And whilst Clayton had promised himself that he would actively avoid dating a Waiuku girl, that all changed the moment he set eyes on Kate. He knew that she was different from the rest.
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
Clayton and Kate came to meet, just over 9 years ago, during a night out in Kingsland. Unbeknownst to them, this was actually not the first time their paths had crossed. At one point they had even lived on the same street in Waiuku. Fate however, was persistent and finally found the right time for them to meet.
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
After being introduced to one another through a mutual friend, it didn’t take long for Kate to catch Clayton’s attention. Not only was she absolutely beautiful, but she was outgoing and fun to be around. And whilst Clayton had promised himself that he would actively avoid dating a Waiuku girl, that all changed the moment he set eyes on Kate. He knew that she was different from the rest.
The good news was that this initial spark of curiosity was mutual, with Kate being blown away with just how easy it felt to be in Clayton’s presence. He really was quite the catch!
They spent many hours together that night, enjoying a few drinks, and sharing many laughs, with Clayton showing off his best dance moves, spinning Kate around the dance floor every chance he could get. It was clear to see that their connection was strong, so when the night came to an end… Clayton arrived back at home with Kate’s cellphone number in hand.
When did you first realise that this was someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?
They quite quickly started to spend much of their spare time together enjoying the odd date night, and going on adventures, with Kate dragging Clayton up every mountain she could on weekends. They seemed to be so aligned when it came to what they wanted out of life, equally as ambitious and driven to succeed. Everything truly felt easy when they were together, so after 12 months of dating, they took the ultimate leap of faith and moved in with one another, committing to building a future with each other in it. Bodhi quickly claimed the limelight and five years later, they welcomed their gorgeous son Oakley into this world… closely followed by Zayden two years after that, creating the perfect family unit.
In the years they have been together, they have found a mutual love and understanding for one another, building a solid friendship which has laid the foundation for their relationship over the years. They have bonded over all that they have in common such as their appetite for biting off way more than the average person can chew, and spending plenty of time, hosting their friends and family who they hold so close to their hearts. Kate has even been open to joining Clayton on the odd fishing trip. Evidence does suggest however, that if she hasn’t caught – or seen – anything within the first 5 minutes, it’s game over, and they may as well pack up and leave before the boredom kicks in.
They have both inspired one another to become the best versions of themselves. Supporting each other, as they followed their dreams and built successful careers, with Kate leaving the world of banking, to jump all into Clayton’s Family Construction business. They continue to navigate the natural challenges that come with managing such a busy lifestyle, always working in partnership to provide the best possible life they can for little Zayden & Oakley. Together, they designed and built their first family home in Waiuku, which of course would never have felt complete without their fur baby Bodhi, who brings so much joy to all of their lives. Whilst Marlin the cat is a slight pain in the butt, she is definitely an integral part of their family….
Was there a proposal? Tell us a little about it…
So it was no surprise that in December 2021, whilst enjoying an impromptu day trip to Slipper Island, Clayton got down on one knee and asked Kate to spend the rest of her life with him. They do say that some of the best things in life take time, and having purchased the engagement ring more than 3 years before this, Clayton decided it was about time Kate got some wear out of it. They spent the rest of the day, celebrating in style, soaking up the sun and being chauffeured around the coromandel by helicopter. It was the perfect day that they will cherish forever.
Tell us about the vision you had for the mood or style of your wedding.
Clayton let me(Kate) take the reins on this front, I’m a very neutral colour person I just don’t do colour but I didn’t want the day to end up gothic looking. So added as much whites and modern chic/natural tones where possible. Jamie from toast was a huge help here!
What was one element you were happy to splurge on?
Clayton – The wine. Clayton is a bit of a self-proclaimed wine connoisseur, it was important to him to have good wine (we hosted a wine tasting with friends a few months prior to ensure his choices were spot on)
Kate – A planner. Knowing how busy our life is this was a non negotiable. They do it all the time they are the experts and we sure as hell got our money’s worth with Jamie from lets toast on board! Absolute godsend.
Did anything happen on your wedding day that you laugh about in hindsight (even if it was stressful at the time)?
Our kids didn’t have roles as such for the wedding as we didn’t want to put any pressure on them.We had ideas like them walking down the aisle but one the day they chose not to….but they sure did perform during the ceremony. Highlight being our oldest boy Oakley(3years old) yelling out “NO YOU DON’T DAD” when he responded “I do” to the celebrant during the commitment.
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, is there a story?
After trying on multiple dresses across Auckland at multiple boutiques about 10 months out from the wedding I felt so much pressure on having to find “the one” and place an order for a “custom” then and there… I then came across Vinka and meet with Anita who gave some honest feedback about the looks I was seeking. She was the only boutique to not put order pressure on and said look, lets concept now and finalise in 6months. Giving me time to determine what I actually wanted. We worked on creating a bespoke design together.
All was well until I went for my finally fitting 2 weeks out from the wedding and some of the detailing wasn’t right. Vinkas team worked on correcting and unfortunately the fabric was damaged during this “fix” . Getting a call a week out from your wedding to say the dress is fabric damaged isn’t what any bride wants but the team took charge and continued to work magic to get the ultimate end result. Slight stress and a few tears post this phone call were had.
CEREMONY & RECEPTION McCallum Residence, Clevedon Auckland NZ, @themccallumresidence PHOTOGRAPHER Skye Carter, @_skyecarterphotography VIDEOGRAPHER Ben Journee, @ben.journee STYLIST & PLANNER Lets Toast, @letstoast_nz FLORIST Sue Cameron – Floral Stylist Co., @floralstylist CELEBRANT Lisa Langsford, @withlove.weddingsandevents ENTERTAINMENT Ceremony – Dan Millward, @danmillward_music; Reception – Off the Wall, @offthewallnz1 HIRE Table Vases – Pretty Prop Shop, @theprettypropshop; Seating Name Tags – The Signery, @thesignerynz; Furniture – Twelve Tables, @twelve_tables; Table Ware – Folio Hire MARQUEE Twelve Tables, @twelve_tables CATERING No Biggie Food, @nobiggie.food CAKE Family Member Made STATIONERY & SIGNAGE The Signery, @thesignerynz WEDDING & ENGAGEMENT RING Both designed and made by Culet, @culetjewellery BRIDE’S EARRINGS Bride & Winter BRIDAL DRESS Bespoke Vinka Design Gown, @vinkadesign BRIDE’S SHOE Mi Piaci, @mi_piaci MAKEUP Sam Hart, @samhartsam HAIR Messy Bun, @messybun_nz BRIDE’S FRAGRANCE Tom Ford – Fucking Fabulous, @tomford SUIT Working Style, @workingstylenz GROOM’S SHOE Merchant 1948, @merchant1948 GROOM’S FRAGRANCE Hugo Boss, @hugobossnz BRIDESMAID DRESSES Shona Joy, @shonajoy BRIDESMAID SHOES The Iconic, @theiconicau GROOMSMEN SUIT Working Style, @workingstylenz GROOMSMEN SHOE Merchant 1948, @merchant1948
