Bianca & Brett by Tiffany Curtis

Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love, what is unique about you and your relationship … We have been together for 8 years and our relationship has been put through all the test’s in that time and we have come out still loving each-other.

After being together for only a year we spent a year and a half doing long distance! Brett worked in Australia and I was living with extended family in Switzerland. We saw each-other only a couple of times because of the distance, but were always in contact with each-other. Then when I moved to London Brett decided to join in. It went from zero contact to 1000%. We lived together for 2 years and was the beginnings of our love for travel. We would get cheap flights and spend one weekend per month in another country exploring the sights and began to learn about photography along the way.

Our friends would always ask for recommendations on the places we had visited… the next thing you know we had started a blog giving out our tips and recommendations. When Brett’s visa ran out it didn’t stop. We got a plane to Cuba and then Mexico, Belize and 9 months later we had made it to Argentina. Sharing our story and travel photography on our Blog and Instagram along the way. We got crazy sick in Guatemala, and learned each-others limits, Brett nearly got eaten by a crocodile in Panama and we swam with pink dolphins in the Amazon river. Our amazing adventures built our relationship stronger and revealed each-others true self.

After only 3 months at home, not quite content. We gave travel one more blast before committing to careers. We hit the road for another 3 months. This time through Asia. Philippines, Sri Lanka, India, Myanmar, Cambodia and Vietnam. It was in India and the Taj Mahal were Brett Proposed. We arrived first thing in the morning and we had a few beautiful moments alone. I thought Brett had setup the camera on a timer to take a photo, but really set up a video… then got on one knee and I couldn’t believe it.

Since returning home Brett has a Job in construction and I have become a new entrance teacher. We also have a beautiful dog Bonnie, a golden retriever cross. The best pooch ever! Worried about our wanderlust giving us itchy feet we decided we needed something to keep our adventures alive. We got an old beat up sail-boat and refurbished it ourselves. We taught ourselves how to sail and now the hauraki is our playground. Of course Bonnie comes too.

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 …

We had the wedding at Bretts family bach at Front beach, Whitianga. While the bach has been in his family for over 60 years… There had never been a family wedding there until now. The house is set behind a lawn which walks directly down onto the most beautiful beach. The day was perfect. Sun was baking down and the slight sea breeze was welcomed.

The 180 degree sea views made an amazing backdrop for our beach ceremony. We had a wooden arch Brett had made from washed up logs, with flowers beautifully arranged in the corners.

After the ceremony and a Prosecco toast to the newly weds, we invited everyone up to the lawn where we had our drinks caravan vinnie, along with 3 kegs of Bretts own Beer he had brewed, (a new hobby Brett has gotten seriously into since returning to NZ) There was a pilsner, an APA and a NZ Pale Ale.
We had lawn games for entertainment while Brett and I went to have a few photos, Giant Jenga was the biggest hit.

We had the 12 tables crew set up a beautiful clear marque, and running with the sandy beach theme our main flower decor was toitoi. Brett and I collected over 400 wild toi toi 6 months early and dried them in a shed. We hung them in 5 large rows from the ceiling and they looked stunning. Our florists also hung a stunning centerpiece above the main table. It used Bretts fathers own orchid flowers, lots of Toitoi and various light pastel coloured flowers. It was beautiful. Or tables were kept very minimalistic due to the family shared style meal with only candles and plates layed out. To add a nice touch Brett and I wrote a little personal message on the back of every guests name card. These are the people we love most… so although it took some time it was worth it to make them feel welcome and important to us. These messages came across as a highlight for many.

After dinner a local band played songs into the night. We all danced and laughed long into the night. finally to cap off the night we had saved some fireworks and put on a fireworks display. It was another nice moment that signaled the end of the band and got everyone to sit together on the bank and reminisce about an amazing day had by all.

Tell us about your main outfits:

It was important for me to be comfortable on the day, so as soon as I tried on the Sandy Lily dress by Katie Yeung – I knew it was the one. The dress has fine lace details with a heavier stretch fabric underneath making it flattering yet comfortable. The simple design hugged me in all the right places and had a low back and chapel train feature. Brett was rocking linen trousers and blazer, as well as a linen shirt. Having a beach wedding he wanted something breathable for a hot summer’s day but still something that looked great and stood out from the rest. Because of the summer wedding, Brett choose a light sandy colour for the heat as well as to match the bride.

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

During the vows, Brett was so nervous he accidentally called me husband! Everyone burst with laughter and it broke the tense nature of everything. When we continued everything was a lot easier.

When we opened the marquee for dinner everyone found their seats and opened up their personalised messages. Lots of laughs and was something special for everyone to feel welcomed. Just a small but meaningful way of saying thank you for coming. Lots of people kept their messages as their favour.

When we came back from Sunset photos, Everyone had a sparkler ready. They made a tunnel and we entered the dance floor through it for our first dance. It was really fun and made for one of our favourite photos of the day.

We broke tradition and gave a joint speech. With lots of laughs, we told our story and thanked everyone for coming.

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

Always kiss before bed and say I love you everyday, even if you are upset with them. Make each other laugh and smile. Keep the adventure alive and share it with one another, having fun together by sharing in hobbies/sports/adventures is super important. Also little everyday gestures can go a long way for a happy, long and healthy relationship.

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