The moodboard was colourful & fun, yet elegant.
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
Matiu is a musician and lead singer of Six60, and Caren is a content producer. We have two beautiful children, Boh 4 and Kīngi 1. We adore good food, travelling and making memories together.
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
We met in 2012 when Caren was working front of house at a hair salon. Matiu and his band got free haircuts. Caren, at the time, didn’t know the band but remembers his green eyes. Matiu says Caren was striking. The day after a haircut, Matiu called the salon and asked Caren on a date (a bold move that paid off ). Not long after that, they went on a day date that ended up being 10 hours long. It’s fair to say we’ve come a long way; the conversation flowed, it was just so natural and easy.
When did you first realise that this was someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?
From the moment we met, we had a connection. After a lot of off and on/travelling/focusing on our careers, etc, we kept gravitating back to each other. It is always elevatable.
Tell us about the vision you had for the mood and style of your wedding. (theme, key styling elements, florals, colour palettes etc.).
We always knew we wanted to get married on Matiu’s family property in Mangawhai. It holds so many special memories for so many. The moodboard was colourful & fun, yet elegant. Caren liked the idea of wild flowers as if they were part of the property to elevate the already beautiful surroundings. Wildly Madly Deeply, who did our florals, did such an incredible job; they really did go above and beyond.
What styling and visual elements worked best for you? (could be things, the florals, particular hire products or your marquee etc., something the stylist created or simply just the scenic beauty of your location or the existing design of your venue).
All our vendors came to the party, and it all worked so incredibly well together. We especially loved our Hampton marquee and checked dance floor from Willow Lane. Dena and her team did such a great job. Another special touch was the fact that Matius’ mum, Barb, has a pottery studio on the property. We wanted a personalised touch, so we made side plates that each had a song lyric on them for our guests to take home. Throughout dinner, these songs were played. This was definitely a highlight of our wedding. People singing at the top of their lungs, standing on chairs. Such a vibe.
What did you enjoy most about the planning process and do you have any tips for couples starting their wedding planning journey?
We really enjoyed seeing the vision come together. Tip: Get a wedding planner. You won’t regret it. Working with our planner, Lisa from With Love Weddings and Events, made the whole process so enjoyable, and that’s how it should be. The day goes so fast, it’s nice to know everything is taken care of and in good hands, so you can simply enjoy.
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, is there a story?
Caren started the dress fitting process 2 weeks postpartum. I thought if I liked the dress after just giving birth to our son, then I’d most definitely like it when it came to the wedding, and I was right. Trish Peng, the designer, was such a delight to work with.
What was one, or two elements that were most important to you both that you were happy to spend a little more on? (food, photography, florals, the venue, your outfits?).
Our priorities were good food, good wine and of course great music. We put a few playlists together, and Sam Jones absolutely nailed the entertainment. Once on the dancefloor, our guests didn’t leave. It was SO MUCH FUN!
Did anything happen on your wedding day that you laugh about in hindsight (even if it was stressful at the time)?
The fact that we made the weather call NOT to put up a 2nd marquee as we wanted a lot of our celebration outside. It rained the entire morning of the wedding. Luckily, the rain held off for the ceremony, but 5 minutes after walking up to the cocktail hour, there was a heavy downpour, and we were certain we had made the wrong call. Luckily, it was just a quick shower, and we later got to dance under the stars as planned.
BRIDE Caren, @carenfreeman GROOM Matiu, @matiuwalters VENUE Private Property, Mangawhai, Northland, New Zealand PHOTOGRAPHER Jonny Scott Photo, @jonnyscottphoto CONTENT CREATION Pia Content by Curate, @contentbycurate STYLIST Lisa Langsford – With Love Weddings and Events, @withlove.weddingsandevents FLORIST Debby & Abby – Wildly Madly Deeply, @wildly.madly.deeply CELEBRANT With Love Weddings and Events, @withlove.weddingsandevents ENTERTAINMENT Sam Jones, @goldmansax_; Stan Bicknell, @stanbicknell HIRE Willow Lane Events, @willowlane_events MARQUEE Willow Lane Events, @willowlane_events CATERING Whisk Catering, @whiskcateringnz CAKE The Cake Co, @thecakeconz_ STATIONERY & SIGNAGE The Signery, @thesignerynz RINGS The Diamond Shop, @thediamondshop BRIDE’S DRESS Trish Peng, @trishpeng BRIDE’S SHOES Gucci, @gucci BRIDE’S ACCESSORIES The Diamond Shop, @thediamondshop; Handbag – The Row, @therow MAKEUP Kate Solley, @katesolleymakeup HAIR Brooke Mann of Hare & Hunter, @hareandhunter BRIDE’S FRAGRANCE Gucci, @gucci SUIT T.Begg Tailoring, @t.beggtailoring GROOM’S SHOES Penny loafer – Crane Brothers, @cranebrothers GROOM’S ACCESSORIES Bespoke Broach – The Diamond Shop, @thediamondshop
