Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love, what is unique about you and your relationship…
Robbie and I first met 5 years ago at our mutual friends birthday party and it’s safe to say there were sparks straight away.
As cheesy as it sounds once our eyes locked we just could not stop looking at each other for the rest of the night. After a tonne of flirting and some mild harassment (from Rob) we went on our first date and have been inseparable ever since.
We both love anything that throws us out of our comfort zone but are equally as happy chilling in the sun at home with our pooches and young lad Tucker playing the the garden. I think what we both enjoy the most is the freedom to make each day different.
Robbie and I own a foundations company up in Tauranga where we now live. We both naturally consider ourselves the boss which can cause friction but instead of seeing it as a weakness we both grab it as an opportunity to (try) and grow. There’s a lot of compromise that goes on in your relationship, we’re similar in mostly our sense of humour but complete opposites in almost ever other aspect. We balance each other. I ground Robbie from being too impulsive and Robbie brings out my fun spontaneous side.
We challenge each other often because we both see infinite potential in the other person. We’re not afraid to push each other to be better and I think that’s pretty unique. We kind of did things backwards in a sense, we met, moved across the country together, started a business, bought and renovated our home, had our dar-ling boy Tucker and only after all of that did we get married. I see the way we did it as a huge blessing. We navigated some of the most tricky and stressful things that any couple can go through before we legally bound our-selves to each other. It cemented in our minds that not only do we love each other madly but we’re also a great team in the good times and tough times too. This is something I hope our son Tucker will always see growing up, that it’s not just love that makes a great relationship, but also choosing each other each and every day.
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…
Our special day was perfect. I’d originally had my heart set on eloping with just a few close friends and family. After chatting about this in length and looking at some options we decided on literally the opposite. Rob has a huge family, and between us, mass amounts of friends all of which we wanted to celebrate with. It ended up work-ing out perfectly to get married in Christchurch at my parents property. My sister also got married there a few years earlier which made it really special for our family as its only the four of us in New Zealand.
Our theme was minimally elegant with black, white and accents of emerald green as the colour palette. It came together really well. The lush greenery in the garden added to it beautifully and the sparseness of the paddock was the perfect setting for the clear marquee reception. Nothing to dis-tract from it’s own sleek lines and minimal decor. The florals really stood out and the entire race was filled with the love and joy of our guests. One of my favourite touches was the detailing of the signage. “To the next step” is a phrase Rob says constantly in day to day life so it brought huge smiles to our friends and family when they saw it as our welcome sign. It still makes me smile just thinking about it. Our menus also read “Whats for Tucker” which was our way of including our little man in the reception. These little details really made a big difference to us and I think it’s often something so fun that gets over looked.
Tell us about your main outfits:
I fell in love with my dress from the minute I put it on. The style was not originally what I had envisioned but it fit so perfectly and accentuated all the right parts of me. I also however had a picture in my head of long sleeves and I high boat neck line just like my granny had had at her wedding in 1962. Jeanette was incredible and made it happen. I then searched every inch of the internet to find my green heels finally striking gold on Etsy. As the dress and over top were simple ivory I decided to go with a veil that was a bit less traditional, it was a cathedral length ivory veil that had diamanté’s scattered from head to toe and I wish I could wear it every day. It reminded me of the night sky and made me feel ethereal as it fell behind me. The choice for robs outfit was an easy one, a dapper classic black tux with a subtle velvet green bow tie gave him a James Bond cool look and tied into our colour scheme seamlessly. His pocket square was also actually made of a piece of my dress from the I had it taken up. I told him on the morning of our wedding which he said raised his anticipation of seeing me in my dress for the first time. It was also pretty cool that he had it right there next to his heart.
What were some of the most memorable/unique moments from the day?
This has got to be the hardest question on this whole thing! Every moment was memorable but the ones that spring to mind are: 1. The minute I saw rob as I was coming down the aisle. Everything else seemed non existent. It was just him and I. He shed a tear and we all fell to pieces. It gives me goosebumps just thinking about it. 2. Robs amazing sister was our celebrant which was super special. She’s been do-ing it for about 3 years now and as soon as we got engaged we knew there was no one else who we would want to marry us. Her energy and vibe is amazing and it felt epic to be welcomed to the family in such a personal way. 3. During our ceremony we planned a toast to Robs dad Brian who sadly passed away when Rob was only 17. This moment, when we dropped a knee together to sink a Corona (his beer of choice) was the best way we could have honoured his memory. It was incredibly unconventional but it was perfect.
Any advice for other couples planning to spend the rest of their lives together?
The seasons and the events will come and go. It’s easy to get swept up in things that ultimately don’t matter. As beautiful and amazing as your wedding day can be, it’s not whats important, the marriage is. If you can always see the good in your partner or spouse (even and especially when they’re struggling to see it or believe it them-selves) then you’ll be laughing.
Photography: Ana Galloway | Videography: I Do Films Inc – Hamish Boyt | Ceremony and Reception location: Brides parents property, Burnham | Celebrant: Becs Gillgren Celebrant | Bride’s gown: Camellia dress Daisy Brides by Katie Yeung | Over top: Jeanette | Veil: Tania Maras Bridal | Bride’s ring: Melanie Casey Jewellery |Groom’s ring: Richter Scale Rings | Shoes: Etsy- ABiddaBling | Groom’s pocket square and green bowtie: OTAA | Makeup: Courtney Smith Makeup | Hair: Alex Hannah hair-styling | Fragrance: Ellie Saab- In White | Bridesmaid’s outfit: Leave her wilder bridesmaids | Groomsmen’s outfits: Hallenstein Brothers | Flower girls: Oui Babe | Entertainment: Mix Tape Brothers | Planner: Christchurch Weddings- Lucy Magill | Hire: Party Warehouse and Cressy and Charmed | Marquee: Party Warehouse| Flora: Cressy and Charmed | Catering and Beverages: Movable Feasts and Franks Liquor | Cake: Kelly Johnson
