Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love, what is unique about you and your relationship…
James is an engineer and I work as a nurse. We both love hiking, travelling, and binge-watching Brooklyn nine-nine…
James and I first met in high school and saw each other often for many years due to similar friend groups. I had the biggest crush on James in high school, and after a long time of nothing happening my Dad secretly stepped in and asked his Mum when he was going to ask me out.
Cheers Dad…
But it obviously worked, as after an adventurous and fun-filled four years of dating, James asked me to marry him at Manukau heads lighthouse. We tied the knot less than a year later and have been having the best time doing life together and planning out next travel destinations.
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…
Getting married so close to our childhood beach was pure nostalgia. I could not tell you what our theme was, we just picked what we loved. Our main goal was to have everyone involved and present on the day, with as little stress as possible. The vendors we chose made this happen! Not only did we love the aesthetics of each venue, but it was also easy to organise set up and pack-down in a way that there was less time cleaning and more time celebrating.
Having photos at Orewa and James’ parents farm was also special. Cushla captured our childhood spots beautifully, and I love that even after the wedding we can still easily travel to all our photo locations and reminisce.
Tell us about your main outfits:
We found James’ suit while on holiday in Las Vegas. It was a spur of the moment decision, but we certainly didn’t regret it. My dress was from White lily couture in Brisbane. We also weren’t planning on getting a dress here, but once I tried it on, I absolutely loved it. I guess you do know when you know.
What were some of the most memorable/unique moments from the day?
We decided to have a larger ceremony with a small mini reception afterwards. This was a real hit with our guests as being budget conscious we could not invite everyone to the reception. So many of our guests said how nice it was to feel included and to have a mini celebration with the couple before we headed off for photos.
Our first dance was also super fun and a great way to spend time together practicing before the wedding. Although, our dancing skills were fly, the highlight of the evening was the live band. Everyone went hard out on the dance floor and I was even surprised by some of the guests that got up and danced. One person did tear a calf muscle from dancing too hard so be careful out there.
Any advice for other couples planning to spend the rest of their lives together?
It will be an amazing day! Don’t get caught up in the stress or finer details. You are about to marry your best friend, that is exciting. After the wedding, keep loving, learning, and having fun!
Photographer: Cushla Marie Photography | Ceremony location: Orewa Baptist Church | Reception location: The Bluestone room | Videographer: The Wednesday Creatives | Celebrant: Enroy Talamahina – Family friend | Entertainment: The Jacuzzi Casanovas | Flora: Cinderella Moments | Bride: White Lily Couture | Groom: Hugo Boss | Ring/s: James Allen Rings | Shoes: Novo Shoes | Other Jewellery: Salita Matthews |
Makeup: Ashley Collett Styling NZ | Hair: Family friend | Fragrance: Dolce & Gabbana
