Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love, what is unique about you and your relationship… We had been together nearly seven and a half years! Our wedding was a week after our seven-year anniversary.
We were engaged for ten months. We wanted to get married sooner rather than later and so kept the engagement relatively short (but not so short that we rushed the planning!).
The proposal went like this: We had just moved into our first home we had purchased together and Nick wanted to propose that weekend. Unfortunately I got food poisoning so it had to wait until the next weekend! He knew I would be suspicious if he planned anything too fancy so we just went on a picnic to one of our favourite spots – North Head in Devonport. He got down on one knee just as I was laying down the picnic blanket. It was perfect – I couldn’t have planned it better.
Tell us about your special day, was there a specific theme or style? Tell us a little about the setting, the styling and some of your favourite details… We knew we didn’t want a DIY wedding so we needed a venue that could do most of the work for us. We were also keen to have it in the city near home and wanted it to have an intimate and romantic feel. With all those things in mind, Mantells was a no-brainer and always on the top of our list. As soon as we saw it we knew it was the one and we didn’t visit any others!
There was no theme but intimate and romantic would be how we would describe it. We also wanted it to be cosy and a bit fancy so we could have the fire roaring, men could wear suits without sweltering and lots of red wine could be drunk!
Our favorite detail of the day would be all the personal touches from friends – my (Clare) brother’s girlfriend made the cake (her first ever wedding cake!) and it was perfect! And one of the bridesmaids did all the stationery: name tags, welcome sign, seating plan, etc. Also, rather than having table numbers we decided to name each of the tables after our grandparents who couldn’t be there – that was special. It reminded us of them and made it feel like they were there in some way. Other family members were also touched by it.
Tell us about your main outfits: My gown was a beautiful, two-piece cotton crochet lace gown from Daughters of Simone. I knew I wanted to wear long sleeves and lace but my internet searches hadn’t come up with anything that looked quite like what I had in mind. Then I went to Secret Lace Bridal in Kumeu (the first shop I visited) and tried this one on and knew it was the one. I didn’t plan to wear a two-piece but liked that it added a bit of sass to the outfit. I’d describe the gown as boho-chic which is also how I like to think of myself 😉 The process of getting the gown to fit perfectly was a long one but worth it in the end!
What were some of the most memorable/unique moments from the day? So hard to choose one! For both of us, it was me walking down the aisle. I loved seeing Nick’s huge grin as I walked down the aisle and Nick loved seeing me and how overcome with emotion I was.
Any advice for other couples planning to spend the rest of their lives together? 1) Involve as many friends in the day as you can! From making the cake, to preparing the stationery, to being your celebrant. It makes the day so special and personal. 2) Guest lists and seating plans are HARD. It’s unlikely either will be perfect so just do the best you can.
Photographer: Captured by Keryn | Ceremony and reception location: Mantells | Celebrant: Zac Fargher | Flora: Leaf and Honey | Hair: Amelia Rush, Boutique Bride | Makeup: Christina Dellar, Freckles and Blush | Wedding dress: Daughters of Simone | Bridal boutique: Secret Lace Bridal | Getting ready attire: Cotton On | Lingerie and Shoes: Stella McCartney | Hairpiece: Rue de Seine | Groom’s Attire and Cufflinks: Crane Brothers | Bow tie: Drakes | Shoes: Crockett & Jones | Socks: Bresciani | Watch: Armani | Barber: Bespoke Barbers | Engagement ring: Naveya & Sloane | Wedding rings: Walker & Hall | Bridesmaids’ dresses: Flo & Frankie, Juliette Hogan | Groomsmen’s suits: Munns
