Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love, what is unique about you and your relationship…
Getting together at the ages of 15 and 17, it feels like we grew up together and naturally enjoy the same activities and spending time with our friends and family.
Eventually, after 8 years dating filled with graduating, moving to Tauranga, holidays and buying our first home, we were ready to tie the knot.
My passion has always been event planning, so planning my own wedding was the most exciting and rewarding experience. Steen is very much into fishing and being outdoors. We both love nature and the beach, so naturally I planned our wedding as close to the water as possible!
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…
The theme we were going for was a romantic beachy vibe. We both have a love for nature and the beach, so everything was featured around that. From the rooftop ceremony overlooking the beautiful trees and ocean, to photography at Piha beach and then our reception at the Yacht Club in French Bay. Other than the beautiful views at our locations, my most loved feature of the day was the ceremony arch.
With a tall groom it was quite difficult to find something that he would be shorter than but Covers large circular arch was even more perfect than I could have imagined. Although we couldn’t get toi toi on the day like we hoped, it still was every bit beautiful. I hand picked every detail and decoration of our day to fit our budget and theme. The dainty lanterns from Two Foxes were also a big favourite of mine that I had to have!
Tell us about your main outfits:
Getting the boys outfits was probably the most stressful thing ever, but a week out from the wedding we finally got it sorted! Which is completely opposite to me who always dreamed of wearing a Grace Loves Lace dress, so I just had the task of choosing which one from their lovely collection to wear! I always knew choosing my wedding dress would be overwhelming and emotional, so it definitely made it easier narrowing it down to one brand.
I would have never have chosen the Hollie dress nor a veil actually if it weren’t for the stylist insisting I try this combo at the end. The moment I walked out of the changing room my bridesmaids, my mother and I all knew this was the one. It had every feature I wanted; lace, a spilt in the front, low back and flattering neckline for my figure.
What were some of the most memorable/unique moments from the day?
To be honest, I’m surprised Steen didn’t go for a fish on the morning of our wedding! But being in a relationship for 8 years certainly meant we were so excited for this day to come. I think I especially loved how close and familiar our friends and family are with each other after so many years together and it felt like everyone was as excited as we were!
Some of my favourite memories of the day was seeing Steen’s face for the first time walking down the aisle. I wanted to do a first look, but he insisted against it and I’m so glad because it made that moment even more special. I also loved taking some time out from everyone and having time just the two of us to just enjoy our very special day.
Any advice for other couples planning to spend the rest of their lives together?
Everything down to the vows we wrote was perfect and reflected exactly who we are as a couple. So, I think the advice I would give is, don’t think about anyone else on your day. Plan a day you and your partner will find perfect and is reflective of your personalities. Everyone should be attending in celebration of you two as a couple. It’s not about anyone else. And don’t sweat the small stuff! You will enjoy your day a lot more if you just relax and trust your vendors to make the magic happen!
Photographer: WonderFerris | Second shooter: Anchor & Grace | Videographer: Thomas Video | Ceremony location: Lopdell House | Reception location: French Bay Yacht Club | Celebrant: Sanjai Kandregula | Styling: Blume & Darling | Flora: Rosebud & Willow | Floral arch: Rosetinted Flowers | Lanterns: Two Foxes | Catering: Spitroast Catering | Cake: Dawn Chen | Hair: Tania Unwin | Makeup: Leah Loves Makeup | Wedding dress: Grace Loves Lace | Shoes: Chaos & Harmony | Groom’s shirt and wedding party attire: ASOS | Groom’s pants: Hallensteins | Rings: Pascoes
