Fletcher + Carina by Lucas Winters

We wanted our day to be mainly outdoors

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

I am… Fletcher grew up in a small town called Motueka and moved to Christchurch when he was 20. He moved for a building apprenticeship and is now a qualified builder.

We love going back to Motueka, Tasman, every summer for a few weeks, where we love being on the beach, visiting local spots and catching up with lifelong friends.

Together, we love road trips and adventures. Coffee, the beach, cooking and eating good food – we are always hunting for good restaurants and cafes around town.

We love people and enjoy spending time with our closest friends and family.

Carina has grown up in Christchurch, but is Japanese. She loves cooking and creating new and exciting dishes. And she loves fashion. She is currently employed as a youth pastor at her local church and loves working with young people and helping them grow and flourish.

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

We first met at church, back in 2021. We both remember so clearly seeing each other in the church foyer before the service. It was his first time at my church, and when I saw him. I went straight away to introduce myself. We ended up going out for dinner with some friends after. Both of us remember every detail of that day, from what we were both wearing to the music we listened to on the car ride. Fletcher went to work the following day and told his coworkers that he had just met his future wife.

We remained friends for a couple of years, even though there was always something there. After Fletcher got rejected several times by me (even though I would flirt with him shamelessly), we finally went on a date. We weren’t even officially together when we started planning the rest of our lives together. We just knew it was forever.

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).

As soon as we found our venue (The Flaxmill), we fell in love with it. It felt so simple and beautiful that styling felt effortless. We wanted our day to be mainly outdoors, and the fact that the venue was so gorgeous helped take pressure off adding anything extra to elevate the space; it was beautiful just as it was.

Fletcher is a builder, and we love dancing and celebrating together. We knew we wanted to celebrate well and party at the end of the night – I had a specific vision of the dance floor I wanted, and he built and painted it so it could become a reality for me.

I had this dream of having a flower bouquet/purse. When meeting with our florist (Bek from Hi Honey) I laid out my dream and she was so incredible at making everything come together. It became one of my favourite parts of my wedding look.

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

We loved planning the day together. We made sure that we were both involved in every element. It took the pressure off wedding planning. If you pick the right partner, working as a team comes easily. Going through the planning process together made me so sure I was marrying the right person. We both cared and were intentional about the same details.

Our tip would be to do what makes you happy, even if it’s not traditional. The day is about two people coming together; it should feel most like those people. Don’t worry so much about what other people think or suggest.

We tried not to get hung up on trends or on whether things would get out of style. The reality is that it’s one day, and trends come and go; we just chose what felt the most like us at that current moment.

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

Lucas Winters did such an incredible job at capturing our day. We wanted to prioritise photos and videos as they will always be a snippet of our special day we can look back on and one day share with our children.

He was so incredible at catching the vision, making us feel comfortable, and we’ve known him for a long time, so working with someone who already had a relationship with the wedding party and us was really special.

Fletcher’s brother is a barber, and his girlfriend is a hairdresser. This made the hairstyle process so easy and so enjoyable. Fletcher and the groomsmen all got their hair touched up by Jonty the night before/morning of. While Mya did all the girls’ hair the morning of, she then got ready with the girls.

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

Carina’s wedding dress was a design from Jenny Yoo and Hope LaVine – it was one of the first dresses she tried on, and she fell in love instantly.

For the second look, something lightweight and easy to dance in was the highest priority, and of course, a headscarf to add something fun to the look.

Fletcher was set on an untraditional double-breasted suit that was oversized, and we both love the brand Porter James, so choosing their white business shirt was a no-brainer.

Tell us about your wedding and engagement rings.

Carina’s engagement ring was custom-made by FourWords. Her best friend used to work at a jewellery shop, so she was able to work with Fletcher in creating her dream ring. She loved the simplicity of a solitaire but wanted something slightly different, and the east-west design with the thicker band felt sleek and slightly elevated.

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?).

We knew that ultimately it was just one day, and the things that would last over time were going to be our relationship, of course, but second to that were the photos/videos.

Memories can fade and become blurry – but having our day captured in a way that felt effortless and natural was really important to us. We loved the idea of having these moments to look back on and one day show our children, so that was a high priority for us.

Lucas Winters did such a great job at capturing the day and understanding the vision we wanted to achieve. He was so incredible and had such a great eye for beautiful moments; we were so happy with everything he produced.

One element about our relationship is that we just love having fun together. We love dancing and laughing – so the dance floor at the end of the night was something we were looking forward to. We chose early on to build the dance floor. We had seen photos of a checkered dance floor, but in our research, we couldn’t find one that was exactly what we had envisioned. And with Fletcher being a builder, it just made sense.

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

That feeling right after tying the knot, walking back down the aisle, was so surreal. Seeing all of our favourite people. And when our celebrant announced us as husband and wife, it really sank in – it was the sweetest and most special moment.

Our speeches were such a beautiful glimpse into our relationship. It was actually really special to see what other people noticed or appreciated about us as a couple and as individuals.

Dancing with our closest friends at the end of the night was the best. Once the formalities had all come to an end, all the wedding pressure was off, and just being able to dance and celebrate with everyone was so much fun. It’s pretty rare to have all your favourite people in one spot, and it was just the best moment.

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

Married life is truly the greatest. We always loved spending time together, even before we were married. We were joined at the hip, each other’s best friend. But something really shifted once we got married; there was a new level of devotion and connection that wasn’t there before – it has brought us so much closer and even more in love. It isn’t just a title or a contract; it’s something deeper and something spiritual.

We thought we were happy before, but being married has made life together even greater. Being able to share our lives together is so incredible, building a future and a life together. It’s all the little things that we love, like spending our mornings together first before doing anything else, praying together.