HELLO LOVERS
Ain’t no mountain high or vineyard low enough to keep these brides from sharing with you, babes
Three couples, three epic weddings
Josie Hazledine , a fashion buyer at Superette, married restaurateur Jeff Wiley
@micimage | micimage.com
LOCATION Jeff and I wanted to get married in Wanaka where I grew up, but we also hoped to find a venue we could decorate from scratch and really make our own. Horseshoe Bend Estate in Albert Town fit the bill and had the added convenience of on-site accommodation. There were two homes for us to spread out in, not to mention the pool, tennis court, spa and steam room.
GOWN My dress was a last-minute find from Auckland’s Modes Bridal. I don’t usually wear dresses so was initially after something very simple, but ending up in a super-girly and dramatic design was so much fun. A Pronovias gown from Barcelona, it had a nude underlay with ivory lace appliqué on top and layers of tulle that flared out to form a train. It was quite heavy to wear, so we added some small buttons that allowed me to detach some of the layers before I hit the dance floor, so I could move more freely. I’m so thankful for the skilled hands at Modes for making that possible — it was a lifesaver.
ACCESSORIES Knowing my dress would make quite a statement, I kept my accessories to a minimum, just a simple veil, drop earrings that mirrored my engagement ring and my gold signet pinky ring. Jeff actually found my lamé Stuart Weitzman stilettos — he knows I love a bit of sparkle! He accessorised his Crane Brothers suit with a Corniche watch and the Trinity de Cartier bracelet I gave him before the ceremony.
RINGS My engagement ring and our wedding bands were made by Angela Daniel Jewellery.
BRIDAL PARTY My bridesmaids wore ivory Camilla and Marc dresses, gold stilettos and gold By Charlotte necklaces. We had Victoria Nunns do our makeup and Kylie McLay from Mountain Air Hair Studio style our hair, and I can’t recommend them enough. Jeff’s groomsmen were dressed in a mix of Crane Brothers and Rembrandt, accessorised with the monogrammed pocket squares Jeff gave them.
PHOTOGRAPHY Wanaka photographer Mickey Ross likes to shoot candid moments, so his style was right up our alley. Jeff and I aren’t particularly comfortable in front of the camera, but Mickey made us feel so relaxed we almost forgot he was there. We also had Robyn Shearwood from Queenstown Wedding Video capture the day on video. She was so easygoing and we know the film is going to be a great memento of the day.
FLOWERS We couldn’t have made our wedding happen without our friends and family, who were so willing to help, and the amount of time they spent sourcing flowers was amazing, finding them everywhere from a Christchurch wholesaler to their own gardens. It was so special to have so much love in each arrangement. Our godchild was our flower girl and wore a rosebud crown and carried a single pink rose.
MUSIC I walked down the aisle to Norah Jones’ ‘Come Away With Me’, we played Frank Ocean’s ‘White Ferrari’ while we signed the marriage licence and our first dance was to Jasmine Thompson’s ‘Like
I’m Gonna Lose You’. Christchurch band Assembly Required kicked things off after the speeches, playing a variety of music that suited all generations and got everyone on the dance floor.
MAGIC MOMENT Jeff and I spent the night before the wedding apart, so when we saw each other at the ceremony we got caught up in the moment and shared a quiet conversation while our celebrant addressed our guests. It was nice to be so present and not let our nerves get the better of us.
Kindergarten teacher Anna WittmanWenzel married Amanda Cooper, a general manager at IAG
@timkellynadineellen | timandnadine.com
LOCATION Our wedding was at Sudbury in Te Horo, north of Wellington. We chose it because we’re both Wellingtonians and wanted to get married in our home town. We also wanted an outdoor wedding in a farm or beach environment, and Sudbury offers both.
GOWNS We coincidentally both chose dresses from Astra Bridal, made by the same designer, Maggie Sottero. Amanda isn’t a huge dress wearer and wasn’t keen to search for one of the most important dresses of her life without assistance, so I came along and helped find one that was her — with pockets. Meanwhile, I’d been to about seven stores and was starting to think it’d never happen. Finally, after another unsuccessful day’s shopping, Mum and I started trawling the internet — her at her house and me at mine. We both spotted a dress we thought was great, and wouldn’t you know it, it was the same one! Astra Bridal called it in but there was no time to try it on before I bought it. Luckily, it was a risk that paid off.
ACCESSORIES Neither of us wore many accessories. I had my earrings custom-made by local jeweller Natalie Salisbury, and Amanda’s were a gift from her parents. Amanda also had her grandmother’s wedding ring sown into the pocket of her dress, along with the handkerchief her mum carried on her wedding day, and the one her grandmother carried on hers. My shoes were Mi Piaci and Amanda’s were Kathryn Wilson.
RINGS Our engagement and wedding rings were custom-made by Grant Partridge of Partridge Jewellers in Wellington. They’re similar, yet uniquely us.
BRIDAL PARTY Our brothers were our best men. They’d both been married in the past year, so they wore the navy suits they’d worn to their own weddings. Our bridesmaids’ dresses were from Moochi — they each chose their preferred style and colour — and their jewellery was from Ruby. Penny from Penny Black Hairdressing did everyone’s hair, Amanda’s makeup was done by her sisterin-law Laura Cooper, and freelance makeup artist Katrina York did mine.
PHOTOGRAPHY Tim Kelly and Nadine Ellen shot our photos. They’re an amazingly talented couple and were an awesome pair to have around on the day.
FLOWERS Woodstock Florist incorporated our olive branch theme perfectly throughout the venue. They even added a bird’s nest to the garland on the pergola, which we hung onto as a keepsake.
CAKE I wanted a cake made out of rounds of cheese, but Amanda has a sweet tooth and there was no way the wedding was slipping by without chocolate cake, so we had one made by Tomboy — plus cheese for dessert.
MUSIC We walked down the aisle to ‘Bloom’ by The Paper Kites, signed the register to ‘1, 2,3, 4’ by Plain White T’s and walked out to ‘Ho Hey’ by the Lumineers — all sung by Laura Evans, who played all afternoon. Then DJ Dave took us through to the end of the night.
MAGIC MOMENT We’d wanted ‘Marry Me’ by Train to be one of our key songs, but opted against it because one of Amanda’s friends had sung it to her husband on their wedding day. Amanda’s friend knew this, and in the middle of our speeches teamed up with Laura on the guitar and sung it for us. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house.
Scarlet Carew, a visual merchandiser at Karen Walker, married property manager Brad Hill
@annakidmanweddings | annakidman.com
LOCATION We always knew we wanted to be married on Waiheke Island: Brad’s family has had a house there for more than 30 years, so it’s always held a special place in their hearts — and ours, since we spend a lot of time there. Stonyridge Vineyard was the ideal venue as we’ve shared a lot of long lunches with friends there and it’s the most heavenly location, with delicious food and wine.
GOWN I found my dress at Rue de Seine and had it tailored by Meg’s Tailoring. I really wanted something classic, elegant and comfortable and tried on several gowns, but I really fell in love with mine and once I put the veil on with it, I knew it was perfect — although I did need my best friend Courtney to confirm! My shoes were simple cream suede heels by Aldo, in keeping with my unfussy dress.
BRIDAL PARTY Brad and his groomsmen wore suits and shirts from Barkers teamed with ties from Crane Brothers, and my bridesmaids wore black silk Karen Walker dresses. Our hair was styled by Becca Brown from M11 Studio and Mecca’s Phoebe Watt did our makeup.
RINGS Brad designed my engagement ring himself and had it made by Culét. Our wedding bands were from Walker & Hall.
STATIONERY Jess Goodall, my sister-inlaw, designed and hand-drew our invitations, menus and seating plan — she even wrote every single name and address on every envelope. She’s very talented and worked so hard to make sure everything was just right.
PHOTOGRAPHY Anna Kidman’s style is romantic and real. Brad and I wanted our photos to be relaxed and natural, and she achieved this and gave us so much more. We’re so thankful to have such beautiful images and Anna is also one of the most divine people you’ll ever meet — I feel like we’ve gained a lovely friend in her.
FLOWERS Our friend Eden Kersten from The Botanist took care of our flowers and did an incredible job. My vision was of simple, rustic, white flowers with lots of greenery, so she made us the most gorgeous arch decorated with olive leaves, white roses and white hydrangeas. In our bouquets she used orchids, tuberose, roses and hydrangeas; she dotted our long banquet tables with tea-light candles and vases filled with more white blooms; and added the lushest garland to our bridal table.
MUSIC After our bridal party walked down the aisle with our little ring bearers and flower girls to ‘Wash’ by Bon Iver, my mum escorted me in to ‘Sea of Love’ by Cat Power, which was one of the most special parts of the day. Dad passed away when I was little, so not having him there was difficult, but it felt so right having Mum by my side. When I saw Brad standing beneath our floral arch, I had to fight back the tears — I’ll never forget it. Once all the formalities were over, our wonderful friend Marc Moore played the best mix of music until the early hours of the morning. He chose all our favourites and had everyone dancing no matter their age.
MAGIC MOMENT Watching our son Arlo all dressed up walking hand in hand down the aisle with his big cousin was so special. Being a ring bearer is a big job for a three-year-old and we weren’t sure how he was going to handle it, but he did so well.
UNEXPECTED EVENT After dinner, as the sun was setting, Anna whisked us away for the most fantastic impromptu photo shoot in the grounds at Stonyridge. It was great to be able to relax a little and enjoy a few private moments away from our guests as husband and wife.