Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
I (Hannah) am a theatre nurse at the Hawkes Bay Hospital. I love spring and summer months, the beach, chocolate and catching up with friends over a wine or two. Henry is a co-founder of 73Citrus, a canned sparkling Gisborne orange juice with added liposomal Vitamin C.
We also both run a small business called Henry’s Juice which we started about 4 years ago, we make and sell freshly squeezed orange juice at the local Hawkes Bay Farmers market every Sunday. We also sell at summer festivals such as RnV and Splore.
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
We both first met at school but didn’t form a relationship until after school at university. We had many friends in common which I guess helped bring us together! My first impressions of Henry were; his bold confidence, incredibly kind, full of humour with a cheeky and infectious smile.
My first impressions of Hannah were bubbly, beautiful and fun!
When did you first realise that this was someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?
We did some overseas travel for a few months after uni and made some of the best memories. After many experiences together it just felt right for us and we both knew we had found our best friend for life.
Was there a proposal? Tell us a little about it…
Henry proposed on his family farm in Gisborne. It was a cold, drizzly winters day and I totally didn’t see it coming. We were visiting his parents for the weekend and the next day we drove up on a quad bike to the top of the farm with an amazing view, we got interrupted by the neighbouring farmer not long before Henry was about to pop the question, of course I had no idea but he kept it together and acted completely normal. Next minute he was down beside the bike on one knee with a little box and took me by total surprise. He even had a basket hidden in the rush bushes with bubbles, wine glasses and fold away chairs which we sat on and phoned family to tell them the news all while taking in the view.
Tell us about the vision you had for the mood or style of your wedding…
We decided to get married amongst the vines on Henry’s family farm. They have a beautiful big white barn which was a lovely feature. I wanted to create a modern twist on the rustic vineyard setting by using natural colours and tones from the environment. Inside the beautiful flagship marquee we used lovely natural wooden tables with black candle holders & candles, white flowers with greenery, dark green napkins and plates to match. I kept the flowers quite classic using whites and greens. A group of talented Gisborne mothers did all the flowers themselves, picking flowers from their own gardens, it really blew me away with what they pulled off! Outside the marquee we lit up the grassy area with rows of festoon lights, wine barrels and umbrellas. It had a somewhat festival vibe to it which we loved as we’ve enjoyed a fair few together in our younger years!
What was one element you were happy to splurge on?
The flagship marquee was definitely one element we were happy to splurge on. The beautiful ivory sailcloth tent looked so stunning and was perfect in a vineyard setting. Luckily we had seen it at other weddings prior so was an easy decision when it came to choosing for our big day! And of course a great photographer, Meredith Lord.
Did anything happen on your wedding day that you laugh about in hindsight (even if it was stressful at the time)?
Definitely the weather, which probably sounds so cliches but the forecast was for torrential rain leading up to the day. Days before the wedding we were stressing and running around trying to come up with a wet weather plan. Luckily on the day we managed to get away with some light drizzle and a mostly overcast day which was perfect for photos!
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, is there a story?
I (Hannah) wore quite a simplistic but elegant gown. I had a pretty good idea of what I knew I didn’t want to wear which helped to narrow it down. In the end I opted for a V plunge style neck line with a low back in a beautiful ivory crepe material. The fabric made it very comfortable to wear. I paired it with some pearl drop earrings in silver and the most comfortable ivory strappy Kathryn Wilson shoes with a slight heel. For me, less is more so I feel my outfit definitely reflected that with a touch of elegance.Similarly in style Henry went with a simple but smart black dinner suit with white shirt and black buttons down the front for a little point of difference.
Ceremony + Reception location : Woodlands, Gisborne (Family farm) | Videographer: Taylor Kirk Productions | Photographer: Meredith Lord | Celebrant: Sarah Charteris Celebrant | Entertainment: The Search Band | Styling:Glamour Hire | Hire: Flock Events | Marquee: Flagship Events Flora: A group of talented Gisborne mothers picked flowers from their gardens and put it all together on the day. | Catering + Beverages: SHC Catering (*no longer operating) | Cake: Leonie (family friend) | Stationery: The Print House | Registry: Paperplane Store | Brides Attire: Made With Love Bridal | Grooms Attire: Thomson Suits Rings: Jaime Lucinda Jewellery |Shoes: Kathryn Wilson | Brides Earrings: A.B. Ellie | Makeup: Micki at Makeup Etc. | Hair: Meiko Salon | Grooms Fragrance : Bottega Venetta – Pour Homme | Brides Fragrance: Elie Saab – Royal | Groomsmen attire:Thomson Suits | Bridesmaids Attire: Shona Joy
