For two years Tauranga couple Paul and Rozanne de Wild have been steadily creating a world of fantasy in Tauranga. Now, they’re inviting you to join them in Rotorua for two nights of fun and incredible costumes!
The themed events include Friday night’s, 16 July, Creatures of Atlantis being held around a large indoor heated pool, Saturday night’s, 17 July, Costumiers Fantasy Masquerade Ball based on the iconic cult movie ‘Labyrinth’, Saturday afternoon’s High Tea Party, a Costume Competition and a free community event comprising a Costume Exhibit and Craft Market on the Saturday.
Paul and Rozanne de Wild and their creative friends have been building, painting, and assembling props and decorations for the Fantasy Masquerade Ball weekend at their home in Welcome Bay, Tauranga.
Paul, a boatbuilder by day, makes props in his evenings and weekends, such as large ancient columns and beams, a massive sundial and columned bar-leaners for the Creatures of Atlantis underwater themed Friday night cocktail party. There will even be merfolk in the pool!
For the Saturday evening, they’ll be recreating iconic scenes from the Labyrinth, including the walls of the Labyrinth, the Goblin throne room and a false entrance to the toilets featuring the deaf & dumb door knockers.
Which raises the question, does everyone have to come in a Labyrinth themed costume? “Not at all,” says Rozanne. “Labyrinth is simply our theme for dressing the event; if you wish to go along with that theme that’s cool, however the evening itself is your own … your own fantasy … so if for the evening you wish to be a princess, a Knight, a Steampunk Victorian, a cosplay character, a beast, a fairy, an elf, or any other mystical or magical creation, or even wear your own WoW creation, that is for you to dream up. The only prerequisite is you must be in costume.”
Rozanne, formally the Wedding & Functions coordinator at Mills Reef Winery, is working with many Tauranga based entertainers, musicians, and DJs, including Flames of Plenty, Autangi Ensemble, Groove DJs, and band PowWow among many others, who will bring their own special magic to the weekend. Matua local Groove DJ’s Patrick has even ordered his own fantasy costume from overseas to ensure he’s dressed to match the guests and theme!
Labyrinth Ball 2018 Los Angeles. IMAGES SUPPLIED
“We were lucky enough to attend a fantasy masquerade ball weekend event in Los Angeles a couple of times in recent years,” says Rozanne. “We also went to a large cosplay convention in Atlanta that has over 80,000 attendees per day. Both events are held within hotels over a weekend and most guests, even locals, opt to stay in the hotels to immerse themselves in the weekend and free themselves of their everyday routines. In 2019, returning to the Los Angeles event wasn’t feasible, so I struck on the idea of bringing some of the magic (or fairy dust) here to New Zealand. And by staying at the hotel you benefit from not worrying about taxis, drink/driving, or the weather outside. You can even slip back up to your room during the evening to change costumes or put on more comfortable shoes without any fuss.”
The Costumiers Fantasy Masquerade Ball is on Friday, July 16 and Saturday, July 17,
at Millenium Hotel, Rotorua.
For more information or tickets visit cnzwildadventures.com
