Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love, what is unique about you and your relationship:
Dave is Wellington born and bred while Danni hails from sunny Tauranga. We first met in Wellington in 2013 after Danni moved down for university and we both started leading at our church’s youth group.
However, it’s possible that we might have met as kids, as it turns out we both spent our summers holidaying at Ohope Beach (it still remains our favourite summer getaway destination to this day).
We were friends for about a year and a half before anything romantic developed between us (although our friends might say there was an obvious spark early on). Our romance began to bloom in the year that Snapchat still had the top friends feature, which turned out to be the biggest giveaway that we were talking all the time. Thanks to a little bit of liquid courage one evening at the end of 2014, we finally admitted to ourselves (and each other) that there was a little somethin’ somethin’ going on and we decided to start dating. Having such a solid foundation as friends made dating so much fun, and over the next four years, we learnt and grew so much as a team.
We often say that we are our favourite version of ourselves when we are with each other, which is what we always hoped to find in a partner. People who know us would probably say that we are a well-balanced mix of seemingly opposite traits: Dave is empathetic and spontaneous, while Danni is passionate and always has a plan.
Our differences are also evident in our respective day-jobs: Dave is a teacher aide and primary school sports coach and Danni is a lawyer. While there is a stark contrast between the classroom and the courtroom, we feel connected by our shared passion for social justice and love for people.
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 always knew we wanted to get married in Tauranga, as it is Danni’s hometown and a beautiful part of New Zealand. We are blessed with a wonderfully wide circle of friends and family, and the main focus of our day was always to share it with as many of our people as possible. For our ceremony, we decided to hire a large local community hall, which we decked out with the help of an incredible army of people. We then moved the celebrations to the newly renovated Mount Surf Club for our reception, which was the perfect spot to see out the evening with a big dance party!
Given we got married in May, we took full advantage of the season and went with warm, autumnal tones as our colour palette. Danni has always loved dried florals, which we incorporated throughout the styling. Carmen from PreMy Wild Floral has been a friend for many years, so Danni knew she could trust her to bring our floral dreams to life. She knocked it out of the park! Danni’s half-fresh/half-dried bouquet was a work of art, and the archway and toitoi ceiling installation at the ceremony were two of our favourite details of the day.
We were (and are) so fortunate to have creative and generous friends and family who helped to bring our day together so beautifully. We couldn’t access either venue until the actual wedding day, so we had two separate teams of people to set up both spaces while we got ready. The first time Danni saw the finished product was when she walked down the aisle! We were blown away by the huge effort that people put in to make our special day happen for us. Danni’s mum was definitely the wedding planning MVP – we couldn’t have done it without her (thanks Mama Lulu!)
Tell us about your main outfits:
Dave: When we went looking for a suit, I was on the hunt for something classy and tailored, but with a bit of flair. I initially considered wearing a green velvet suit (not quite sure why) but I changed my mind when I realised I didn’t have what it took to pull off something quite so bold. Even though I decided against the velvet, I was still set on avoiding a plain black suit. When we found my deep green checked suit at Barkers, I knew it was just what I was after. Knowing that I would spend most of the reception on the dance floor without my suit jacket, I paired my suit with a black bow tie and braces. Green velvet did still make a feature though – my groomsmen all wore green velvet bow-ties which looked great.
Danni: We pulled our wedding together in less than 6 months, which didn’t give me much time to find my dress. My mum and I set aside one day for dress shopping in Auckland, about four months out from our wedding day (no pressure at all right!!). After the first few bridal shops told us we were pushing it to get a dress done in our time frame, we found ourselves at Anna Schimmel’s beautiful home studio.
It was love at first sight really. I remember spotting the dress on the rack and thinking to myself “no way…that’s exactly what I have pictured in my mind for months.” Then, when I tried it on, it fitted me perfectly off the rack (when does that even happen!?). It was Anna’s suggestion to add the beading to the neckline, which gave the dress the glam factor that I knew wanted. I had 99% made up my mind that this was the dress when Anna told us that with every dress she sells, she pays for a young girl in Togo, Africa to go to school for a year via her partnership with an NGO called Style Her Empowered (styleherempowered.org). Knowing this sealed the deal for me, and we walked out with the dress in hand 20 minutes later! It was the most divine dress to wear. I rented a bright orange Trelise Cooper jacket to wear for the day which was a great decision, as it added a fun pop of colour!
For my bridesmaids, I knew that I wanted mismatched dresses to reflect their different styles and looks. I put a colour palette together and worked with the girls to find dresses that fit the palette and that they each felt comfortable in. Because my bridesmaids live across three different cities, I didn’t end up seeing all of the dresses together until the night before the wedding, but I loved how they all came together. The colours looked amazing!
What were some of the most memorable/unique moments from the day?
Oh, there are too many to count!
The boys went for a surf the night before the wedding, which was one of Dave’s highlights of the wedding weekend for sure. Dave is a big-time surfer and he has known Ben from Sink or Surface for years through the surf community. The night before the wedding, Ben agreed to take his camera out in the waves to capture some pre-wedding surf snaps. It was such a fun and relaxing way to get the festivities started, and Dave loved kick-starting the wedding celebrations doing the thing he loves most with his best mates.
When we think back on our wedding day, we often talk about how much we loved our ceremony. It was filled with meaningful moments that reflect who we are and what we love. We wrote our vows together and when the time came for us to share them, it was such a sacred and special moment. We also took a moment to share communion together straight after making our vows, as we wanted it to be the first thing we did as a married couple.
Another highlight of the day was having such a big bridal party. They were such a fun crew to celebrate with! We had such a blast getting the bridal party photos that we weren’t even phased when we returned to our picnic to find a cheeky visitor had stolen all of our treats and goodies!
As the sun started to set, we enjoyed sneaking away to the Mount beach to get some photos of just us. It was a beautiful time for us to take a deep breath, process all that we had just experienced and get amped for the reception (and to go over the choreography for our first dance!).
Any advice for other couples planning to spend the rest of their lives together?
While the wedding day is important, the lifelong commitment that it represents is what matters most. We would encourage you to nurture and value your commitment to each other. Regularly return to your vows. Always communicate. Prioritise laughter. Take any and every chance to elevate and celebrate each other. And always remember that you’re on the same team.
Photography: Sink or Surface | Videography: Hunter Studio | Ceremony location: Greerton Community Hall | Reception location: Mount Maunganui Lifeguard Club | Celebrant: Simon Gill | Bride’s dress: Anna Schimmel | Bride’s Veil: White Silk Bridal Couture | Bride’s shoes: Kathryn Wilson | Bride’s fur jacket: Trelise Cooper | Groom’s outfit: Barkers | Groom’s shoes: Country Road | Rings: The Village Goldsmith | Makeup: Make up by Leonie | Groomsmen’s attire: Barkers| Bridesmaid’s attire: Beach Knickers, Mina, Lonely, BLAK Bridesmaids and ASOS| Flower girls: Arabella and Rose | Entertainment: Jamie and the Gents | Hire: Tauranga Party Hire | Flora: Pretty Wild Floral | Catering and Beverages: Juz Catering | Cake: Cake by Bride’s cousin | Stationery and design: Katelyn Brown | MC: Knock Knock Events
