Ash & Tom by Barefoot & Bearded

Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love, what is unique about you and your relationship…Tom and I made the move from NZ to Melbourne around 3 years ago for a change of scenery, and ended up buying a house and our dog Lilly, and finding jobs we absolutely love.

Tom works in Marketing for a Motorcycle company, and I work as a Graphic & Textile designer for an Australian Fashion retailer.

We met 13 years ago as teenagers, on a popular social media website. As soon as we met in person, I like to say it was love at first sight, and we were inseparable.  At the time, meeting online was a bit strange and controversial, especially for our parents; so that secret was kept until the day of our wedding and revealed to our families during the ceremony. We had always told them we met through friends so it was quite a shock to them that we had kept that quiet all of those years!

Tell us about your special day, was there a specific theme or style? Tell us a little about the setting, the styling and some of your favourite details…

Although we live in Melbourne, we both knew we had to get married in beautiful New Zealand. We really wanted to have a relaxed, non-traditional, DIY style wedding. I had seen photos of these tipi tents and fell in love with the idea of having these on our day. We managed to find an amazing piece of land at Mahurangi West Hall, a perfect space for the tents.

DIY is HARD. But rewarding. Both families chipped in to help us set up the day before. This made the whole event so special.

One of my favourite details was the ceremony tipi, my parents had gathered the sticks near our chalet in Ohakune. A place that means so much to Tom and I. The floral stylist added amazing florals to the whole space which we didn’t see until the day of. She really helped to bring the wow factor to our wedding!

Tom is also a big chilli fanatic. So as a wedding favour, I designed labels and we bottled Hot Sauce for guests to take home. They looked so cute on the tables.

Tell us about your main outfits:

Toms suit was from Asos, and we had bought the groomsmen semi matching versions. When we arrived in Auckland, none of them fit, so we ended up running around two days before the wedding buying new pants from three different Country Road stores in the city. Talk about stress!

I had bought a dress about 8 months before my wedding with my mum in Melbourne. I loved it, but at the same time…. I was always second guessing. A new collection was released by Rue De Seine, and I could not take my eye off the Nahla Gown. 9 weeks before my wedding I decided I had to try it on. Rue de Seine needed 8 weeks for an extreme rush order. Everyone thought I was crazy. The Bridal Atelier in Melbourne flew the dress from Sydney for me overnight. I tried it on that next day and put down my deposit. It was the one. As for the other dress… I lost my deposit. But was it worth it? YES!! 

What were some of the most memorable/unique moments from the day?

I think what we will remember most is just all the love in the air. Keeping the guest list small means that you can have the most important people there. And everyone is there for you. They have travelled the country, or flown from another country just for you. It’s such a special and memorable feeling. There aren’t many times in your life that you are able to have all of your best friends and family in one space and we were so grateful for that.

Any advice for other couples planning to spend the rest of their lives together?

Do your day the way that you want to do it. Go with your gut. Try not to get caught up in old traditions or other people’s opinions. There are so many options for weddings these days, have fun with it!

Venue: Mahurangi West Hall | Videographer: Patty Lagera | Photographer: Barefoot & Bearded | Celebrant: Justine Russell-Cowen |  Entertainment: Rachel Hamilton & Mix It DJ | Flora & Styling: Floral Stylist | Marquee: Topkata Tents | Catering: Morepork BBQ | Cake: The Caker | Signage Printing: Blink Boys | Bar: The Cute Caravan Company | Groom & Groomsmen Suits: ASOS | Bride’s Dress: Rue De Seine Bridal | Ring/s:  Windfall Jewellery | Bride’s Shoes: Chaos & Harmony (Ceremony) & Therapy Shoes (Boots) | Groom’s Shoes: 3 Wise Men | Bride’s Earrings: Redcurrent | Makeup & Hair: Morgan Manson | Fragrance: YSL Black Opium | Bridesmaid Dresses: Bec + Bridge