Ash + Patty by Keryn Sweeney

I knew I wanted alfresco-style dining on the lawn

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

We love art & architecture; Patty is an architect & I am a photographer. When we’re not running around after our two-year-old, Basil, we are renovating our 60’s architecturally designed home (in full colour, of course)

We love hanging out with our dog Ringo Starr down at the Waikato River, drinking coffee & planning our next projects.

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

We were 22 when we met; I moved into Patty’s flat full of boys in Hamilton. It was a little while before anything bloomed, but I knew there was something special right away. My first impression of Patty was that he had a beautiful smile, was quite serious, but once he’d had a few drinks, he was just as loose as me.

Patty’s first impression: Bubbly, warm, full of energy, thoughtful & caring

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

Our first thought was what would work with the venue itself. Longfords has a beautiful red brick estate on the property with incurable rose gardens, so we wanted to complement that. I knew I wanted alfresco style dining on the lawn, so the colours really needed to work well with the house itself. Our own home is filled with rich 70’s oranges, browns & blues, so it felt natural that this is where we’d end up colour-wise.

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).

The most important visual element was definitely the table settings. Being alfresco-style dining, the tables were the centrepiece of the entire wedding. Sophie from With Sophie brought my crazy vision to life – I told her, “If you think that there’s enough on the tables, add more” I am a major maximalist. My friend & florist Cath from Aster & Bloom also kept telling Sophie this during setup, because she just knows me so well!

Lizzie from TBLE linen had also given us every single crazy piece of linen to work with, and I had gathered up so many of our household items as it fit the scheme perfectly, designed our own menus & signs, so it was just a big mash up!

My favourite element has to be the vintage matchboxes I found on Marketplace – a whole bowl (about a thousand I reckon!). We had these on silver platters for our guests to take home with them; also just such a fun talking point.

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

I think my top tip for couples from the start is to figure out your own style, not what’s on trend. Having trendy elements is so great, don’t get me wrong. But if you design your wedding as you would your house or your own dinner party, you’ll never regret that style choice.

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

I could rave on about every single vendor – we were so lucky. Two of my closest friends also happen to be the best hair & MUA in the biz, so having Gabby & Hannah there to glam us all in the morning was so incredibly special & they nailed it. Cream Eatery is where you’ll find me most days at home in Hamilton, they & I also work with them a lot at weddings, so I knew they were who we needed to go with for catering, their food is incredible & service unmatched.

Also cannot forget Rose from Roses Dining Table; she created the most insane bread & butter table for us, a beautiful chaotic art installation with a bread tower; it was such a cool element of the cocktail hour.

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

My first dress was the most incredible thing I have ever worn. In everyday life I wear very oversized clothes, so I was never going to wear something fitted. Brooke totally gets my style & made the perfect dress. We chose a Jacquard fabric so it had a real feminine touch to it. The whole process was perfect; she’s a genius.

My second outfit was never going to be white. I love colour & especially green right now, so I searched for months, finding the right dress & ended up at Acler. It is a two-piece set; the colour is called Basil (my son’s name), so I knew it was meant to be.

My best friend’s also had a bag made for me from one of my Nanas’ old dresses; this was the most special gift I could have ever received. It pulled everything together.

Tell us about your wedding and engagement rings.

My engagement ring is from a vintage ring seller, Coco Florence in Tauranga. I’ve always wanted one of her pieces & as soon as I saw my one come up for sale, I knew that was my ring. I love the thought of wearing something that has been loved before & will continue to be loved.

Erika Watson made our wedding bands. Mine is not so much a band (again, maximalist). My nana gifted me one of her rings to melt down, as well as Patty’s mum, who gave us two emeralds & some diamonds to add into the mix. I gave Erika full creative control on my ring; she’s so talented & I love it so much!

Patty had actually made a ring in middle school and still had it, a big chunky silver thing. So Erika melted that down & added the emerald into his too. So they’re matching!

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?).

Obviously being a wedding photographer myself – I was always going to spend what I needed to on this.

Keryn was the only one I had in mind for my day. How I shoot weddings is so heavily inspired by her work, so it just made sense. She’s so beautiful & the best person to have around on the day too.

Florals were an important part of the day & the styling, especially on the tables. Cath is a wizard & she knows my brain inside & out, so she was the perfect woman for the job.

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

For me, it was walking out from the homestead to dinner & seeing all of our favourite people in one place.

Seeing them all enjoying the day that we had spent too much time curating too.

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

We think it means being supportive & loyal to one another. Picking up the load when the other is down, sharing all of the highs & lows and simply creating our dream life together.