Alex + Rob by Keryn Sweeney

I wanted everything to feel fresh, bright and elegant, with that relaxed European summer feeling

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

Alex: I have spent the last few years working in the people and talent space. Outside of work, I love clothes/shoes, our family and friends, and spending far too much time with our cat Milo.

Rob: I’ve spent the last 10 years working in marketing and advertising but have recently taken some time away on a medical sabbatical, now spending some more time on my health, family, and my passion for racing Ironman triathlons.

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

Rob: We had initially followed each other on Instagram (Alex followed me first) and exchanged likes. But we met in person for the first time on the dancefloor of 1885 in Britomart. Alex’s friends had hatched a plan to have us meet, and lo and behold, it worked. From that day on we’ve been inseparable, and the rest was history.

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).

Alex: From the beginning, I had a really clear feeling of how I wanted the day to look and feel. I wanted everything to feel fresh, bright and elegant, with that relaxed European summer feeling, almost like we had been transported to Italy or Tuscany for the weekend. I loved the idea of bringing in colour through the bridesmaids, while keeping the rest of the styling soft, natural and timeless.

I always knew I wanted my bridesmaids to wear dresses that they genuinely felt comfortable and beautiful in. I didn’t want them all in the same dress, or even necessarily the same colour. I wanted each of them to be able to choose something that felt like them, and I loved the idea that they could each bring their own personality and style to the day.

They ended up wearing completely different colours and styles, and it all came together so beautifully. The bright colours became such a big part of the personality of the day, rather than having a traditional, perfectly matched bridal party. It made everything feel much more personal, relaxed and effortless, which was exactly what I wanted.
Rob and I both love green, so I always knew I wanted green and white to be the main colours throughout the wedding. We carried those colours through the florals and styling, which helped create a sense of consistency while still letting the bridesmaids and their dresses really stand out.

Mudbrick was also such a huge part of the visual direction. We were so lucky to be getting married somewhere that was already incredibly beautiful, with the views across the water to Auckland, the gardens and the surrounding Waiheke landscape. We knew we didn’t want to compete with any of that; we wanted to lean into it and let the setting do a lot of the work. The goal was to make everything feel like it naturally belonged there, rather than overly styled or too perfect.

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

Alex: We both genuinely enjoyed the entire planning process. We’re both naturally quite organised, and from the beginning we had a really clear visual and emotional vision for what we wanted the day to feel like, which made the decisions come quite naturally.

We worked closely with Claire throughout the planning process, and she made everything feel so easy and enjoyable. Having someone who understood our vision and could bring it all together was such a huge part of that.

Most importantly, we tried to keep coming back to how we wanted the day to feel, rather than getting too caught up in what we thought a wedding was supposed to look like. That made the whole process feel really personal to us.

Rob: Our biggest piece of advice would be to lean into each other’s strengths. Alex loved the flowers, styling and all the pretty details, while I am much more suited to the design space and Excel spreadsheets for budgeting. We divided things up naturally based on what we each enjoyed and were good at, which meant the planning felt like something we were doing together rather than something one person was carrying.

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

Alex: We feel incredibly lucky to have had the people we did around us for our wedding. We had spent so much time thinking about how we wanted the day to feel, and each of our vendors understood that it wasn’t just about creating a beautiful wedding, but creating something that felt like us and reflected the life we have built together.

Mudbrick, particularly Constance and her team, deserve such a special mention. It was already somewhere we loved, but they made the whole experience feel incredibly easy and personal. They gave us the freedom to create a day that felt like ours, while taking such wonderful care of us and our guests. Claire was such an important part of our wedding journey. She understood our vision from the beginning and brought everything together on the day, including all of the styling. She made the planning process feel exciting rather than overwhelming, and gave us the freedom to simply enjoy it.

Keryn captured our entire day and made us feel completely at ease. Rob and I were nervous about being in front of the camera, but somehow she and Hope made it feel like we were just hanging out with friends. Looking back through our photos, we see the people we love, the little moments we missed, and so many pieces of our story. She captured not just what the day looked like, but what it felt like, and those photographs are something we will treasure forever.

Tasha, our celebrant, made our ceremony feel incredibly personal. She took the time to understand us, our relationship and the people who mattered most to us, creating a ceremony that genuinely felt like the two of us. It was one of the most meaningful parts of the day.

Mia was particularly special because she is also a very dear friend. Having someone who knows us and our relationship design our stationery made those details feel even more meaningful. She took little pieces of our vision and personality and turned them into something beautiful that will always be part of our wedding story.

Sam helped create the soundtrack to our day, which was so important to us. Music played such a big role in the atmosphere, from the ceremony through to the dance floor, and he understood exactly what we wanted the day to feel like.

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

Alex: When I started looking for my wedding dress, I honestly didn’t really know what I wanted. I went to a few fittings with different bridesmaids and friends, my mum, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law, and tried to keep a completely open mind. Over time, I realised that what I really wanted was a classic princess gown.

I ended up choosing a dress from Jessica Couture, a New Zealand-based bridal design brand, which felt really special to me. I wanted something that felt undeniably bridal, but still had a sense of personality and felt like me. The dress was classic and timeless, with little details that made it feel fun and personal. Including my ‘big apple red’ nails!

I also knew from the beginning that I wanted to have a second dress. I love dancing and any excuse to wear sequins, so it felt like the perfect opportunity to have a completely different look for the reception. Changing into my second dress was one of my favourite decisions of the day. I felt lighter, could move much more easily, and it made it so much easier to get out on the dance floor and enjoy the night.

The second look gave me the opportunity to have a bit more fun with the styling. It felt less formal and more playful, which was exactly what I wanted as the day moved into the party.

Looking back, I love that I had two completely different looks. The first felt timeless and quintessentially bridal, while the second was playful, sparkly and made for dancing. Both felt completely like me, just different sides of me.

Rob: For me, I got to go suit shopping with my Dad, which was such a special moment. I even had my sister tag along to one of the fittings as well, which was super cool. Sharon and her team at Working Style in Parnell are so lovely and made the process so great. The tux style was exactly what I wanted, and I even had the chance to change the inner lining to something a bit more personal, as well as including a patch dedicated to our big day using our wedding logo on the inside of the jacket.

Tell us about your wedding and engagement rings.

Alex: For my engagement ring, Rob proposed on our 8-year anniversary, so there had been plenty of photos and videos sent over the years that he could use for inspiration. I don’t wear a lot of jewellery, so I always knew I wanted something simple, timeless and classic.

Growing up, my mum had an oval opal ring that had been given to her by her grandmother, and I had always loved the shape and sentimental meaning behind it. I knew I wanted something that felt similar, with that same sense of timelessness and connection to family.

What made my ring even more special was that Rob took his mum along with him throughout the designing and picking up process. Knowing that they chose it together made it feel even more meaningful, and it is something I will always treasure.

Rob: The same as I did with my Dad and the suit, I always wanted to ensure I brought my family along for the journey as well, so having my mum be a part of the initial briefing, ring design, and final approval/pick-up stages with The Diamond Shop team meant the world to me. Picking up the ring with her and us both being absolutely floored by the beauty of it was a memory I’ll keep forever. For the wedding bands, I got to enlist the help of an old friend of mine, Guy, who is so incredibly talented. Knowing they were crafted by him makes them even more special, and we couldn’t have been more stoked with the process. He’s a legend.

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?).

Alex: For us, the venue was such an important part of creating the experience we wanted for our guests. We chose Mudbrick because it felt like somewhere that could give people a really special experience from the moment they arrived on Waiheke. The setting is incredible, with the views across the water to Auckland and the beautiful garden surroundings; it really makes you feel like you’ve been transported overseas while only being a ferry ride away from home.

Mudbrick has such incredible food and beverage options, and that was really important to us. We wanted our guests to feel completely taken care of and to have an experience that felt generous, relaxed and memorable. We wanted people to be able to arrive, settle in, enjoy incredible food and wine, and simply be present with us and each other. And also making sure that nobody went home feeling hungry!

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

Alex: There are so many moments from the day that we will treasure, but a few stand out for completely different reasons.

The first would have to be the surprise Milo moment. We are completely obsessed with our cat, Milo, so there was never any question that he needed to be part of the wedding somehow. Bringing him to Waiheke wasn’t exactly practical, so we found the next best thing: a giant Milo cutout! We decided not to have a traditional first dance and instead surprised our guests when I came out in my second dress with the giant Milo sign, dancing to Where Is My Husband? It was completely ridiculous, completely us, and one of those moments that had everyone laughing.

We also really wanted the people we love to be genuinely involved in the day. So many of our family and friends have shaped who we are and our relationship, so it felt wrong for them to simply be guests. Both of our mums signed our marriage licence, our brothers were our ring bearers, my sister-in-law was our flower girl, and Rob’s sister was our MC. We were also surrounded by a bridal party that included people who have been part of our lives from the very beginning of our relationship.

Our speeches were another moment we will always treasure. Our wedding gave us the opportunity to properly thank the people who have loved, supported and shaped us, as well as each other. One moment that will stay with us forever was Rob learning the beginning of his speech in Croatian as a surprise for his parents. Seeing their reaction was incredibly special and such a thoughtful way for him to honour his family.

Looking back, what made those moments so memorable was that they captured both sides of us: the silly, fun side that absolutely had to involve a giant cardboard Milo, and the deeply emotional side of being surrounded by the people we love most. Our wedding felt like a celebration not just of our marriage, but of everyone who helped us get there. It felt completely and authentically us.

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

Alex and Rob: For us, being married doesn’t feel like the beginning of our story, but rather the most beautiful continuation of a life we had already been building together for so many years. We had been together for almost a decade before we got married, so the wedding wasn’t about starting a new chapter as much as it was about choosing each other, again and again, for all the chapters still to come.

There is something really special about knowing that the person standing beside you is the person you want beside you for everything. The exciting things, the hard things (doing 9 70.3 ironmans), the takeaway Thursday nights and the big life moments. When we wrote our vows, one of the sentiments that kept coming through was that my search had stopped at Rob. After so many years together, that still feels like the simplest way to describe it. I found my person.

Marriage, to us, is about being a team. It’s about creating a home and a life that feels like ours, making space for each other to grow, and continuing to choose each other through every version of life. We talk a lot about our future, including the family we hope to build together, and there is something really comforting about knowing we get to experience all of that side by side.