Sister-city couple marry

ROBYN EDIE 624215763

FROM KUMAGAYA: Andrew Ballantyne and his Japanese wife Mayumi at the top of the Kelvin Hotel, in Invercargill, where their wedding ceremony.

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The link between Kumagaya and Invercargill was further strengthened at the weekend after a special wedding in the city.

Andrew Ballantyne had his "Kiwi" wedding to his bride Mayumi at the Kelvin Hotel on Saturday.

Invercargill has a sister-city relationship with the Japanese city.

Mr Ballantyne, who lives and works in Kumagaya, has been a volunteer Invercargill City Council ambassador to the Japanese city for the past 15 years.

His wife works for an insurance company and he works in sales and marketing for a honey com-pany.

Mr Ballantyne met his bride four years ago at the Kumagaya fireworks festival.

"We had a very large wedding in Kumagaya on October 11 with 80 people attending, including the mayor of Kumagaya, government representatives and the chairman of the Kumagaya-Invercargill Friendship Group, and members of my family," he said.

The pair intend to stay in Japan for the immediate future.

"However, we haven't given up the dream of returning to New Zealand to make our home here one day, but that will not be happening for a few years yet as work commitments are keeping us in Japan," Mr Ballantyne said.

In the meantime, they are applying for New Zealand citizenship for Mayumi.

The couple return to Japan tomorrow.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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GG   #1   10:54 am Feb 08 2010

You can't just get New Zealand Citizenship for your spouse. If it were that easy, we'd be inundated!

Anyone who applies needs to have been legally resident in New Zealand for at 5 years and have been physically present in the country for at least 240 days in each of the five years prior to an application.

Since Mr & Mrs Ballantyne are neither living in nor intending to live in New Zealand, a grant of Citizenship is not an option.

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