Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love, what is unique about you and your relationship:
We both grew up in NZ at opposite ends of the country, and met 5 years ago in Timaru after we had both moved there for work. We are doctors, so have had to travel and live in different parts of the country, which has been a real adventure.
Some of the things we love doing include cooking together and trying out new recipes from the latest Ottolenghi book. We also enjoy travelling and exploring both locally and abroad, although not so much recently due to covid!
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:
When we started planning our wedding we knew that we wanted to keep it very small – our immediate family and closest friends. This worked out well given the covid restrictions around gatherings in the months leading up to our wedding. Although it was a “backyard” wedding it was still really important to us that it was still an elegant day, although we did not have a specific theme as such.
We chose Justine’s childhood home as the setting for the ceremony, as it is a place that holds lots of special memories. In the week before the wedding a beautiful white rose bush began flowering in the garden and was the perfect backdrop for the ceremony.
We elected to have our photos before the ceremony which meant we had a few hours together before the busyness of the rest of the day. It also meant we had more time to spend with our guests following the ceremony, which was important to us.
We both really enjoy cooking together and going out to new restaurants, so it was essential that the food and drink for our day was a highlight – and Inati restaurant absolutely delivered on that.
Tell us about your main outfits:
Justine wore a KWH Bridal gown bought from Paperswan in Christchurch. It was fully sequinned so I kept the accessories to a minimum! My earrings were a serendipitous discovery through Instagram and I absolutely loved them. I tried to find a pair of shoes leading up to the wedding but nothing really worked – then my mum offered me a pair of her shoes which matched perfectly.
Ben chose a suit by Joe Brown from Ballantynes in Christchurch, and found a Liberty print tie to match. His shoes were from Florsheim.
What were some of the most memorable/unique moments from the day:
The most memorable part has to be officially becoming husband and wife! Some other amazing moments from the day include playing games on the lawn following the ceremony, with a glass of bubbles in hand. There was no dance floor at the restaurant, but after dinner the night was still young so we went to town and danced the night away in our wedding finery.
Any advice for other couples planning to spend the rest of their lives together:
When it comes to planning your special day remember it’s about the two of you! Make sure you have some time together to really enjoy it away from everyone else.
Photography: @jakepearsscown | Reception: @inatitoshare | Bride’s gown: @kwhbridal | Groom’s outfit: @joeblackofficial | Justine’s ring: @laylakaisicollection | Ben’s rings: @sophiedivettjewellery | Ben’s shoes: @florsheimaus | Bride’s earrings: @hollyryanjewellery | Makeup: @sagancassidy515 | Hair: @gmhairgallery | Fragrance: @dolcegabbana | Hire: @littlehirecomp | Flora: @mrsbottomleysflowers | Cake: @inatitoshare
