I spent most of my time on one knee trying to convince her that I wasnāt joking. The ring was on her finger eventually and it was no less special. But if we were to do it again, I probably wouldnāt pull that prank at the gift store or push the āde factoā narrative quite so hard.
Alice āā Patrick is a commercial banker and Iām a project manager in the construction industry. We met in Wellington ā it was my second year at uni while Patrick was at the beginning of his career. There were multiple attempts to set us up, but it wasnāt until 2013 that we finally met at a gig at San Fran on Cuba St. My first impression was that Patrick was fun, charming, and handsome.
Patrick āā Alice, this shy little brunette girl with gorgeous green eyes, loved a cocktail and a pointy-finger dance.
Alice āā We eventually went on a casual date at Hotel Bristol. After a few drinks and a bowl of hot chips, we realised weād been sitting there for a few hours and still hadnāt run out of things to talk about. Patrick was really sweet and surprisingly sensitive. Talking to him was easy.
Patrick āā Alice wasnāt the shy girl I thought she was. She was sharp, knew exactly what she wanted, and was the daughter of a chef. She made it known that she was a bit of a foodie.
Alice āā I knew almost immediately that Patrick was my person. During the wedding speeches, it was cute to hear that heād messaged his sister after our first date telling her I was āthe oneā. When he proposed, weād been in a relationship for 7 years, and living together for 5. While I was hopeful, Patrickās motto was āde facto is the future, babeā. Then, in 2020, I organised a road trip down the West Coast to Queenstown. We were killing time in a tourist shop before heading to Fox Glacier when Patrick jokingly asked what Iād say if he proposed with a ring heād picked up from one of the shelves. I said, āIād be happy with anythingā. Soon after, we were strapped into crampons, exploring ice caves, when our guide asked if anyone wanted a photo. Patrick handed over his phone. When our guide said āCheese!ā, I looked to Patrick who was down on one knee with a ring in his hand.
Patrick āā I spent most of my time on one knee trying to convince her that I wasnāt joking. The ring was on her finger eventually and it was no less special. But if we were to do it again, I probably wouldnāt pull that prank at the gift store or push the āde factoā narrative quite so hard.
Alice āā We were on cloud nine once I managed to process everything. Our first decision was the wedding venue. We wanted to get married in Marlborough and knew Paripuma, an award-winning native garden, was the spot when we saw it. Itās already breathtaking, so we kept everything very simple, with only white florals and festoon lights to bring it all together.
I managed to keep my party dress a secret from Patrick. In the days before the wedding, Patrick became more and more nervous about our first dance, especially when he saw my dress, which weighed 5 kilograms and had a 2-metre train. In contrast, my party dress (which I kept secret from Patrick) weighed less than 500 grams, so once Iād changed it felt like it really was time to party.
PHOTOGRAPHER: Sophie Isabella, @sophieisabellaphoto / LOCATION: Paripuma, @paripuma / BRIDEāS CEREMONY DRESS: Trish Peng, @trishpeng / VEIL: Holly Veil by Made with Love, @madewithlovebridal / GROOMāS + GROOMSMEN’S SUITS: 3 Wise Men, @_3wisemen / MAKEUP: Lucinda Campbell, @lucindacampbellmakeup / HAIR: Tiffany at Style Sisters, @tiffany_stylesistersnz / SHOES: Alias Mae, @aliasmae / CEREMONY EARRINGS: Antique, borrowed from mother / BRIDEāS RING: Grew and Co, @grewandco / GROOMāS RING: Polished Diamonds, @polisheddiamondsnz / FLORA: Got it Covered, @gotitcoverednz / BRIDESMAIDSā DRESSES: Bec + Bridge, @becandbridge / BRIDESMAIDSā SHOES: Senso, @senso / BRIDESMAIDSā BLAZERS: Juliette Hogan, @juliettehogan; Saba, @sabastyle; Maggie Marilyn, @maggiemarilyn / STATIONERY: Little Paper Store, @littlepaperstore / PLANNER: Emma Newman, @emmanewmanevents / CELEBRANT: Daniel Whittaker (a friend), @danwhittaker / FRAGRANCE: Gentle Fluidity Gold by Maison Francis Kurkdjian, @maisonfranciskurkdjian / ENTERTAINMENT: @cornersoundsband / HIRE & MARQUEE: Got it Covered, @gotitcoverednz / CATERING: Feast Merchants, @feastmerchants / CAKE: Just Desserts, @justdessertschristchurch / BRIDEāS PARTY DRESS: Katie May, @katiemaycollection / PARTY EARRINGS: Jasmin Sparrow, @jasminsparrowjewellery / GIFTING: Wishing well for honeymoon