Golden glow

Rosie Chang and Doran Wyatt married at Mudbrick Vineyard and Restaurant, Waiheke Island, on Sunday, February 3, 2013

Our love story Doran and I met on the Tube while we were both living in London. He asked me what I was reading, and I sheepishly held up my copy of Twilight – luckily he had never heard of it! He proposed two years later at dinner while we were holidaying in Umbria. After our main course, he walked me over to an outdoor fountain and before I knew it, he was down on one knee.

Location, location, location Many of our 60 guests were overseas visitors, so we chose Mudbrick, with its lavender-filled gardens, sparkling sea views and sumptuous local cuisine, to showcase New Zealand’s beauty. Little decoration was required for our courtyard ceremony, and we enhanced the rustic, elegant interior with candle-filled jars, rose petals and ribbons.

You’re invited Guided by my online research, I designed our invitations, maps and travel tips to fit in with our black and gold palette. We sealed envelopes with gold wax ‘double happiness’ stamps – the Chinese symbol for weddings.

My bridal look After struggling to find my dream dress, I decided to design and make it myself – though I’d only made one dress before! Made from silk and lace, the backless dress featured a high, lace-collared neck finished with Chinese buttons my mother brought over from Taiwan. I kept my makeup natural, and wore my hair in a loosely braided updo, finishing it with a fresh white rose. My bouquet featured roses, white lisianthus and grey dusty miller.

Taste sensation Guests were impressed with Mudbrick’s seasonal à la carte menu. Doran’s mum made our three-tiered cake with layers of white chocolate (my favourite), double chocolate (Doran’s favourite) and limoncello fruit cake (a family favourite).

Special touches Loosely following Chinese tradition, we broke a ceramic tile during the ceremony. This added a fun point of difference and symbolised the permanance of marriage – in the same way that tiles cannot be remade, the union of marriage cannot be broken. As a nod to our first meeting, reception tables were named after London underground stations.

My advice for brides to be Be aware of peak holiday season: it caused accommodation issues for us. And if you have overseas guests, plan quality time with them before or after the wedding. We had a ‘mini honeymoon’ with guests from London: stargazing, white water rafting and eating our way around the country.

The Details

Bride’s gown made by the bride Hair and makeup abby jayne black Bride’s jewellery tiffany & co. Bride’s shoes ted baker Groom’s attire working style Groom’s shoes kirkcaldie & stains Flowers waiheke flower gallery Celebrant johanna Warren Rings berry’s jewellers Photography joanna wickham photography