THE BIG DAY
Three couples bring their own individual looks and ideas to their special day
Be inspired by real weddings
Photography by Anna Kidman LOCATION The ceremony and reception were held at a family home on Waiheke Island. The reception was garden-party style with rugs and cushions scattered over the property; a relaxed environment for our 150 guests to mix and mingle in as they pleased. DRESS My dress was designed by LA-based atelier, Marina Tia Leight. After trawling through bridal boutiques in LA and finding nothing I liked, I went to Marina with my vision and she and her team made it a reality. The whole process was an incredible experience. From the use of horse-hair in the hem to create weight and structure, to the fact that the whole dress was toiled twice, every detail was important.
ACCESSORIES My veil and wedding band were once my great-grandmother’s, and were also worn by my grandmother; it felt very special to wear them on the day. My earrings were vintage Christian Dior and my engagement ring, which Tom found in an antique-jewellery store Trumpet & Horn in LA, was from the 1890s. My shoes were Aquazzura and Tom wore Church’s Chelsea boots – he lives in RM Williams boots, so they were a perfect compromise and looked amazing with his Crane Brothers tuxedo, expertly tailored by John Mangham.
BRIDAL PARTY My bridesmaids wore silk satin slip dresses made by Auckland dressmaker, Kirsty Mclay, and I bought them all vintage costume jewellery in LA to wear on the day. Our hair was styled by the very talented Grant Bettjeman, and their soft but beautiful make-up was by Lauren Gunn. Getting ready was a breeze with such a special team around us.
FLOWERS We ordered flowers from the flower market and my grandmother, my mum, my bridesmaids, Tom’s mum and I arranged them the day before the wedding. It was one of my favourite moments and created a beautiful sense of team work and relaxation before the big day.
PHOTOGRAPHER Choosing a photographer was the easiest decision. I knew before we got engaged that I wanted Anna Kidman – her stunning, romantic and dreamlike photos tell the most beautiful story. Not only is she talented but she is also so kind and made us feel calm and relaxed in front of the camera.
CAKE We had three, two-tiered cakes all made by Jordan Rondel of The Caker. MUSIC I walked down the aisle to ‘Close your Eyes’ by Rhodes (performed live at the Burberry Menswear show). After the ceremony our DJ Joel Paydirt played a mix of jazz, Brazilian and classic 80s hits, and on the dance floor we had everything from Fleetwood Mac to Bieber. It was perfect. FAVOURITE MOMENT Being on the dance floor with all my friends, family and, of course, my husband. We started dancing at 8.30pm and didn’t stop until 12.30am, with what felt like most of wedding guests all dancing at once. It was exactly what I wanted and I will remember it forever.
The Mercantile buyer Georgie Urlich and sound engineer Tom Worley
Designer Amy-Rose Goulding and marine biologist Ben Robertson
Photography by Chris Mitchell and Jane Miles
LOCATION The wedding was held at my family home at Glenduan beach, Nelson, where my mother Flavia has spent endless hours over the years creating an amazing native garden. During the ceremony Ben and I exchanged Gordonia trees – one to be planted at each of our parents’ houses. Inside the house, my father Jim did some serious re-arranging to accommodate our 80 guests for the reception. It felt like a big family dinner, which is exactly what we wanted. DRESS I designed a bespoke Julian Danger dress for myself, made from 45 metres of crepe de chine silk, and silk chiffon. One of my close colleagues in China made my dress and actually gave it to me as a wedding gift, which made it even more special. It was amazing to wear – the long, bell sleeves were super dramatic and fun and I put a split in the front for ease of walking and dancing, which paid off on the dance floor!
ACCESSORIES I wore a locket handed down to me from my grandmother, simple gold studs, a gold bangle that my twin brother Julian gave me for our 30th birthdays, Senso Neave heels, and gypsophila in my hair. BRIDAL PARTY My two bridesmaids wore new-season Julian Danger. Molly wore a jumpsuit with long bell sleeves and a cute frill around the leg, and Miriam wore a simple V-neck dress with subtle seam details down the front. Both garments were in a gorgeous, dusty, duck-egg blue. My brother Julian, who is also Ben’s very close friend, was the best man.
FLOWERS We went for a bohemian, rustic vibe. We got a lot of the flowers from my mother’s garden, and my mother-in-law, Maz, and sister-in-law, Jodie, put all of the table flowers and bouquets together.
RINGS My engagement ring and our wedding rings are a set of three – all yellow gold and diamonds. They were designed by Ben and made by a jeweller in Hong Kong. PHOTOGRAPHER Our guests Chris
Mitchell (a Wellington graphic designer) and Jane Miles (a Nelson photographer) took the photos for us.
CAKE Local cake-maker Wendy King Turner made us a coconut cake with butter cream and lemon curd fillings, with white chocolate ganache and coconut.
MUSIC We made a great Spotify playlist with all the old classics. Later into the night a guest, Virginia O’Connor, jumped on the piano to play some ballads and requests. FAVOURITE MOMENT Getting married! And spending the afternoon relaxing and drinking Champagne in the garden with our friends and family. We also had so many great speeches. They were very comical and relaxed, and added a lot to the day.
Photographer Tom Hollow and graphic designer Alenka Logan
Photography by James Broadbent of Chasewild
LOCATION We wanted somewhere that was relaxing, beautiful and that made everyone feel like they were on holiday, so our ceremony took place on Onetangi Beach, Waiheke. The reception was held a short walk along the beach at The Venue.
DRESS Alenka’s dress was from Rue de Seine and customised with a gold necklace sewn into the back. She wanted something that was unique and modern. I wore a suit from Barkers.
ACCESSORIES My Fedora was from Superette. Alenka’s headpiece was from
Bo & Luca, her shoes from Schutz and her knot bracelet from Jolie & Deen.
BRIDAL PARTY The bridesmaids wore bluey-grey Staple The Label dresses and they chose their own white shoes. The groomsmen wore brogues, and pieces from Barkers and River Island.
FLOWERS The Botanist provided us with beautiful arrangements, including bouquets, an archway and table settings.
RINGS Our wedding bands are from Naveya & Sloane and Walker & Hall. Alenka’s engagement ring is from Shane Co. PHOTOGRAPHER We asked our long-time friend and fellow photographer James Broadbent from Chasewild, to photograph our wedding. Asking James was a no-brainer and he absolutely nailed it. Our friend Jonathan Smit from JD Smit Productions made the journey from Christchurch to capture our wedding on video. We are so glad we made this investment.
CAKE Rather than having a wedding cake we had an array of desserts on offer – cheesecake, chocolate brownies and chocolate mousse – all made by The Venue. MUSIC As Alenka walked down the aisle, I played the guitar and sung a cover of ‘Found a Heart’ by Emily Hearn. For our first dance we chose ‘Where it all Begins’ by Hunter Hayes, featuring Lady Antebellum. Country music was a theme throughout the day. FAVOURITE MOMENT One of my favourite moments was our first dance. We are not dancers but we’ve seen too many couples on their wedding day perform the side-to-side wobble. This inspired us to do something we wouldn’t typically do – learn to dance. Our friend Charlie Billington taught us over a series of lessons. The final dance even involved a lift!
UNEXPECTED MOMENT We had organised for mini mince and cheese pies in brown paper bags to be served to our guests towards the end of the night. They were a welcome surprise for friends and family.