Becky + Alex by Brazen Honey - Together Journal

Our vision was inspired by the charm of “Old Vegas.”

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

We’re Becky and Alex, both working in finance. Becky in the Commercial & Agri division at ANZ and Alex within the Institutional team at BNZ. Our shared passion for golf means we spend our weekends on the course followed by a few beers with friends at our Golf club Akarana.

Living in New Zealand, we’re fortunate to have breathtaking hikes right at our doorstep, particularly in the South Island. Each summer, we make it a point to disconnect from our busy Auckland lives to head off on a multi-day hiking trip, staying in backyard huts along the way. Our love for nature, travel, adventure, and good company truly defines us.

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

We first crossed paths at ANZ, and let’s just say our initial impressions weren’t exactly love at first sight! We laugh about it now, but it didn’t take long for things to change. What started as colleagues turned into a close friendship, and I found myself working extra hours just to spend more time with him. It took a while for us both to gather the courage to share our feelings, but by the time we did, we already knew it would be a forever thing.

When did you first realise that this was someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?

Early in our relationship we bought a house together with the intention of completing a full renovation. We thought it would be a great idea to live in the house during the renovations, which meant enduring some challenging conditions. There were times with no shower, toilet, kitchen, or even running water, and at one point, we had only three-quarters of a roof!

Despite the lack of modern conveniences, those months were some of the bests of our lives. We shared laughter, tackled challenges together, and created unforgettable memories. It was during that time, navigating the ups and downs, that I realized we were in it for the long haul. I knew then that this was someone I wanted to spend my life with.

Was there a proposal? Tell us a little about it…

Yes, the proposal was very “us.”

Given our love of golf, I always thought Alex would pop the question on a beautiful golf course. During our two-week golf trip to Queenstown over the summer, I was sure that moment would come, only to find out later that Alex thought it would be “too predictable.”

A couple of months later, we were hiking the Cape Brett trail, a stunning 32km return journey. Halfway through, we stopped at a beautiful viewpoint overlooking the Bay of Islands for a picnic lunch. As we were getting up to leave, I turned around to find Alex down on one knee, with a ring.

The ring itself was about ten sizes too big and I had to use all the plasters in our backpack to make sure it wouldn’t slip off during our hike back. Alex had also hiked in a bottle of champagne, but he forgot to bring cups. So, there we were, sharing the bottle and talking excitedly about our future together.

Tell us about the vision you had for the mood or style of your wedding.

Our vision was inspired by the charm of “Old Vegas.” We adored the vintage glitz and glamour of downtown, where retro casinos and bright lights capture the true essence of Vegas. With limited control over the décor in the chapel and restaurant, the only place we could show our vision was through photo locations. For our photos, we wanted to embrace that iconic atmosphere, and our amazing photographers, Brian and Haley, helped us find the perfect spots to showcase it. They were able to capture the vibrant spirit of Vegas in a way that felt timeless on a 35mm film, which beautifully brought our vintage vision to life.

What was one element you were happy to splurge on?

We started by listing our wedding non-negotiables, and it quickly became clear that my list had ten items while Alex had just one! Let’s just say I had to revisit my priorities a few times. In Vegas, it’s all too easy to watch your budget slip away, so we made it a point to keep an eye on our spending leading up.

For me, the two must-haves were the reception dinner location and, of course, the champagne. Since we opted for a small wedding, we held our reception dinner at the Mayfair Supper Club inside the Bellagio. It was an incredible venue! In true Vegas fashion, we enjoyed a unique dining experience with glamourous burlesque dancers performing around us, adding a memorable touch to the evening.

As for Alex, his non-negotiable was the after-party, which we held at Omnia Nightclub, where the DJ Zedd was performing. It was the perfect way to round out our celebration.

Did anything happen on your wedding day that you laugh about in hindsight (even if it was stressful at the time)?

Absolutely! On our flight from Auckland to Los Angeles, Alex broke his wrist. After enjoying a few drinks in the Air NZ lounge, we boarded the plane, only to realise we had left our entire bridal outfits hanging behind. Thankfully, the amazing staff at Air NZ let Alex run back to retrieve them. In his rush, he slipped on a wet floor and broke his wrist. Being the trooper he is, he got back up and sprinted to make sure he didn’t miss the flight. However, within ten minutes, his wrist had swollen significantly, and it was clear he had a break. A doctor on board was able to strap his wrist and fashioned a splint out of cardboard.

With only Nurofen for pain relief, it turned into a long 13 hours for him. When we got to America the doctor advised waiting until the swelling subsided before applying a cast, so we decided to go ahead with the wedding the next day.

This meant we had to rethink the “dip kiss” we had envisioned at the altar, but thankfully no cast to ruin the photos. 

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

What we didn’t anticipate before booking our wedding was that Las Vegas averages 42 degrees in August. Given the heat and our vision of Old Vegas, opting for a mini-dress was an obvious choice.

While we went for a non-traditional wedding experience, we still wanted our outfits to feel smart and chic. Both of us left our choices until the last minute. Alex didn’t finalize his outfit until the week of the wedding, and I chose my dress just two weeks beforehand. I hadn’t even tried it on or seen it in person. We had it shipped fast post from Australia, and thankfully it fit perfectly, because there was no time for alterations.