Viarni + Paddy by Ruby Jayne

I wanted it to be an elevated garden party

Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…

We have been together for 7 years, and for the last 4, we have lived on our off-grid lifestyle block and orchard in Te Puke with our two dogs. Paddy works as an operations manager in orchard fencing, and I work as an Events account manager & stylist/coordinator. We both grew up in the Mount Maunganui area and absolutely love the beach, surfing, golf, music, socialising and good food. We love an adventure and getting out into nature, but also enjoy our cruisey downtime together or working on our gardens. We are very lucky to be living in such an incredible country!

How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?

Growing up in the same area, we both ran in very similar circles of friends, so we knew of each other but never met or chatted properly. It wasn’t until the summer of 2018/2019 that we connected after bumping into each other at a local bar in the Mount and started our summer romance, which turned out to be for life! I always thought he was a very beautiful man, but getting to know him, my first impression was how kind and easy to be around he was. We had so much fun together and were both absolutely smitten from the get-go. We moved in together within 3-4 months of dating – and the rest is history!

Tell us about the vision you had for the mood and style of your wedding. (theme, key styling elements, florals, colour palettes etc.).

I wanted it to be an elevated garden party, with a clear vision but nothing too fancy or overly styled. A relaxed vibe but well organised – ultimately a true reflection of us as a couple. This meant organic textures, colours, shapes and one key floral. Our colour palette was browns, greens, yellows, creams and whites, and I loved how that palette tied together across all the elements of the day! I sourced all the styling items like candles, ceremony backdrop, vases, grazing table plating, etc. over the months leading up and put it all together on the day before and day of. Some things I wanted to do quite specifically, and some things I completely winged! I really wanted it to be something we look back on that felt true to us, rather than being too trend-focused.

What styling and visual elements worked best for you? (could be things, the florals, particular hire products or your marquee, etc., something the stylist created or simply just the scenic beauty of your location or the existing design of your venue).

I think the scenic beauty really worked best for us. Being at our home, I wanted to lean into the existing surroundings of a lot of greenery and nature, with a slight romantic / European feel against our olive hedge. With so much to look at in our gardens already, I didn’t feel the florals needed to be the main feature, so I opted to do this myself with simple stems and small arrangements all made up of different sunflower varieties, a favourite of ours! I grew a lot of these myself, which made it extra special. Selecting the right marquee, furniture, glassware, etc., was also important to make everything cohesive and allow me to style things as I envisioned. I think it all worked really well together to bring together my overall vision.

What did you enjoy most about the planning process, and do you have any tips for couples starting their wedding planning journey?

I definitely loved the mood boarding and sourcing all the bits and pieces the most, imagining in my head how it could all look – but I do love a spreadsheet, floorplan and working out logistics! I am very type A when it comes to this stuff, and it comes naturally to me working in events.

My two tips would be one; Gather key vendor quotes then set a budget, add 10% more on for any surprises and make yourself stick to it. It is very easy to get carried away with all of the smaller things, and most couples do not have unlimited/huge budgets.

And two; no one knows but you how the day is meant to look or what’s meant to happen when, don’t let things get to you if it doesn’t all go exactly to plan, because 99% of the time it won’t and it should be about having fun and feeling the love at all times, it goes too quick to sweat the small stuff.

Tell us about your vendors. Were there any standout suppliers you would like to make special mention of?

Every vendor we worked with was amazing; in creating an experience for all on the day, and also giving us physical memories we will always cherish. No Biggie & Lucy’s Events are friends but genuinely the best in the business, and nailed everything. I wish I could go back and eat that dinner again! Ruby, our photographer, and Arielle from The Aisle not only delivered incredible images & content, but their presence on the day was calming and fun, the kind of ladies you need around on such an overwhelming day.

Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, and is there a story?

Both my dresses are extremely special because my best friend and bridesmaid created them for me. The design process with her was so unique, being able to choose all mine (and my bridesmaids’) fabrics and styles. Her talents always amaze me.

My main gown was custom-made by Lulu in a buttery-toned, lightweight, crunchy silk shantung that glowed in the sun. A structured and figure-hugging bodice, draped softly by a silk piece over the front and off the shoulders, showing a hint of the corsetry beneath. A deep Basque waistline gave way to a very full, hand-tucked skirt. It was also hand-embroidered by Lulu with tonal silk ribbon flowers sprinkled over the train. I never felt like wearing white was very ‘me’ and wanted it to have a bit more of a vintage feel, so the colour we landed on was perfect. This truly felt like me in dress form. I am absolutely obsessed with it!

My second look was a fun and delicate little number, made out of a vintage crochet lace that Lulu pieced together on my body. It had specks of gold through it and was my dream party dress.

Paddy’s brown suit was perfect for his vibe and personal style. He has never been a black and white tux with a bow tie kind of man, so I searched through more high-end brands plus more affordable ones for the right look for him and landed on one from ASOS, which fit him perfectly and was a great shade of brown! He loved it, and he looked damn good in it.

Tell us about your wedding and engagement rings.

My engagement ring is a vintage piece from Coco Florence Jewellery, believed to be from the 1930’s. Made from gold and platinum. I absolutely love it – Paddy nailed the choice as he knew I had been admiring her pieces for a while. Our bands were both made from the same re-purposed gold ring we already owned, so it’s special that they are both created in the same metal. We worked with a local jeweller (Mayo) to custom make them, it’s a no frills but years of knowledge kind of service which I actually really rate. Paddy chose to engrave a “V” next to a small diamond on the inside of a simple gold band. I used a selection of diamonds for a design that fits perfectly against my uniquely shaped engagement ring.

What were one or two elements that were most important to you both that you were happy to spend a little more on? (food, photography, florals, the venue, your outfits?).

Food and Photography were always really important, and those were the two things we spent the most on! In saying that, we were able to spend more on those since we had no venue cost, and so many other elements were DIY or were very generously supplied or majorly reduced in costs by our wonderful friends. We were extremely lucky to have so many connections in the wedding space, all of whom were guests on our wedding day! If we didn’t have those connections, things would have looked different for us, so I am forever grateful for that.

Was there a favourite moment (or two) that you will treasure always?

We will treasure every moment! If I had to pick, sitting together side by side with all our favourite people surrounding us in the marquee at dinner time and listening to all the wonderful speeches. We were officially married and finally got to slow down and take it in. We laughed and cried at all of the speeches – every word said was so special to us. We were really blown away! We also had fireworks during the night which was so amazing and a fun surprise for all our guests, it was a really triumphant feeling and topped off the whole vibe of the day of celebrations.

What does being married mean to you, and are there any special rituals you have that you would like to share?

For us, it means officially spending the rest of our lives with our favourite person. We are so grateful to have each other and can’t wait to keep building our dream life. I can’t believe I have a husband! Writing our own vows and saying them out loud in front of everyone was such an incredible feeling, but we decided to read them to each other first during the week prior, so we could really take them in, and that is something I highly suggest doing.