The vision I had was Slim Aarons meets Miami garden soirée.
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
Henry and I are based in Melbourne, we call NZ home though! We have been together for just under 10 years and in that time have been able to travel to places like Mexico, South America and the UK. We have an extensive list of travel we want to keep doing. We both are from NZ and feel lucky to be able to visit home so much.
I (Grace) work as a nurse specialist in neuro oncology, and Henry is based as a site manager in construction.
We have amazing friends and love our fun Melbourne lifestyle, and are obsessed with our pooch Griffin. Henry and I can be found waltzing the local parks with good coffee and doggo in toll. Henry is an avid Great Northern pub supporter, while I love the shopping and wine bars Melbourne has.. Love a beach day and the warmer Aussie weather, we enjoy the relaxing weekends with friends and the endless options a big city has!
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
We met at the legendary Electric Avenue festival in NZ. Clearly went well as we became inseparable, it was the classic right place, right time. Ever since then, we have been together. Grace – I thought Henry was fun, lively and pretty crazy. I thought he was a boy version of me, but calmer haha. Henry clearly took a liking to me; he texted me the next day, and that was it, the rest is history!
When did you first realise that this was someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?
Grace: I personally knew as soon as I met Henry, he was this larger than life loving person that you could see put his needs second to all friends and loved ones. He was extremely kind, genuine, and fun. After meeting him, I couldn’t imagine my life without him.
Henry: This was an absolute no brainer for me. Grace has an infectious personality that anyone will be able to get along with. From the moment I met her, I could see her slotting into my family and friends quite easily. Grace always puts her friends and family before herself. Being able to wake up and plan new, exciting adventures and future goals together excites me every day.
Tell us about the vision you had for the mood and style of your wedding. (theme, key styling elements, florals, colour palettes etc.).
The vision I had was Slim Aarons meets Miami garden soirée. We wanted fun, lively and a little outrageous. We felt it reflected our personality and hoped it would be well reflected in our special day. The florals were absolutely essential in achieving this look, and I was incredibly happy with them. The cake, the linens and the furnishings drew inspiration from a modern 70’s palette. The colours we used were baby blue, yellow, pinks and the texture and patterns of stripes and curves. I loved the look of slightly mismatched, didn’t want it to look too polished because that was certainly not us!
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).
Grace’s parents poured their heart into the garden, which was the perfect backdrop for a summer wedding. We used the sailcloth scalloped marquee and all the hydrangeas and limelight flowers to create different colours and shapes. Soirée created different areas for guests but still kept close, so guests could easily mingle. I loved the silver chandelier in the seating area, which looked like big disco balls and felt so us. Being able to have free rein on a wedding venue felt lucky, we had the privilege to plan and create it to suit our style. We really wanted our loved ones’ experience to be an intimate feeling even in a bigger wedding.
What did you enjoy most about the planning process and do you have any tips for couples starting their wedding planning journey?
I felt so grateful to a planner and someone who I could really lean on and coordinate the whole day. Thank you, Soirée!!!!. It made the process super easy for Henry and me. Everything was streamlined and took the stress out of the day! I would say whatever you do for your day, make it you and your partner, and a day you guys want. Everything else will fall into place, people are there to celebrate you and no matter what, that will certainly happen by being true to both you as a couple.
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, is there a story?
Grace: I was so so fussy with outfits, I had a clear idea of what I wanted and really struggled to find it. Until I met Mia! She drafted and created my wedding dress with precision and fun; it was the perfect mix of modern simplicity. My second dress was a no brainer wouldn’t be me without colour and a sequinned mini. Henry- well-fitted classic suit, with special details beautifully made by Andy at Houndstooth.
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?).
Photography – Keryn was always the absolute must for photography; her style really captures the day well, and I love her work. Her candid shots were something that really felt natural, and we are so incredibly happy with her pictures.
Venue and florals were pretty special to get married at your family home, and the amount of time and effort and everything to make the day special was really felt in our day. It felt nostalgic, and the following day we had a ride on a mechanical bull, which we would really recommend.
Did anything happen on your wedding day that you laugh about in hindsight (even if it was stressful at the time)?
Yes, Henry, in our vows, was nervous, but instead of saying lawfully, he said awfully wedded wife. Really relaxed the day and humbled me, haha. It set the mood of the day, relaxed, fun, and not taking it too seriously. We also forgot to cut our cake, haha, don’t sweat the small stuff, and nothing ever goes to time or to plan, but that’s okay.
BRIDE Grace, @gracesinclair1 GROOM Henry, @henry_davis VENUE Private Property, Ashburton, NZ PHOTOGRAPHER Keryn Sweeney, @kerynsweeneyphotographer ASSISTANT PHOTOGRAPHER Hope Patterson, @pattersonimage STYLIST & PLANNER Soirée Studio, @soireestudio__ FLORIST Jenny Burtt, @jennyburttflorist CELEBRANT Alexandra Gardner, @bothislandceremonies ENTERTAINMENT Musician – Jessie Leigh Live, @jessieleighlive; Band – Gumbo No 5, @gumbo.no.5 HIRE Loula Hire, @loulahire; All linen and glassware – Cosi Fan Tutte; @cosifantutte_tannery; Blank Space Events, @blank_spaceevents MARQUEE Silk Estate, @silkesatemarquees CATERING Moveable Feast, @moveablefeastsnz CAKE The Cake Eating Company, @thecakeeatingco SIGNAGE Paper / Paper, @paperpaper.co ENGAGEMENT RING Canturi, @canturi WEDDING BANDS Louise Jean, @louisejeanjewellery BRIDE’S WEDDING DRESS Custom Made – Mia Ateliers, @miaateliers BRIDE’S SHOES Amina Muaddi, @aminamuaddi BRIDE’S ACCESSORIES Jennifer Behr, @jenniferbehr MAKEUP Kasia Stanichich, @kasiaastanicich HAIR Danielle Hall, @danielle_hall_hairstyling BRIDE’S FRAGRANCE Loewe BRIDE’S PARTY DRESS Clio Peppiatt, @cliopeppiatt SUIT Houndstooth Tailors, @houndstoothtailors BRIDESMAIDS DRESSES Paris Georgia, @paris_georgia; SIR The Label, @sir__; Van Der Kooij, @van.der.kooij
