We wanted to host our wedding somewhere special to us as a couple.
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
We’re the Stevensons. Nick & Katherine. We live near Takapuna Beach on Auckland’s North Shore, in a gorgeous original 60s home that we’re dreaming of renovating one day. Our world also revolves around Walter, our adorable, energetic Dalmatian. He keeps us on our toes, but he’s also the reason we get out and make the most of the incredible ocean walks on our doorstep every weekend.
Nick works in Marketing & Wholesale for The North Face, and I work in Product Marketing at a FinTech. Outside of work, we share a real love of art, music, design and architecture. It’s a big part of how we see the world, and each other.
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
We’d both lived abroad, in London and Berlin, and met when we moved back to New Zealand in a bar on K’Rd in 2021. In a way, it was a semi-set-up, at a mutual friend’s birthday party at East Street Hall, after already hearing of each other through the grapevine. We chatted on and off through the night, though neither of us quite seized the moment. After a few messages the following day, our first date was later that week. 


Over the last five years, through lockdowns, family tragedies, health scares, and redundancies, we’ve grown together. We’ve raised a puppy, bought a house, and supported each other’s career progression. We’ve learned that however hard or happy life gets, we’re lucky to be doing it together x
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).
One of the first things we decided was that we wanted to host our wedding somewhere special to us as a couple. Nick is from Marlborough, and it’s the place where we first said, ‘I love you’ and years later got engaged, so we chose to have our ceremony on the lawn of the family bach in the Queen Charlotte Sound, and our reception at ‘The Stevenson Collection’ in Picton, a private collection of artworks his late father, Mark Stevenson, spent his lifetime building. Mark passed away a year before the wedding. So it was a special way to include him in the day.
The scenic beauty of the Marlborough Sounds and the backdrop of the important NZ art became our starting point, and everything else worked around those two things. We had to bring everything else in ourselves, but having those blank canvases meant we could build a look entirely around what already made these spaces meaningful. Every styling decision came back to one simple question: what would suit the gallery, and what would suit the bay?
These locations were not without their challenges. In the lead-up to the wedding, the Bach was being completely rebuilt from a devastating fire a couple of years earlier. Like most construction projects, it went over the predicted timeframe. With completion, landscaping and lawn laid down only days before the ceremony.
The Stevenson Collection is located in an old hardware store on Picton’s main street. We had to remove walls to create enough space to seat 100 guests. This left us with the hard choice of which of the 400 works to hang on the remaining walls. We settled on important pieces from Colin McCahon, Bill Hammond and Gordon Walters behind the bridal table. A portrait of Mark Stevenson by Toby Rain looked down over the reception. Our favourites from Toss Woolaston, Sally Gabori, Tony Fomison, Fiona Pardington and Aeysha Green, among others, decorated the rest of the gallery.
The result, with help from incredible vendors and family and friends, felt fully like us. We were blown away.
What did you enjoy most about the planning process, and do you have any tips for couples starting their wedding planning journey?
Honestly, what we enjoyed most was finally getting to the day itself and just being present for it. Planning for a DIY venue (two in our case!) outside of Auckland was a lot. That said, watching all the pieces finally come together was super exciting. We knew early on what we didn’t want, but figuring out exactly what we did want, what we could afford (big one), and making it feel personal and right for us was the harder part.
As for tips: it’s no secret there are so many decisions to make, and you’ll be bombarded with trends and options at every turn. My advice is to not give yourself too many choices, decide on your non-negotiables early and let the rest go. Expect to go way over budget; it happens to almost everyone. And choose your guest list as early as you can. It shapes so many other decisions. Good luck!
Tell us about your vendors. Were there any standout suppliers you would like to make special mention of?
I’d done a lot of research before we were even engaged, so I had a hit list of my fav vendors ready to go, in true Type A bride fashion. Our whole vendor team was incredible; they looked after us and made the day the success it was. So grateful, and I can’t recommend them all enough.
A few special mentions: Keryn Sweeney, our photographer, was brilliant from day one. She guided us through the whole process and had some great ideas that helped us plan the flow of the day. She captured every special moment throughout and made us feel completely at ease in front of the camera.
Roam. It was Anna’s first wedding season offering styling and furniture hire for the upper South Island, and her creative eye helped our vision come to life, from the mood board through to the beautiful pieces we hired.
My glam team was world-class (I was picky!). Elle of Ardour Hair, based in Blenheim, gave me the perfect slicked-back bun that lasted all day and night. Rae, whose fashion and bridal work I’d followed for ages, did makeup that made me feel the most beautiful I’ve ever felt.
Keeping the day rolling across multiple venues would’ve been impossible without our day-of coordinator, LJ, a legend who was the main point of contact for every vendor and kept the timeline humming.
Ed of South Sea Catering, a local chef, created food that guests are still talking about; the most common feedback we got afterwards was how amazing it was. We wanted oysters, and he delivered.
And our friend Chris, who’s just started DJing, created the best dance floor ever, outfit changes and all.

Nick’s dad’s best friend, Raymond McKay, hung our selected artworks from The Stevenson Collection.
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, and is there a story?
Nick had his bespoke suit designed by Grant and Nathan from Mawson Ossa. They’re an incredible tailoring house based in Sydney, with an interest in fashion; he knew exactly what he wanted. I, on the other hand, found choosing a wedding dress way harder than I expected. I thought I wanted something silky and slinky, but after some convincing, which I’m so happy about now, I went for something with a bit more drama.
Lizzie, founder of Love James, is a good friend of mine, so it was so exciting to legitimately become one of her customers. She’s your girl when it comes to all things vintage bridal. I went back to her three times before making the decision; she’d just come back from a sourcing trip to the States with all these incredible gowns. I love that her curation is completely one of a kind, all unique pieces, giving a dress another life. The gown I decided on was everything. I also love dancing, disco, and a bit of sparkle, so a second look was on the cards too. Which I’m so glad I did – as it meant I felt lighter and could really move more easily on the dance floor. Jess at Reparation Studio helped with alterations on both; she’s such a pro.
Tell us about your wedding and engagement rings.
The rings were a bit of a journey. After a bad experience with one creator, it delayed our timeline slightly, but Nick persevered and came across Cushla Whiting, run by Kiwi siblings based in Melbourne. He did such a good job picking my engagement ring himself; I trusted his judgement completely, though he had to put up with my impatience along the way! It ended up being my dream ring, an emerald-cut natural diamond; he did the best job. I loved it so much that I got my wedding ring from them too, to match. Nick had his own ring custom-made from Louis the Goldsmith, in Parnell. He went with a white gold signet style to complement the silver rings he often wears. We love having these keepsakes to treasure for the rest of our lives.
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?).
Photography was really our number one. We knew we wanted Keryn Sweeney to shoot our wedding as we loved her work. We actually chose our wedding date around her availability and locked her in before we were even engaged. We were blown away by the final images and are so grateful to have those memories to look back on forever. She’s such a talented lady and really helped us feel at ease throughout the day; neither of us is especially comfortable in front of the camera.
Catering was the other big one. Delicious food and beverages were important to us; we wanted our guests to be well looked after, with plenty to eat and drink, especially knowing how much everyone invests to be there. We sourced all Marlborough tipples to keep it local, and Chef Ed made all our favourite food, which was just so delicious.
Was there a favourite moment (or two) that you will treasure always?
The boat ride! What started out as pure logistics- how do we get our guests from the bay back to Picton- ended up being one of our absolute favourite moments. There’s only a small private road out, which is a bit tricky, so we shuttled everyone and then, after the ceremony, organised one of the local ferries to pick us all up for a 45-minute cruise back to Picton for the reception. It turned into the highlight of the day; we were all up on the roof of the boat with a big speaker, a bit tipsy, the fridges loaded with drinks, and snacks at the back. The photos from that cruise are iconic and some of our favourites from the whole day.
We also loved doing a full weekend itinerary. The night before, we all had drinks on the Picton waterfront. It was such a nice way to break the ice between guests, greet everyone before the big day, and make the most of the time we all had together. And we did a day-after gathering on the lawn at Cloudy Bay winery, another lovely chance to spend quality time with our guests before they flew out.
What does being married mean to you, and are there any special rituals you have that you would like to share?
For us, getting married meant sharing a commitment to each other and to the life we’ve been building, in front of our friends and family, AND being able to celebrate that love with a great party! It felt like a natural next step in our relationship. In a lot of ways, life feels the same as before, peacefully growing together & getting to know each other better day by day; we couldn’t be happier. If there’s a ritual we live by, it’s practising gratitude and not taking life for granted. We’ve learned that tomorrow isn’t promised, so we try to be present in the moment, remembering to take stock of all our blessings and telling each other how we feel, how grateful we are for one another, often and out loud.
CEREMONY LOCATION Whenuanui Bay Art House, Marlborough Sounds, NZ, @whenuanuibay_arthouse RECEPTION LOCATION The Stevenson Collection, Picton, NZ, @thestevensoncollection BRIDE Katherine, @kampavan GROOM Nick, @nickstevo
PHOTOGRAPHER Keryn Sweeney, @kerynsweeneyphotographer VIDEOGRAPHER Ana Galloway – Citra Studios, @citrastudios_ STYLIST Ana Galloway – Roam Events, @roameventsnz DAY OF COORDINATOR Laura Jean – LJC Front of House, @ljcfrontofhouse FLORIST Bianca – Dirt Studio, @dirtstudio__ CELEBRANT Friend of Couple – James Wotton MC Friend of Couple – Rob Byrne ENTERTAINMENT Chris Steel – Doctor Love, @drlovesdiscos HIRE Ana Galloway – Roam Events, @roameventsnz; Napkins – TBLE, @tble__linen__hire CATERING Ed – The South Sea Catering Co., @southseacatering CAKE Friend of the couple – Sonia Fitzpatrick STATIONERY Friends of the couple – Nelson Rayner & Rob Byrne SIGNAGE Larissa – Blu Design Studio, @blu.designstudio BRIDE’S RING Cushla Whiting, @cushlawhiting GROOM’S RING Louis the Goldsmith BRIDE’S DRESS Ceremony – Love James, @lovejamesstore; Second Look – Lizzie ALTERATIONS – Jess – Reparation Studio, @re_______studio BRIDE’S SHOES Ceremony – Neous, @neous; Party – Lana Wilkinson, @lanawilkinsonofficial BRIDE’S ACCESSORIES Veil – Brooke Tyson Ritual, @brooketysonritual; Second look scrunchie – Gloria, @gloria_nz_ MAKEUP Raeesah Sacha – Raeesah Sacha, @rae_makeup HAIR Elle Williamson – Ardour Hair, @ardourhair GROOM’S SUIT Mawson Óssa, @mawsonossa from Surry Hills Sydney GROOM’S SHOES Loafer – Sebago, @sebago_world from Workshop GROOM’S ACCESSORIES Speedmaster Watch – Omega, @omega from Nick’s father BRIDESMAIDS DRESSES The Dress Room, @thedressroom_rental; Ruby, @rubytakessnaps TRANSPORTATION Guest Shuttles – Sounds Connection, @soundsconnection; Boat Cruise: Beachcomber Cruises, @beachcombercruises
