He likes the sun, I like the snow. He likes routine, I like adventure. He’s academic, I’m more creative. We’re opposites, which gives us balance.
Sometimes that mismatched harmony just works, and when it does, you feel a world of magic just rush through your veins. To me, that is your heart telling you that the person you’ve met is someone worth fighting for and spending the rest of your life with.
We met in high school, although if you ask Kim he’ll tell you he was friend-zoned for the best part of 15 years. It was just never the right time, until a few years ago when Kim was back in New Zealand for work. We were both single and our typical annual catch-up turned into something more romantic. Kim was based in Hong Kong so we dated long-distance for the best part of a year, then I made the move to Hong Kong.
(Kim) I would be remiss not to mention that I had always had a serious (and very suppressed) crush on Kt, but we were only ever good friends until that night in Christchurch. As the evening of reminiscing and red wine developed, so too did romance. I knew then that she was my person.
When we were doing long distance, Kim wrote me a bottle full of little scrolls that I could open whenever I missed him and each said something to make me smile. The day he proposed, he came home from work when I was in the middle of vacuuming, and casually said he had something for me and pulled out a little scroll. I didn’t think much of it initially, as I’d had lots of them before. This one said ‘Will you marry me?’. I was so surprised, I don’t remember anything else he said, or whether I was still holding the vacuum during the whole thing…
We wanted the wedding to be modern, elegant and timeless. We used a clear marquee to have the dinner feel cosy and romantic, but not closed off from the beauty of the surrounding environment. kim– One of the non- negotiables was to be overly generous with flowers. We were not disappointed when we saw the floral clouds that hung over the dining tables, as well as the cascading arrangements and arches placed throughout the venue. We are both very conscious of being as sustainable as possible, so there was a lot of repurposing of flowers throughout the wedding.
k t – There were a few dramas. My sister left her bridesmaid dress in a friend’s car the day before. Our celebrant forgot to tell people to be seated so they politely stood for a lot of the ceremony. None of us had any cake as the venue forgot to slice and serve it. And I popped the zip on my dress! Fortunately our photographer Danelle had such a wonderfully calm and caring nature and helped me fix my outfit a number of times without anyone noticing anything amiss at all.
photographer Danelle Bohane / videographer Andrew Hewson from Grey Area Productions / bride’s outfit Unconditional Top & Prolific Pants from Toni Maticevski / Eden gown from Lee Petra Grebenau / Custom tulle skirt and veil from Daphne Newman; Margot gown from Ines Di Santo / groom’s suit & shoes Both custom from Dadelszen / venue & catering Amisfield, Queenstown / makeup Josie Wignall / hair Iron & Ivy / bridesmaids’ attire The Iconic / bride’s fragrance Velvet Rose and Oud by Jo Malone / groomsmens’ suits Hallensteins / groomsmens’ ties Dadelszen / groom’s fragrance Ombre Leather by Tom Ford / celebrant Judge Jonathan Krebs, a friend / planner, styling, flora & hire One Fine Day / other hire Major & Minor Hire, The Hirer / stationery Paper Darling / marquee Prestigue Marquees / rings Ryder Diamonds / wedding favours Valli Wine / car Father of the bride’s classic Austin-Healey / bride’s jewellery Naveya & Sloane, Miki Moto / groom’s bow tie Tom Ford / groom’s jewellery Naveya & Sloane / bride’s shoes Malone Souliers, Mach & Mach / groom’s cufflinks Partridge Jewellers / entertainment Freefall Band / cake White Rabbit Cakes
