We are a solid team with a shared love of design, music and really good food. Kath is a doctor and healthcare design advocate and James is an architect, doing residential and hotel design.
Both of us are from rural South Island and grew up working hard and not being afraid to get our hands dirty. We’re similar in some respects and we fundamentally share the same values and goals, but James is definitely the thinker and introvert, while Kath is the feeler and more extrovert. James is very collected and witty; Kath is thoughtful and pithy. We knew each other well before becoming more than friends, which made it incredibly easy. Our wedding day was perfectly imperfect. We decided to have an intimate wedding where we could have a good chin-wag and party with our dearest. Fleur’s Place in Moeraki was the perfect venue with views, spectacular food and a feeling like you’re on a relaxing holiday. We toyed with the idea of a German beer garden, or eloping, or a huge Chinese wedding, but at the end of the day, having an epic family feast and dancing was the winner. Being non-traditional, we chose to forgo spending the wedding-eve night apart, and removed as much formality as possible — both of us did speeches, and there was no top table, as we wanted to really make an effort to catch up with all our guests properly. We love food. Kath loves growing things, we both love cooking for our friends and trying cuisines, so selecting somewhere with great food was a must. Fleur’s Place is not far from Kath’s childhood home on a market vegetable garden. Fleur, the owner and chef, is world-famous for her wide smile, unpretentious but seriously good, fresh seafood, and wicked sense of humour. The food and company were winners on the day. Fleur really knows how to please the crowd, and the atmosphere of Fleur’s Place really let everyone settle in and feel welcome. The surprise gig from our friends (Lynch, Maxwell and Reuben) really finished things off! Married life is superb! Since marrying, we’ve moved cities and changed jobs and are loving the changes. Being married is a commitment to love each other as we are now and who we are yet to become.
Photography – Tim Kelly & Nadine Ellen | Bride’s dress – Zambesi | Groom’s Shirt – Hugo Boss | Groom’s Suit – Working Style | Bride’s Rings – Zora Bell Boyd | Groom’s Ring – Welfe | Groom’s Shoes – Doc Martens | Celebrant – Jose Oliver | Venue & Catering – Fleur’s Place, Moeraki | Bouquets, Flowergirl Crown & buttonholes – Bloomers | Bride’s Shoes – Wittner | Hair & Makeup – Aart | Special Song “Into my Arms” by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds | Groom’s Accessories – Late Grandfather’s Brass Cufflinks | Entertainment – Friends of the Bride & Groom, Lynch, Maxwell and Reuben | Gum Tree Gralands & Dried Roses – Bride & Friends | Reception Hydrangeas – Louise Wright
