We had a vision for a very classic, timeless wedding.
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
Alex has been a builder for 6 years, working on high-end residential builds in Havelock North, New Zealand. Priscilla (Cilla) is a Chartered Accountant who has been working for a ‘Big 4’ Accounting firm for the last three and a half years. We both grew up in Havelock North, and both of our families are still based here. Alex loves doing home renos on our ‘doer-upper’ and playing rugby for Havelock North, and Cilla enjoys all things baking, reading, and long walks, and we both love spending time with our families.
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
We first met at Havelock North New World when we were 15. Cilla was a checkout chick who was first introduced to Alex by his mum, who knew Cilla’s mum from many years ago. Alex would come through Cilla’s checkouts on Mondays after school, and we must have both liked each other as we ended up messaging on Instagram for about a year. We then went our separate ways, Cilla to uni and Alex stayed in Havelock to begin his building apprenticeship, whilst still remaining friends. Once Cilla had finished her degree, she moved home, and she and Alex began hanging out again with mutual friends. Within a couple of months, we started dating, and the rest is history! We got engaged one sunny afternoon at the beautiful Cape Kidnappers Restaurant, sitting on a bench looking out over Hawke’s Bay.
When did you first realise that this was someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?
For Cilla, it was within the first couple of months that she was sure he would be the one! We got along really well, and it felt like it was meant to be. For Alex, it was a more gradual process, where, after a year or so, he realised he never wanted to live without his best friend.
Tell us about the vision you had for the mood and style of your wedding. (theme, key styling elements, florals, colour palettes etc.).
We had a vision for a very classic, timeless wedding. There were definitely a few trends that looked fun and exciting, but we were keen for a wedding that we could look back on in 30 years and still love. This meant lots of timeless white florals, simple candles and roses for the tables and elegant black suits. Cilla also wanted her dress to be simple and elegant, with touches of more modern style, which were added with the pearl drop earrings, pearl veil, and Hollywood curls.
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).
We loved the classic Italian look of the vineyard covered by grapevines at St George’s; this really set the scene for the timeless elegance we wanted for our wedding. This also created depth with all white florals and black suits.
What did you enjoy most about the planning process and do you have any tips for couples starting their wedding planning journey?
We enjoyed the process of planning something and then seeing it come to fruition on the day. It was really special seeing all of the elements come together to create our vision. Although you feel like the day goes very fast, it was great looking back on all the amazing photos taken by Bry and being able to say we planned it and it worked out how we wanted.
A tip we would give is to be prepared – this will remove all of the unwanted stress of things not being done, and you can really enjoy the lead up to the day. The last few months go so fast, so really put in the work upfront. We didn’t have a wedding planner, so it was all up to us! Although there were slight hiccups along the way, these didn’t matter in the end, as we were just so excited to be getting married.
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, is there a story?
There wasn’t any unique story behind our outfits; it was all about fitting into our classic vision. Cilla wanted a bit of a train, and loved the idea of a simple dress and a pearl-studded veil. Both of her sisters had been married within the last 5 years, and both had tried on the veil and loved it, but decided not to wear one, and they both regretted it! So it was really fun to be able to wear it, it was almost like she got to wear it for the three of them!
What was 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?).
For Alex, that was definitely the food! And for Cilla, this was the dress, because she felt this would frame her entire look and vibe of the day!
BRIDE Priscilla, @cillarose_philip GROOM Alex, @alexcorbanphilip VENUE St George’s Restaurant, Havelock North, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, @stgeorgesrestaurantnz PHOTOGRAPHER Bryony Alexander – Newfound, @newfoundweddings FLORIST Pom Pom Florals, @pompom_florals CELEBRANT Jack Lamborn ENTERTAINMENT The Celebrants CATERING St George’s Restaurant, @stgeorgesrestaurantnz CAKE Made by the bride’s mother STATIONERY Invitations – Made by the bride’s cousin, Cassidy Taylor SIGNAGE By the bride RINGS Pascoes The Jewellers, @pascoes_ BRIDE’S DRESS “Meleca” by Stella York from the Bridal Studio, @bridal_studio DRESS ALTERATION OBriasco Bridal, @obriasco_bridal BRIDE’S SHOES Isabella Anselmi BRIDE’S ACCESSORIES Pearl Veil – Made With Love Bridal, @madewithlovebridal; Earrings – Bridal Studio, @bridal_studio; Gold Bangle – Bride’s Mum’s HAIR & MAKEUP Makayla at Marble Fox Beauty, @marblefox.beauty BRIDE’S FRAGRANCE Paradoxe Eau De Parfum – Prada, @prada SUIT Gibson – Thomson’s Suits, @thomsonssuits GROOM’S SHOES Black leather boots – R.M. Williams, @rmwilliams GROOM’S ACCESSORIES R.M. Williams, @rmwilliams GROOM’S HAIR Cut and styled by the groom’s mother BRIDESMAIDS DRESSES Forever New, @forevernew_official BRIDESMAIDS’ SHOES NATA White Block Heels BRIDESMAIDS’ HAIR Vetty Owen
