Rustic charm
Kimberley Harcourt and Carl Haugh married at St Andrews Presbyterian Church, Ashburton on Saturday, November 23, 2013
Our love story Carl and I met as students in Otago in 2005. For Labour Weekend 2012 he took me on a surprise weekend away to Maruia Springs in the Lewis Pass. He proposed to me in the hot pools – it was the happiest moment ever! We celebrated with a bottle of bubbly and shared the wonderful news as soon as we got home. Our wedding style I’d always wanted to get married on our family farm in Rakaia, where I grew up, so we held a marquee reception there after the church ceremony. Our vintage, rustic theme came to life through bunting, ribbons and garden flowers. We displayed old family wedding photos on a hay bale and scattered our favourite love quotes, written on blackboards, around the marquee. Floral fantasia I created a Pinterest board of flower ideas I loved, then Ashburton’s Flowers and Balloons brought them to life. My bouquet was comprised of blush, mauve and cream roses with tiny sprigs of fern. We also dotted jars along tables, filling them with clusters of gypsophila, roses and peonies picked from the garden and wrapping the jars in ribbons of lace. Aisle style My Louise Anderson gown was just the second I tried on – made from ivory silk, it featured lace capped sleeves and a blush sash around the waist with a flower detail. I kept my makeup quite natural, with my hair in a loose updo – a delicate diamond necklace, pearl earrings and pearl bracelet finished the look. For our guests Adding to the day’s homespun, rustic vibe, I sewed table napkins using different fabrics. The splashes of floral, gingham and polkadots gave bright pops of colour to each place setting and they, along with home-made shortbread, made pretty guest favours. A sumptuous feast Our guests enjoyed a buffet of roast meats, salads and veges, before indulging in dessert and our three-tier cake. Featuring lemon, carrot and mudcake layers, it was decorated with ivory fondant and a blush-hued peony. A display of vintage china teacups invited guests to have tea or coffee later in the evening. Ride on Because my parents’ farm is a 20-minute drive from the church we hired buses to transport our 130 guests. After midnight the buses took guests back to town – it meant people could let loose and have fun without having to worry about the drive! My advice for brides to be The video of our day brings a tear to my eye every time I watch it and transports me right back there. For us, a videographer was an expense well worth investing in.