We wanted our wedding to be timeless, elegant, classic and understated.
Jess —— I am an occupational therapist on the community rehab team in Taupō. I absolutely love my work. I get to meet the most delightful people each day, and my work has taught me so much about what is important in life. Laney —— I am a graphic designer for a signage company in Taupō. We met many years ago through a mutual friend but reunited a few years later over some wines in the Wairarapa. We clicked right from the start — we both love a laugh, enjoy food, and are quite competitive.
Jess —— I immediately loved Laney’s laugh and was impressed by her ability to drink a glass of wine while giving banter and winning Kubb all at once! Laney —— I instantly felt comfortable in Jess’s company. It was refreshing to meet someone who had an incredible perspective on life and a direct nature, but who was still a kind and caring person.
Hawke’s Bay has always been a special place for us, so even though neither of us is from there, we immediately knew we wanted to get married there. We wanted our wedding to be timeless, elegant, classic and understated. Everything had to have a place, without overshadowing another detail. We wanted our day to feel intimate and to represent us, which is why there was a lot of focus on family, food, and the smaller details. We chose to splurge on our rings and photography because these are the two things we will keep forever! Both Zoë from Zoe and Morgan and Nat McNally, our photographer, aligned with our style and values, and were brilliant listeners. They reassured us during the whole process and gave us the most beautiful rings and photos to treasure forever.
We hired a beautiful Jaguar E-Type to take us to the ceremony. Unfortunately, it was a scorching day, and our stunning car overheated at the top of Te Mata Peak. Jess managed to wrangle a ride from two lads who had thankfully just finished mountain biking the tracks. They cleared out their dirty work ute for us, and we hitched a ride to the ceremony. We wanted our dresses to complement each other while reflecting our different styles. When we contacted Alice at Hayes Bridal to arrange our initial appointment, we immediately knew she would be our dressmaker. Alice understood our visions, and kindly made us a handbag and cake bow for our big day. These became some of our favourite details.
LOCATION & CATERING St Georges Restaurant, @stgeorgesrestaurantnz PHOTOGRAPHER Natalie McNally, @nataliemcnally_ JESS & LANEY’S OUTFITS & HANDBAGS Hayes Bridal, @hayesbridal LANEY’S SHOES Novo Shoes, @novoshoes JESS’ SHOES Loeffler Randall, @loefflerrandall STYLIST Flock Events, @flockevents FLORIST Botanical Lane, @botanical.lane HIRE Flock Events, @flockevents CELEBRANT Amanda Zaloum @amandazaloumcelebrant ENTERTAINMENT The Munros, @themunros_ CAKE Finch Bakery, @_finchbakery_ WEDDING & ENGAGEMENT RINGS Zoe & Morgan, @zoeandmorgan JESS’S EARRINGS Cameron Jewellery, @cameronjewellery LANEY’S EARRINGS Zoë Porter Jewellery, @zoeporterjewellery LANEY’S FRAGRANCE Pablo by Curionoir, @curionoir MAKEUP Micki Make Up Etc, @micki_makeupetc HAIR Christy Petra Hair, @christypetrabeauty ACCOMMODATION Black Barn, @blackbarnnz
