CHRISSY & RIKKI
CHRISSY HOWLEY and RIKKI BLOEMSAAT’s rustic hometown nuptials were truly authentic.
Rikki and I met about 10 years ago through friends. A few years later, we started talking through Facebook after the passing of his dog. We began dating and the rest is history! In September 2016, he proposed in one of the most romantic places in the world, Santorini in Greece. He popped the question on the balcony of our little apartment that looked over the water. It was like a dream!
Just under a year and a half later, we tied the knot in Helensville. The ceremony was at St Joseph’s Catholic Church and we held the reception in our own barn! As soon as we began planning, we knew that we both we wanted it at home. We loved that people could camp over if they wanted and join us for breakfast the morning after. We originally thought that our barn (usually home to tractors, cars and fencing equipment) wouldn’t be big enough, but we managed to make it work with the addition of a gazebo and outdoor umbrellas. Rikki and I envisioned people enjoying the sunshine and mingling outside the barn for nibbles and drinks before the main meal inside, so a date in summer was a must. Plus, photos on the farm are easier when there’s not knee- high mud to deal with! We completed our vision with an outdoor dancefloor, decorated with festoon lights.
Our rustic farm theme was really just us showing who we are. Drinks were served from the bucket of the tractor, hay bales provided seating and our two pet goats even made an appearance for some of the photos. Anyone who knows us knows that we love our goats! Our table numbers were replaced by farm animal names, a theme which continued on to the place cards, which were small figurines spray painted gold and labelled with the names of our
guests. Two 1957 Chevys, borrowed from some close family friends, were an important touch for Rikki, a big lover of cars and hot rods.
I wanted a dress that I could comfortably sit down in and still wear while I danced all night. I didn’t want to worry about it falling down without straps either. I love the style of Stella York’s bridal gowns, so I made a list of my favourites from online before I went to try them on. Of course, the one I went with was not on the original list! The lace bodice was heavily beaded with an illusion back. I found that A-line designs suited my body best, and this one had a beautiful tulle skirt. It was comfy, and I felt like I lit up in it. My mother-in-law cried when I walked out of the changing room wearing it, so I had to choose it! My accessories were minimal due to the detail on the top of the dress. I paired it with a simple matching veil, headband and earrings. The shoes could hardly be seen because of the length of the dress, so I went for a plain, comfortable style and danced until 2am in them!
We felt that navy suits for the boys would feel more casual than black. We found the suits, shoes and belts at Hallensteins, with help from Rikki’s mum in hemming the pants! Rikki wore a bow tie to distinguish him from the rest of the groom’s party in their ties. His beer-themed cufflinks completed the look.
For my bridesmaids, I found amazing one- size-fits- all dresses at Kilt in Ponsonby that were the exact shade of burgundy I was after. It was also perfect for their different body shapes, including one who was eight months pregnant on the day. She didn’t have to worry about whether the dress would fit her bump, and they looked great on everyone with a black slip underneath. They all chose simple wedges from Kmart, which were comfortable to walk in.
Wild & Yellow were amazing for our floral arrangements. My red and cream cascading bouquet incorporated the colour of the bridesmaids’ dresses, while their posies were white and cream to contrast. We chose seasonal flowers and used lots of greenery. They also created the table runners and amazing cake topper, but the highlight was the greenery chandelier in the centre of the barn, with bunches of olive branches adorning a wooden hoop suspended from the ceiling.
We had a fantastic buffet- style meal, put together by the Spit Roast Catering Company, with champagne ham and a huge range of salads and vegetables. Each guest was presented with a thank-you card as a place setting. My colleague, Carlo, was our cakemaker. His creation for our engagement was so loved by everyone that we had to go with him! It was simple and white on the outside with three tiers in different flavours – chocolate, lemon and salted caramel. I think he was cursing me for choosing buttercream icing in the heat of summer, but it didn’t melt! The cake was delicious – my favourite was the to- die-for lemon layer.
One memorable moment of the day was the first dance. We had practised with dance lessons in order to nail it and worked so hard to get it right. And we didn’t mess it up! It also marked the end of the official parts of the day, so we could truly relax and party with our guests. We had another epic moment with my maid of honour’s speech. It was a rap and then we surprised everyone when I picked up the microphone and rapped the last verse – no one was expecting that! Of course, walking out of the church as a married couple was the absolute highlight of the day. Our wedding was a dream come to life.