wouldn’t be the man I am today if it wasn’t for Crystal. I met her as a loud, annoying, bossy 18-year old in Porirua and fast forward the clock to today, she’s grown in to a strong, caring, fun, loving, amazing and beautiful woman - somewhere in between then and now I fell in love with her and we started a journey, it's been a crazy ride and I can't wait to see what our next chapter has in store for us.