We wanted to bring a vibrance to the day, which was amplified by our “frills and florals” dress code.
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
I am from England originally, and I moved to New Zealand when I was 7 years old; New Zealand is the place I call home. We both grew up on the North Shore of Auckland, where we have now bought our first home together. I am a Nurse, a very rewarding career, however I am looking forward to taking a break from Nursing, becoming a Mum and raising a family, with the love of my life. It’s a surreal feeling to be planning these new pathways in life. It’s a pinch-me moment every day.
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
It wasn’t long after my last relationship. One of my girlfriends, who I lived with at the time, told me to download Tinder – an app I swore I would never use! We were out for a few drinks that night, and we swiped over a few people. The following day, I came across a message from Liam. After doing a background check on him (a must!) I found that we had over 100 mutual friends, so I took a chance and accepted his invitation to join him on a date. We met at a bar in Ponsonby, and what was initially meant to be “one drink” resulted in five hours of non-stop conversation and flirting. I remember at the end of our first date, a stranger who had been sitting near us came up to Liam and I and said “you look like you have an amazing connection, a beautiful couple.” Little did she know, two years down the track, I would be calling this man my husband. We think about this often.
When did you first realise that this was someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?
It was instantaneous. We both had this feeling that we both found our person – our soulmate. It was the following week, and after a few more dates, that we had fallen head over heels for each other. Liam told me he loved me after two weeks, and we put a label on our relationship after three. The rest is history.
Was there a proposal? Tell us a little about it…
What was supposed to be a proposal in Queenstown on an upcoming ski trip came to a halt when Liam injured his ankle not long before leaving for our trip. The trip was subsequently cancelled. Liam altered his plan to instead propose to me at his (our?) family bach in Pauanui–our favourite place. He had organised for his Dad to hide roses and champagne at the house before we arrived. I woke up on our first morning when Liam asked me to join him for coffee on the deck. To my surprise, I saw those roses and the champagne waiting for me on a small table, with a card placed next to them. I opened the card, and my eyes went straight to the last line of the card –“Will you marry me?” Before reading the rest of the card, I quickly turned around to find Liam, slowly making his way down to one knee – but struggling with his moon boot! We spent the next four days in our love bubble with my new prized possession – the ring.
Tell us about the vision you had for the mood or style of your wedding.
Our initial inspiration was drawn from Italian-inspired courtyards and vineyards. We wanted a classic yet timeless aesthetic for our wedding – but in a paired-back, natural way. We knew from the get-go that less was more, and we wanted the beauty of our venue to pull every element together. We wanted to bring a vibrance to the day, which was amplified by our “frills and florals” dress code. We had decided on pink and/or florals with the Bridal Party, and our guests dressed to the theme as perfectly as they could. It was surreal seeing our Pinterest board come to life.
What was one element you were happy to splurge on?
Our Photography/Videography team – who did an amazing job. We had a photographer, who was assisted by a second Photographer, a Videographer, and a team of Content Creators to capture our wedding. They completely exceeded our expectations, and the memories that we have to look back on are priceless.
Did anything happen on your wedding day that you laugh about in hindsight (even if it was stressful at the time)?
After the ceremony, our guests enjoyed a cocktail hour by the pool while Liam and I were having our newly-wed photos taken. On a hot Sicilian day, the rain started making its way over the venue. It was stressful, and we couldn’t help but think of our guests, who had to run to a shelter with a very talented Saxophonist performing in the background. The venue scrambled to find spare tablecloths and had to turn our table placements around in record time. Thankfully, the rain only lasted twenty minutes, and the sun came out to play again. Our sun shower was captured beautifully by our photographer, who made up some of our favourite content from our special day.
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, is there a story?
Not long after our engagement (and before we had even finalised our budget), my Mum flew over from England, where she’s based, to New Zealand. We both thought that it would be nice to spend some of her time here trying on dresses as a special experience to have together. We didn’t expect to go home with a dress that day. The second dress I tried on that day was the one – I bought and paid for , all to Liam’s surprise when I arrived home. The owner of the store loved the dress on me and gifted me a beautiful lace veil. I bought my shoes that day as well, which were in the sample sale section of the shore. They were the last in that size/style. Everything was meant to be.
LOCATION Borgo Del Carato, @borgodelcarato PHOTOGRAPHER Amali Studios, @amali.studios SECOND PHOTOGRAPHER Taylar-Jayde Photography, @taylarjaydephotography VIDEOGRAPHER Patty Lagera, @pattylagera CONTENT CREATION The Aisle, @theaisle___ PLANNER Lelia – Borgo Del Carato, @borgodelcarato CELEBRANT Symbolic Ceremony – Groom’s Father: Michael Anderson HIRE, CATERING & CAKE Borgo Del Carato, @borgodelcarato STATIONERY Bridesman – Ben Tunui RINGS Wedding Bands – Michael Hill, @michaelhillj; Engagement Ring – Cullen Jewellery, @cullenjewellery WEDDING DRESS & VEIL Astra Bridal, @astrabridal.auckland RECEPTION DRESS Dissh, @dissh BRIDE’S SHOE Astra Bridal, @astrabridal.auckland BRIDE’S ACCESSORIES Tennis Bracelet – Michael Hill, @michaelhillj; Pearl Necklace – Family Pearls MAKEUP Mia Dunn, @makeupbymiadunn HAIR By the Bride BRIDE’S FRAGRANCE Hugo Boss, @boss TUXEDO & GROOM’S SHOE Barkers, @barkersclothing GROOM’S ACCESSORIES Watch – Seiko, @seikowatchofficial GROOM’S FRAGRANCE Sauvage – Dior, @dior BRIDAL PARTY OUTFIT Self supplied by Bridal Party
