Sam proposed with the backdrop of the Eifel Tower in Paris – as romantic as can be!
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
Shir and Sam are both very different people and complement each other perfectly. They also share the same life goals and interests. They make an amazing team, and truly treat their relationship as partners to one another. Shir and Sam both have a passion for travelling, love attending Miami Heat NBA games, and enjoy spending quality time with each other, their families, and their friends.
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
Shir and Sam matched online on Bumble and met in March 2019. Sam was working on Superyachts at the time, travelling around the world, and Shir was living in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The yacht Sam was working on happened to be in and out of Fort Lauderdale, which is how they matched on the dating app. When they first met, they were both really connected and interested in one another, and wanting to continue to pursue seeing each other. However, they were both concerned with the challenges of Sam being from New Zealand and wanting to move back home after his work on Superyachts and Shir living in Florida and wanting to stay in Florida for her already established career. While all odds were against them, they continued to blossom a long-distance relationship, seeing each other as often as they could when the yacht would be docked in South Florida and planning trips together when they both could take off work. Their love for each other grew to the point that Sam eventually decided he would move to Florida to be with Shir and build their lives together.
When did you first realise that this was someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?
Sam and Shir both really solidified that they wanted to spend their lives together on their first trip to New Zealand to visit Sam’s friends and family in November 2019. They said I love you for the first time after visiting Waiheke Island for the day, which is also why they chose to have their wedding in Waiheke Island. On this trip, Sam told his friends and family that he was going to move to Florida to be with Shir.
Was there a proposal? Tell us a little about it…
Sam proposed with the backdrop of the Eifel Tower in Paris – as romantic as can be! He also hired a photographer to capture the beautiful moment and planned a photo shoot for the following morning. After the proposal, they had dinner reservations at Gigi, which had excellent views of the Eifel Tower. Sam organized red roses to be delivered to Shir at the restaurant and hotel and the next day on their romantic river cruise, where they continued to celebrate.
What was one element you were happy to splurge on?
Our guests! We wanted all of our guests to feel appreciated and to have a wonderful experience visiting the beautiful Waiheke Island. Every guest had to travel to be there, whether it was from the USA, Australia, or other parts of New Zealand and around the globe, so we wanted to make sure that everyone felt their time, money, and energy was appreciated. We paid attention to all the details that could ensure that our guests would have a great time!
Did anything happen on your wedding day that you laugh about in hindsight (even if it was stressful at the time)?
It was raining earlier in the day, but the rain stopped in the afternoon in time for our photos and ceremony. The sun was shining bright, and we had the most spectacular weather!
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, is there a story?
Sam got his tux custom-made at Sam Parker New York, and Shir got both her dresses at Chic Parisien. Shir was originally going to only wear one dress for the wedding (Chosen by Kyha), and opted to not have an outfit change. She, however, spotted a beautiful mini dress on Instagram made by Nicole + Felicia that made her change her mind. This was only about a month before the wedding, so trying to find the dress (and in time) was quite a challenge. This designer was not available in South Florida at all and was only newly working with Chic Parisien, so they had yet to have any of the dresses available there. However, out of sheer luck, Chic Parisien was going to receive a sample of this exact dress and was scheduled to arrive in the same week when Shir and Sam were going to leave South Florida to head to New Zealand for the wedding. Chic Parisien told Shir that if the dress fit her and arrived on time, she could buy the sample. The dress arrived one day before Shir’s flight, and it fit perfectly – no alterations needed!
LOCATION Mudbrick Vineyard & Restaurant, Waiheke Island, NZ, @mudbrick_nz PHOTOGRAPHER Hollow and Co, @hollowandco FLORIST Blush, @blush_flowers WEDDING PLANNER Waiheke Island Weddings and Events, @waihekeislandweddings CELEBRANT Mike Heard ENTERTAINMENT DJ & Live Music – Mix It DJ, @mixitdj.co.nz CHAMPAGNE LADY Finesse Entertainment, @finesse.nz LIVE ARTIST Ceremony Portrait of Shir & Sam – Wedding Painting with Tammy, @weddingpaintingwithtammy; Guest Portraits (Gift for the Guests) Anna Doria: NZ Wedding Painter, @nzweddingpainter PHOTOBOOTH Selfie Central, @selfiecentralnz WEDDING DANCE CHOREOGRAPHER Carey Channing: Choreo by Carey, @choreobycarey CATERING Mudbrick Vineyard & Restaurant, @mudbrick_nz, @mudbrick_weddings SIGNAGE & INVITES DESIGNER Cara Eve Designs, @caraeve_designs RINGS Bev Jewelers, @bevjewelers BRIDAL BOUTIQUE Chic Parisien, @chicparisien CEREMONY & RECEPTION DRESS Chosen By Kyha, @chosenbykyha AFTER DINNER & FIRST DANCE DRESS Nicole + Felicia, @nicolefeliciacouture BRIDE’S SHOE Jimmy Choo, @jimmychoo ACCESSORIES Earrings – Bev Jewelers, @bevjewelers; Love Ring – Cartier, @cartier; Headband – Maria Elena Headpieces, @mariaelenaheadpiecesau MAKEUP Leyla Olguc, @makeupwith_leyla HAIR Amanda Preston, @_amandaprestonhair TUXEDO Sam Parker New York, @samparkernewyork GROOM’S SHOE Christian Louboutin, @louboutinworld ACCESSORIES Watch – Rolex, @rolex; Cufflinks – David Yurman, @davidyurman BRIDESMAID DRESSES Picked their own BRIDESMAID GIFT Earrings – Chanel, @chanelofficial GROOMSMEN TUX Perry Ellis, @perryellis GROOMSMEN GIFT Cufflinks – Ferragamo, @ferragamo
