It felt romantic, relaxed and completely us.
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
We are Alice and Liam, and by the time we finally said “I do”, we had been together for 12 years — so it’s fair to say we truly grew up together. Over those years, we’ve shared countless adventures, built a life together and become each other’s favourite person.
Alice works as an Associate Charge Nurse Manager in the Emergency Department, while Liam is an Anaesthetic Fellow. Outside of work, we love getting lost in a good book, discovering great food and spending time with our families at the beach.
A huge part of our lives has always been our gorgeous Golden Retriever, Appa, who was very much part of our family and our wedding day. Having him there for such an important chapter of our lives is something we feel incredibly lucky to have captured.
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
We met in 2013, during our very first week of university. We were both heading into our first chemistry lab when we got chatting, and Liam asked Alice to be his lab partner. What started as an innocent lab partnership quickly turned into a semester of flirting, with both of us secretly looking forward to our chemistry labs a little more than we probably should have!
After a semester of getting to know each other, we finally started dating during Re-O-Week halfway through the year.
As for our first impressions, Alice remembers thinking Liam was very tall, although it was during those chemistry labs that she quickly realised just how smart and sweet he was. Liam’s first impression of Alice was that she was incredibly kind and very pretty, an impression that, thankfully, hasn’t changed!
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).
Honestly, the natural beauty of Black Walnut Venue did so much of the work in bringing our vision to life. We instantly fell in love with the tree church, and the stunning glasshouse, filled with fragrant jasmine and white bougainvillea, felt like something out of a dream.
We also really wanted to incorporate the beautiful hydrangeas from our own garden. Alice had envisioned clouds of hydrangeas throughout the day, and Donna and our amazing friends completely surpassed anything we could have imagined; it was even more beautiful than the Pinterest board in Alice’s head!
Alice has loved weddings for as long as she can remember and had a Pinterest board dating all the way back to 2010, so it was incredibly special to finally see all those little ideas come to life. From the neon sign seating chart to our raspberry-topped cake — complete with our Goldie taking a cheeky bite — every detail felt so personal to us.
In the end, the combination of the venue’s natural beauty, the flowers, and all those little personal touches made everything come together so beautifully. It felt romantic, relaxed and completely us.
What did you enjoy most about the planning process, and do you have any tips for couples starting their wedding planning journey?
We had a long engagement, largely because of Liam’s career and the exams he needed to complete to become an anaesthetist. We got married two years after getting engaged, which turned out to be a real blessing when it came to planning. It meant we had plenty of time to research, plan and, most importantly, secure our first-choice vendors.
Our biggest piece of advice would be to invest in finding good, local vendors who you genuinely trust. We were so lucky to work with people who brought an incredible level of experience and expertise to our day. Everything ran so smoothly, and the quality and care they brought were obvious, not only to us, but to our guests too. Having a team of vendors we completely trusted made the whole experience so much more enjoyable.
Alice also loved being involved in the creative side of the wedding and took on a lot of the details herself. From growing and picking flowers from our own garden, to designing and making signage and building some of the décor, there were plenty of DIY projects along the way. We were very lucky to have a very talented group of people around us, friends who could work magic with flowers, Dads who could build almost anything, and sisters with design degrees!
It really did take a village. The weeks leading up to the wedding were quite stressful doing so much ourselves, but looking back, we wouldn’t change it. Every handmade sign, garden flower and little detail had a piece of us in it, and that made the day feel completely and unapologetically ours. We’d do it all again in a heartbeat.
Tell us about your vendors. Were there any standout suppliers you would like to make special mention of?
Honestly, we were so impressed with every single one of our vendors. It was such a wonderful feeling to look back on our wedding day and genuinely love every element, while also knowing that everyone had been fantastic to work with.
A huge standout was Black Walnut Venue. We hired the house on-site too, which meant we could have dinner with our families the night before the wedding, such a special way to begin the celebrations. The property also has the sweetest little lovers’ cottage, where we stayed after the wedding and woke up to beautiful water views. We were so grateful that Black Walnut allowed us to have our dog at the venue and as part of our day.
We also absolutely loved our photographer, Keryn Sweeney. She completely understood our vision, and it felt so good to give her full creative freedom on the day. She captured everything so beautifully, and the photos were even better than we could have hoped for.
And then there was the food! Honestly, 12/10. We did a tasting with Blank Canvas and were blown away by the chef’s talent. Kylie was also incredible to work with. They say that brides don’t eat on their wedding day, but Alice can confidently say she absolutely went hard on the food; it was just too good to miss!
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, and is there a story?
Alice always knew she wanted a long-sleeved wedding dress, although it proved surprisingly difficult to find the one! She first came across the Vivienne Gown by MWL on Instagram and instantly knew it was exactly what she had been looking for. She found it at a New Zealand boutique, but they only had a size 16 sample, making it very difficult to imagine how it would actually look. Luckily, Alice had some very supportive friends who could see the vision, even when the dress was clipped, shapeless and almost impossible to visualise!
A few months later, Alice and Liam travelled to Sydney, where Alice discovered that the MWL Boutique stocked the dress in her size. The moment she tried it on, she knew. It felt classic and timeless, while the long train, pearls all the way up the sleeves and open back gave it a fun, modern edge. Paired with the namesake veil, everything came together perfectly.
As for the second look, we had a little bit of wedding luck along the way: Alice won the Poppy dress by MWL in an Instagram competition from Felicity’s Bridal! The boutique has since closed, but winning it was such a happy surprise. It ended up being a second bridal look Alice absolutely loved, and one she would have chosen even if she hadn’t won it. It was an unexpected little piece of luck that made the day feel even more special.
Tell us about your wedding and engagement rings.
Alice’s engagement ring is a beautiful oval solitaire from Cullen Jewellery, set low to make it practical for her work as a nurse. She wanted something timeless that she could wear every day, while still feeling really special.
For our wedding rings, we both chose Michael Hill. Alice found the perfect band to sit alongside her low-set engagement ring, with tiny diamonds set into the band that fit beautifully against the solitaire. Liam chose a classic gold wedding band; simple, timeless and exactly his style.
We both love our rings and feel like they are pieces we’ll never get tired of wearing. They’re classic enough to feel timeless, but each has little details that make them feel very us.
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?).
Can we choose three? We decided early on which elements were most important to us and made a conscious choice not to skimp on them. We found this was a great way to spend where it really mattered to us, while saving on some of the smaller details that weren’t as important.
For us, the three were the venue, food and photography.
The venue sets the entire scene and really establishes the feeling and atmosphere of the day, so we knew we wanted somewhere that felt special from the moment you arrived. Then there was the food; everyone remembers the food! We both love to eat well, and we felt that great food was such an important part of creating an amazing experience for ourselves and our guests.
Finally, photography. Keryn was the only vendor we chose not to use a local vendor, and although that came with some additional costs, it was completely worth it. We knew that once the day was over, our photographs would be the one tangible thing we had to look back on. Keryn captured the day so beautifully that our photos genuinely feel like pieces of art in our home. We know we’ll look back at them for years to come and adore every single one.
Was there a favourite moment (or two) that you will treasure always?
Without a doubt, our favourite moment was our ceremony. Saying our personal vows in the tree church, surrounded by clouds of hydrangeas from our garden and all the people we love, was genuinely the most special moment of our lives. Having our wonderful friend, Xanthe, marry us made it even more meaningful and personal.
And then there was Appa. Our gorgeous Golden Retriever was our ring bearer, and he brought us our rings before casually lying down in front of us as we said: “I do”. Honestly, he was like a paid actor in that moment; he couldn’t have timed it better if we had asked him!
Those photographs of the three of us during the ceremony are now completely priceless. We heartbreakingly lost Appa just five months after our wedding, so having those beautiful images of him right there with us, on such an important day, means more to us than we could ever have imagined at the time.
It was the perfect moment: surrounded by our favourite people, marrying each other, with our beloved dog right there beside us. Hands down, the best moment, and one we will treasure forever.
What does being married mean to you, and are there any special rituals you have that you would like to share?
Being married changed everything and nothing at all at the same time. We had already lived together for years, and our lives were deeply intertwined, but somehow getting married deepened our connection and gave an even greater meaning to the love and commitment we had made to each other for life.
One of our favourite little rituals is having coffee in bed together. It was actually mentioned separately in both of our vows as something we each love, which probably says a lot about us! There’s something so simple and comforting about spending a slow weekend morning reading our books, drinking coffee and enjoying each other’s company. It’s a small ritual, but one we hope to carry with us throughout our marriage.
We’re now expecting our first baby, a little boy due in February 2027, so we know marriage is about to take on an entirely new meaning. We’re excited to discover all the new rituals, ordinary moments and adventures that will become part of our life as a family.
LOCATION Black Walnut Venue, Whakamārama, Tauranga, New Zealand, @blackwalnutvenue BRIDE Alice, @alice_mcaskie GROOM Liam, @liam_mcaskie PHOTOGRAPHER Keryn Sweeney, @kerynsweeneyphotographer FLORIST Friend, Donna Kay, @donnamkay with the help of a group of incredible friends CELEBRANT Xanthe Patterson – Days Like This, @dayslikethis_nz ENTERTAINMENT DJ4You, @dj4younz; DJ Matt Naylor, @mattnaylornz; Saxophonist – Sam Trenwith, @sam.trenwith PLINTHS & NEON SIGN SEATING CHART Made by the bride’s Dad CATERING Blank Canvas Catering, @blankcanvascatering CAKE Spongedrop, @spongedrop STATIONERY Designed with the help of the bride’s sister who is a designer in London – Sophia Martins, @___sophiamartins___ SIGNAGE Made by the bride WEDDING RINGS Michael Hill, @michaelhillj ENGAGEMENT RING Cullen Jewellery, @cullenjewellery OTHER SIGNIFICANT JEWELLERY Dog Nose Print Cufflinks from Etsy BRIDE’S CEREMONY DRESS Vivienne Gown – MWL Bride, @mwlbride BRIDE’S RECEPTION DRESS Poppy Dress – MWL Bride, @mwlbride BRIDE’S SHOES Indy Heels – LA Tribe, @la.tribe BRIDE’S ACCESSORIES Alice Veil – MWL Bride, @mwlbride; Pearl Earrings – Michael Hill, @michaelhillj MAKEUP Prita Fermah, @pritafermah HAIR Yvanna Saunders, @yvanasanders_ BRIDE’S FRAGRANCE No. 04 Bois de Balincourt – Maison Louis Marie, @maisonlouismarie GROOM’S TUXEDO Rembrandt, @rembrandt1946 GROOM’S SHOES Patent Leather Shoes – Rembrandt, @rembrandt1946 GROOM’S ACCESSORIES Dog Nose Print Cufflinks from Etsy GROOM’S FRAGRANCE Invictus – Rabanne, @rabanne BRIDESMAIDS DRESSES Goldie Gown – Caitlin Crisp, @caitlincrisp GROOMSMEN TUXEDO Rembrandt, @rembrandt1946
