Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love, what is unique about you and your relationship… Shawn grew up in Kaikoura, I grew up in Hanmer Springs. We met through mutual friends in our early twenties in Kaikoura at a surf competition, and would bump into eachother over the years to come. We both now can speak of how we felt a crazy spark each time we’d see eachother.
Shawn thought I was an out there party girl from the city and I remember him as a shy, chilled out gentle giant. We both love being in nature and making the most of the outdoors which is why we love spending time on our land in Hapuku, Kaikoura.
Shawn is a builder, and loves making things, tinkering in the shed, surfing and being in the outdoors. We are expecting a baby in December, so Shawn is in charge of renovating our bathroom and our pending arrival’s bedroom all in the next two months.
Shawn is a gentle giant with an enormous heart to match. He is amazing with kids, and I can’t wait to see him as a father. I’m pretty sure my nieces and nephews like him more than they like me!
I was a teacher, but now a flight attendant. I love travel, being in nature, walking and exploring different places and being with family and friends. We put things on pause for a few years, while Shawn lived in Canada and Western Australia and I lived in Dubai. When he thought I was drifting away, he sent me a huge bunch of roses for my birthday! He still gets the email alerts from a Dubai florist from six years ago!
I’m not sure what’s unique about our relationship. We always spend weekends together and quite happy just being at home, gardening and planning the next renovation or being at our land in Kaikoura enjoying the simple things in life e.g. making a bonfire and toasting marshmallows or salvaging a bird’s nest. We are best mates. We laugh all the time together which is the best fun!
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… Our wedding day was tailored to us and our close friends and family. We had the ceremony on our land. We had huge help from family and friends leading up to the wedding. We had friends and family lining the reception venue, Kaikoura Memorial Hall, with frost cloth, to create a smaller space and a marquee look to mowing lawns and weeding at the land.
My sister in law created an incredible green wall that was hung behind the bridal table. It was a beautiful installation.
Setting: Ceremony venue, 24 degrees, sunshine, no wind or rain, very lucky! Outside on our land in Hapuku, Kaikoura. Situated on an elevated terrace overlooking the sea and with views to the Kaikoura ranges. Dusky Sound played beautiful music as guests had drinks and canapes.
Tell us about your main outfits: Shawn’s suit was from Hallensteins and wore a different coloured tie from the groomsmen. I bought him suspenders to wear for the party part so he had a small change in his outfit too. His mates said he looked like a lumberjack! My ceremony dress was vintage. I wanted a classic, timeless look. However, I got it altered a bit to have a mermaid shape. My favourite details on the dress were the sleeves that were slightly flared and had pearl buttons on them and the many pearl buttons down my back. I loved my dusky pink party dress too that I found on overseas travels. I wanted a fun, floaty dress I could dance in. I adored my gold headpiece that was bespoke from Stephanie Browne in Australia.
What were some of the most memorable/unique moments from the day? Our most memorable moment was our sunset photo shoot with Emily. It was truly magical. The colours in the sky and the light at that time was incredible. It was a special time to reflect on the day and check in on each other. Our photo booth had items of clothing and accessories from our backgrounds. There were flight attendant uniforms to high vis construction vests, my old formal dresses to school blazers, arabic costumes to ski gear. Everyone got amongst the dressing up! Feeling so blissfully happy sharing our special day on our land with family and friends.
Any advice for other couples planning to spend the rest of their lives together? Have fun and keep in mind what you both want for your wedding day. Then you are set for a magical and memorable day. Invest in a good photographer to document your wedding day.
Photographer: Emily Adamson | Ceremony location: Private land | Reception location: Kaikoura Memorial Hall | Celebrant: Michael Williams | Entertainment: Dusky Sound | Flora: Flowerhead | Catering: Moveable Feasts | Cheese: Kaikoura Cheese | Cake: Cakes by Anna | Hair: Waves for Hair | Makeup: Kirstie Ussher | Dress: Vintage | Bride’s wedding ring: Family heirloom | Bride’s engagement ring: Custom-made | Bride’s ceremony shoes: Alice + Olivia | Bride’s reception shoes: ASOS | Headpiece: Stephanie Browne | Earrings: Samantha Wills | Groom’s attire: Hallensteins | Groom’s shoes: 3 Wise Men | Bridesmaids’ dresses: ASOS | Groomsmen’s attire: Hallensteins
