ANNA & DUNCAN
ANNA CARWELL- COOKE and DUNCAN FIELD’s Wellington wedding was full of fun, family, friends – and literal fireworks!
Duncan and I first met at our local gym in December 2014, but it took five months (and a 20kg weight loss) for him to pluck up the courage and ask me on our first date. Two years later, Duncan popped the question at our new home with a platter and a bottle of champagne. After the proposal, we went for dinner at the same restaurant where we had our first date. But the night didn’t end there – we then met our friends at our favourite bar for a big night of celebrations!
We married eight months later on a breezy summer’s day at Old St Paul’s in Wellington. The cathedral is a heritage site with soaring arches; I’ve always liked the wooden interior.
One of the reasons I love living in Wellington is that we are so close to the sea. Being from Palmerston North, this is still a novelty for me, and it was something we wanted to incorporate into our wedding. When we found The Boatshed, we knew it was the perfect reception venue — it had a view of both the sea and the lagoon, and we could have bridal party photos along the coastline before the ceremony.
I found my dress at a Jessica Bridal trunk show at Paperswan Bride. It was the first gown I tried on, and it was the one I kept coming back to.
A sleeveless mermaid style in champagne, with embroidered fishnet lace and a sheer back; I paired it with a veil and Valentino shoes. I also had a dancefloor pair for later in the night.
I had four bridesmaids, my brother as a bridesman, and his one-year- old daughter, Evie, as flower girl. The bridesmaids wore mid-length gowns in blush pink with a tie-neck and side split. My brother wore the same suit as the groomsmen, and Evie wore a dress that mirrored her mother’s wedding dress with a tulle skirt. Duncan chose a custom-made Rembrandt suit and RM Williams boots. His groomsmen were dressed in navy suits from Hallensteins and they all wore floral buttonholes. My mum gifted Duncan a handkerchief with our embroidered initials for him to have on the day.
Our florist, Melissa from Melissa Jane Flower Studio, created bouquets that tied in the pink and nude colours of the bridesmaid dresses. She incorporated nude spray roses, hydrangeas, and ruscus milano for greenery.
Our finger food was a big hit with our 200 guests and was served on the deck followed by a sit- down dinner, including roast lamb and chicken. Duncan and I are huge fans of cheese, and we knew our family and friends would be more interested in socialising and dancing instead of dessert, so we went for a six-tiered cheese ‘cake’. We set up a platter area by the bar with fruit, crackers and quinces for the cheese, but funnily enough, we never got around to cutting the ‘cake’!
As luck would have it, our wedding fell on the same date as Chinese New Year. Being on the waterfront, our venue was in prime position to enjoy the million- dollar fireworks show. Once the sky had finished lighting up, Zephyr, the band, cranked up the tunes and got everyone partying. From start to finish, it was the best day!