Anyone who knows Christian and I won’t be surprised that our wedding was one of those three-day-extravaganza kinds of weddings. Early on in our wedding planning, we agreed on a few key elements of what we wanted from the day: great music, great food, great wine & beer, and a cake made of cheese. And we certainly achieved that, and so much more.
Christian and I got engaged while living in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The proposal was still one of my favourite memories, and so perfectly ‘us’ – just the two of us on a walk in the middle of nowhere, followed by a lot of cheese and bubbles at our flat, then dinner and cocktails! The ring was a dream, picked entirely by Christian – a vintage-inspired ring locally made in Minneapolis. Our wedding was similarly a true representation of our relationship and personalities.
We were married at my old high-school chapel, a gorgeous 1936 building with incredible stained-glass windows and an even more incredible organ. Our ceremony was packed with music. My brother played the organ as we entered, exited, and then played the cello while we signed the registry. And we had a close friend who is a world-class American opera singer perform an item accompanied by one of my and Christian’s University tutors.
We wanted The Red Barn for our reception venue as soon as I started looking into options more than 3 years ago. We loved the understated rustic charm and kept things pared back with the décor, and it was perfect – and crickey, the food was absolutely incredible!
In the years of planning, I’d made a conscious effort to prioritise sustainable options, local artists and home-made aspects. Two of the bridesmaid dresses were made by me, both my earrings and the bridesmaid earrings were made by local jewellers, and our wedding bands were made by a gorgeous Wellington jeweller. The ceremony service sheet featured a sketch of the chapel I did in the lead-up to the day.
My wedding veil was found on Facebook Marketplace and ours was its 4th wedding! The wine and beer we served were hand-picked by Christian and me over the many months leading up to the day, and we loved giving our guests the option to pre-select their main meal in advance. Our welcome sign was a stunning creation by an old friend on some leftover metal and will be an amazing keepsake from the day.
PHOTOGRAPHER: Ash Muir Photography, @ashmuirphoto / VIDEOGRAPHER: Mata Films, @matafilms / STYLING & PLANNER: Bride / FLORA: Yvette Edwards, @yvettes.flowers / CEREMONY VENUE: St. Peter’s School Chapel, @stpetersnz / RECEPTION, CATERING & BEVERAGES: The Red Barn, @redbarnnz / BRIDE’S DRESS: Jenny Yoo, @jennyyoonyc through Astra Bridal, @astrabridal.wellington / BRIDE’S SHOES: Chaos and Harmony, @chaosandharmonyshoes / BRIDE’S VEIL: Secondhand / BRIDE’S GARTER: Made by Mother of the Bride / PINK BRIDESMAID DRESS: Ruby, @rubytakessnaps / GOLD & LILAC BRIDESMAID DRESSES: Made by the Bride / GROOM & GROOMSMEN ATTIRE: Barkers, @barkersclothing / BRIDE’S EARRINGS: Lynnaire Kibblewhite, @lynaire_kibblewhite_goldsmith / BRIDE’S ENGAGEMENT RING: Filigree Jewelers, @filigreejewelers / WEDDING RING: Hannah Cross Jewellery, @hannah_cross_jewellery / BRIDESMAIDS’ EARRINGS: Portfolio Jewellery, @portfolio.jewellery / HAIR & MAKEUP: Lipstick & Co, @lipstick_and_co_team / MUSICIANS: Timothy Carpenter; Mark Dorrell; Clay Thompson, @wmclaythompson; Badly Stuffed Animals
Want to find the perfect vendors for your dream wedding? Check out our Directory for a wide selection of top-notch wedding vendors!
