Both were born with Down syndrome and Jade also has to deal with a list of health problems including needing to be on oxygen for 16 hours a day.
They both work part-time, while Jason also volunteers for the West Coast Riding for the Disabled. Jade (nee Fodie) loves to swim, and her new husband enjoys cooking their meals at home. With some help from his care staff for some of the meal prep, he has become quite the cook for the family.
They were like many other newlywed couples in the lead up to the big day, balancing jobs, hobbies and time with family and friends with their wedding preparations.
Jason made sure the marquees and all the wedding trimmings were ready for the day, while Jade picked out her wedding and bridesmaids' dresses.
"She always said she wanted a normal wedding," Jade's aunt Lisa O'Brien said.
"For Jade, this wedding was all about inclusion. It was important to them that this marriage was validated and as real as everybody else's."
Both fans of the television show McLeod's Daughters, they settled on a country theme for their luscious backyard ceremony on Friday, with Jason riding into the wedding on horseback.
The couple first met in Christchurch at a peer support group years ago, before reconnecting around two and a half years ago when they ended up flatting together in Hokitika.
Their relationship has continued to blossom, and Jason popped the question to his sweetheart during a trip to Hanmer Springs, where Jade had gone to spread her late mother's ashes.
Jason had the ring picked out from The Gold Room in Hokitika before the trip, and he even performed a haka as a tribute to Jade's mum, Vicki, just before the family spread her ashes.
"They love public displays of affection, being together and holding hands" Mrs O'Brien said.
"Jason loves his horses and they both love family time. I think that's really important to them -- picnics and weekends away and everything."
The couple's Valentines Day ceremony was held under a perfect summer sky at Jade's family home in Taylorville. She was given away by her uncle, Dean O'Brien, while the Ed Sheeran song Perfect played. They were married by marriage celebrant Joe Mason and read out their own vows in front of the 80 guests. Their first dance was to Celine Dion's My Heart Will Go On, and the dancing continued late into the night.
Jason had his groomsmen Amigo and Patrick at his side, while Jade's bridesmaids Terangi and Samantha were there to support their friend on the biggest day of her life. They both had guests travel from the likes of Brisbane, Whanganui, Dunedin, Timaru and Christchurch to be a part of the day.
"The fact that people travelled is a testament to how loved they are by everybody," Mrs O'Brien said.
The couple left for their honeymoon in Hanmer Springs on Sunday to spend a few days relaxing together before heading home to settle into married life.
- Arianna Stewart
