Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love, what is unique about you and your relationship…
We are both Journalists. After more than seven years together we still can’t get enough of each other’s company.
We feel totally at ease together and we’re always making each other laugh. We’re best friends and we both want the same things out of life. We also love how we push each other to try new experiences and challenges.
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 love a traditional wedding but we just couldn’t really imagine having one! We couldn’t fathom planning or paying for one, and the very idea of it just seemed stressful. We’d seen the Elopement Collective’s work online, which opened our minds to what an elopement could look and feel like. We loved that eloping would let us focus on what was important, and on what we wanted out of the day, without getting caught up in stuff that didn’t really matter to us. We didn’t really think too much about a theme or vibe. We didn’t need to. We just dressed how we wanted, knowing that the New Zealand landscape and the elopement collective would do all the work for us! It was easy and relaxed – we felt so lucky in the lead-up, knowing that we just got to bask in our excitement for the day without getting too stressed or anxious about all the details. The Elopement Collective is so good at what they do and they totally put us at ease! We didn’t even pick an elopement spot – we just left it up to them to surprise us.
Tell us about your main outfits: I (Jodie) wore a Jane Hill Bridal Gown that I got from Love Marie Bridal Boutique. I paired it with the most gorgeous pink velvet Ashley Lim shoes that are SO comfortable and I can wear them again. Alex wore a suit from MJ Bale and RM Williams shoes and a cute OTAA Bow tie.
What were some of the most memorable/unique moments from the day? To our surprise, we loved the first look. We opted to do one as we thought it might be a nice moment, but it meant more to us than we expected. Seeing the other person’s face and reaction when we first saw each other was so special!
Any advice for other couples planning to spend the rest of their lives together? We can’t recommend eloping enough! We have no regrets and feel so lucky and grateful to have had a wedding day that was completely focused on what was important to us, with zero fuss and stress. We think it’s also made the start of our marriage really stress-free and easy as we didn’t put our lives on hold to plan or pay for a massive wedding. We’d also recommend going with someone like the Elopement Collective, who made the process so easy, and investing in a good photographer to capture the day. Lauren Campbell was amazing!
Ceremony location: Skippers Canyon, Queenstown | Photographer: Lauren Campbell | Celebrant: Josh Withers | Planner: The Elopement Collective | Flora: Crimson Wedding Flowers | Getting Ready Location & Accommodation: Stoneridge Estate Queenstown | Bride’s Outfit: Jane Hill Bridal from Love Marie Bridal Boutique | Groom’s Outfit: MJ Bale | Ring/s: Natalie Marie Jewellery | Shoes: Ashley Lim | Bride’s Earrings: Jasmin Sparrow | Makeup: Eve Makeup Artistry | Hair: Pure Hair Studio
