Carena: Rob and I were introduced by a mutual friend at the NZ Polo Open in Clevedon and went on our first date the following week. We both love to travel, and have an excellent agreement where I do the cooking and Rob does the dishes….
We each think we’ve got the best part of that deal, so it works perfectly! I own a clothing company called Clique Fitness with my sister Bex, and Rob invests in and renovates properties in Florida in the southern hemisphere winter, then comes back to New Zealand for summer, so we’re lucky to be able to live from summer to summer. When Rob and I met, he was in New Zealand before heading back to the US, so we were together for two months, then had to do long-distance for six months, with me visiting Florida twice and him coming back to New Zealand once. It was tough, but in the end it made us a strong couple, with great communication skills. We’d only been together for seven months when Rob proposed, so when he moved back to New Zealand that summer, we moved in together.
Rob: I proposed to Carena on one of her visits to Florida. Unfortunately, the romantic trip to the Bahamas I’d planned coincided with Hurricane Irma, so we had to cancel and instead ended up riding out the storm at a friend’s house. When Fort Lauderdale began to reopen, I took Carena to a favourite Italian restaurant for dinner, then drove to the beach where I planned to propose. But luck was once again not on my side, as the hurricane had thrown the sand from the beach onto the road, and the beach was closed. Frustrated, I pulled over into a school carpark, the only place with a working streetlight, jumped out of the car and proposed then and there!
Carena: For our wedding, we wanted to bring part of our life in Florida to New Zealand. The décor, breeze-block ceremony backdrop, flowers and overall vibe of our event were all inspired by our time there, mixed in with our love for living in the country in Clevedon. Having our family and close friends gathered together was really special. We’re not really ones to throw a party, so it was awesome to see everyone enjoying themselves. Bex was my maid of honour and nearly pulled out of doing her speech because she’s afraid of public speaking, so I was so stoked that she was able to overcome her fear to do it – it was a really lovely moment for me.
I always thought that getting married wouldn’t change anything – we were already enjoying life with our best friend. But being married adds an extra dimension to our relationship that I didn’t expect. It’s awesome.
Photography: Nisha Ravji | Videography: Trent Hall at Vid Life | Bride’s gown & belt: The bride, with assistance from her mother & grandmother | Bride’s Veil: Inbal Dror | Groom’s jacket & shirt, & groomsmen’s outfits: Barkers | Groom’s pants & shoes: Hugo Boss | Groom’s tie: Tom Ford | Bride’s shoes: Sophia Webster | Bride’s rings: Culét Diamonds | Groom’s ring: A family heirloom | Bride’s jewellery: Vintage Chanel earrings and an heirloom aquamarine ring | Venue: The family farm, Clevedon | Flora: Rose Tinted Flowers | Bride’s fragrance: Louis Vuitton – Rose des Vents | Hair & makeup: James Aaron at Inco Studio | Bridesmaids’ dresses: Next | On-the-day event management: Olivia Rose Creative | Ceremony furniture hire: LL Wedding & Event Hire | Marquee & reception furniture hire: Twelve Tables | Cake: Bluebells Cakery | Sound & lighting: Wavefront Audio | Signage: Neon Signs | Light-up letters: Light Letters | Entertainment: The Beat Council