JAIME & TIM

JAIME PARLETT and TIM ALEXANDER reflect on their succulent- filled, views- for- days wedding held against the majestic backdrop of Queenstown.

Tim and I met two years ago on Tinder and immediately hit it off. The engagement was a complete surprise to me; he whisked me away to snow-kissed Cardrona, to a cute little Airbnb cabin in the mountains. On the second day, Tim had booked a three-hour horse trek for us and, afterward, we relaxed in the spa pool. I noticed him drinking his cheap, bubbly wine very quickly, but I just put it down to being thirsty. It turns out he was about to propose and was drinking for courage! He got out of the spa pool for a while, then eventually called my name. When I stepped out he was on one knee on the deck with two bottles of Dom Perignon at his feet, holding the most beautiful Meadowlark ring. It was such a magical time and something I’ll never forget. When my feet were firmly on the ground we set the wedding date for the following March.

We looked at a lot of venues, but none of them were quite like The Winehouse in Queenstown. It’s a beautiful spot, located at the gateway to Gibbston, with mountainous views, and in March it’s picture perfect. We have recently moved to the South Island and had family flying over from the UK and Australia for the wedding, so we thought Queenstown would be the perfect place to show off New Zealand – it’s so idyllic.

To match the beauty of the venue, we wanted beautiful cars. Our transport was a white Mercedes for the bridal party and a Porsche Cayenne for the groom and groomsmen. We also provided a bus to and from the venue for our guests.

wanted the theme of our wedding to reflect the venue’s natural beauty, and it was important to us that nothing would detract from the surroundings. We opted for a myriad of pastel shades for the

colour palette, alongside succulents, which I had grown from scratch. The succulents were planted inside small, gold animal motifs.

My grandparents’ photographs were positioned above the fireplace, which meant they could be there with us. My aunt brought my grandmother’s aquamarine ring for me to wear all the way from the UK. She needed to take out insurance so it could travel! That was such a special addition to my day.

My bridal bouquet was full of succulents, with beautiful white roses and lilies from The Flower Room. The groom and groomsmen also had succulents in their button holes. After the wedding, we took them home and planted them in our garden, which now serves as a wonderful reminder of the day.

When it came to the food, we wanted small plated dishes so that guests could try a number of different options. We chose a menu of beef, New Zealand lamb and prawns. The food was delicious.

I really wanted to do something a little different for the wedding cake, so opted for red velvet and vanilla cupcakes, with succulent themed frosting from Cherry Blossom Cakes. The colours of the icing also matched the bouquet and bridesmaid dresses and the cupcakes could then be taken home by our guests as favours.

In the lead up to the wedding, we put together a playlist of our favourite songs. It started with indie, easy-listening music, which ramped up with the after- dinner playlist.

Finding the right dress was so important; I wanted to be comfortable on the day, but feel great at the same time. I fell in love with the most perfect gown from the bridal collection at JJ’s House. It was strapless with lace shoulders, a mesh chest and beautiful button detailing at the back. The bodice was beaded and fell out into an

A-line skirt with a train, adding a little bit of drama. I accessorised with brightly coloured shoes, to add that pop.

My bridesmaids were my best friend and my sister. Their dresses were a shade of lilac, were form fitting at the bodice and chiffon from the waist down. The dresses were sent to them so that they could be altered to suit; my best friend had extra parts added to the back and my sister removed the sleeves. The offcuts were used as pocket squares for the groomsmen’s attire, which were light grey suits from ASOS.

We didn’t forget our canine guests, either – our dogs, Indiana Bones and Mabel, had bandanas made from offcuts of the bridesmaids’ dresses, so everyone had a touch of lilac. When it came to the weather we had to be mindful, so also organised for the bridesmaids to have back-up faux fur capes.

I spent the morning of the wedding getting ready with my mum, mother-in-law and bridesmaids. We had our hair and makeup done and had a wonderful morning sipping champagne. It was then that they surprised me with a gift from Tim, a pair of Karen Walker bouquet earrings, which was a moving start to a memorable day.

If I could give one piece of advice, it would be that wedding prep doesn’t need to be stressful. Visit wedding fairs to get a feel for how you would like your wedding to look; take your bridesmaids and mum, have brunch and make a day of it! Then, when you have decided upon a few key elements, make a list and tick each one off. This way, you’ll know if there’s something missing. Adopting this strategy meant that our wedding was planned and booked within four months, and you can do it, too!