Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love, what is unique about you and your relationship…
Alex & I met through a very close mutual friend in London just shy of 8 and half years ago – although strangely enough we crossed paths whilst working together in Wellington before this…
There’s confusion around the location of our first meeting, unsurprisingly it’s merely a debate around which bar in Covent Garden we actually ‘met’ in. Throughout the years we’ve been friends adventuring in London together until fast forwarding the clock and somehow here we are – married and starting our new life back in New Zealand after a long stint of London living together much to our families delight!
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…
Having just returned from living in London we envisioned our wedding day to be a relaxed, intimate & personal where our family & friends could enjoy Tohu bubbles by the beach, indulge in the Kaimoana and party into the night. We shopped around for wedding venues around the top of the South Island but nothing quite compared to returning to Lydia’s Turangawaewae, Marahau. We held our ceremony on the beach front of Marahau, the windy garden which holds significant importance to our whanau. The natural beauty as a backdrop provided for the perfect place for a Wild Peaks Tipi to stand in all it’s glory – with their natural beige colour and Scandinavian wood meant we had a fabulous blank canvas to fit our relaxed theme for our reception.
Our location definitely influenced our wedding style as we wanted our wedding to compliment the natural surroundings, while also creating an unforgettable event for ourselves and our guests – we wanted everyone to
feel surrounded by our love. The Tipi’s created a totally unique atmosphere and experience to which Betty & Co tirelessly helped create the indoor & outdoor flow of entertainment.
Tell us about your main outfits:
Pronovias wedding dresses need no introduction – an iconic Spanish Bridal House. Living in London I visited incredible Bridal shops but if it wasn’t for a close friend who told me I couldn’t leave off Pronovias in my search and who surprisingly picked out my exact dress for me to try – the rest is history!
Celine Rita – specialises in made to order bridesmaid dresses. Celine was incredible throughout the process –from sending fabric swatches to the UK, to diligently replying to out of time zone emails, to creating beautiful dresses which were individually picked by my bridesmaids to reflect their style.
Paul Smith – combines tradition and modernity. From the thick of Covent Garden London, Alex wore a three-piece crafted in Italy made from premium wool.
Rembrandt – Alex’s groomsmen were based all over the world from Australia, NYC to Auckland but the great thing about Rembrandt is they were more than happy to work with us in hiring the right style and fit.
What were some of the most memorable/unique moments from the day?
For us getting married meant taking on the adventure of life together in that moment with all our family and friends – so to finally see each other for the first time at the ceremony is something neither of us will forget. The
emotion of seeing your best friend waiting for you at the end of the aisle even through all the tears is indescribable.
Any advice for other couples planning to spend the rest of their lives together?
It’s easy to lose sight of why you’re organising the wedding in the lead up – easy to get lost in the detail. My husband would say have a great spreadsheet (& a budget!), I would say work with great vendors, think about
where you can cost save & ask for help in the days leading up to the wedding – don’t take it all on yourselves. Finally take a moment to take it all in – stop and look around at your family and friends enjoying the moments
as time flies, don’t forget to relax as it’s all over before you know it.
Photographer: Ana Galloway |Flowers: Flora and Forest | Brides Dress: Pronovias | Bridesmaids Dresses: Celine Rita |Shoes: Chaos and Harmony |Marquee: Wild Peak Tipis | Stationery: Vanilla Hayes | Celebrant: Ros Ross | Entertainment: A Minor Thing | Hire/ Co-ordination: Betty & Co | Additional Marquee: FlexiTenz | Catering: Kudos Food | Wine: Tohu Wines | Cake: Blackbird Cakery | Napkins: The Little Hire Company | Umbrellas & Archway: G K Events Hire | Vintage Car: World of Wearable Arts | Grooms Attire: Paul Smith | Wedding Bands: The Diamond Store | Grooms Shoes: Ted Baker
