I spotted Lara with a radiant aura, and my thoughts were something like, “If a girl that hot came to my gig, I’ve made it!”.
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
Lara – Hi I’m Lara! I’m a 23-year-old Mumma to a gorgeous 1-year-old girl, I’m also a DJ and social media manager! I love my life, my husband, my family, friends and I love to enjoy life!
Blue – I’m Blue, a 24 y/o Father of our first-born daughter ‘Inka Arya Blue’, Singer/Songwriter, Business owner and entrepreneur. I’m a student of life, constantly opening myself to learning through exploration, experience and expression. My family is the foundation that holds structure to my creative (and often sporadic!) lifestyle, and from the compassion that I pour into those dear to me, my environment is abundant with love.
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
Lara – I met Blue a week after moving to Wellington, NZ. Despite my tiredness, I went to a unique house party where I saw Blue, the lead singer in a band, dancing wildly to “Bliss” by Th’ Dudes in an unbuttoned floral shirt. Instantly, our friend groups connected, and my flatmate invited them over for a pizza night, creating a mix of psytrance-loving hippies and rock ‘n’ roll enthusiasts. It was an unusual combo, but we hit it off as friends right away.
Blue – We met at a wild rock ‘n’ roll house party in Wellington City in late 2019. I was on stage, sweaty and singing for ‘The Delinquents,’ a band known for rocking iconic hits. Amid the chaos, I spotted Lara with a radiant aura, and my thoughts were something like, “If a girl that hot came to my gig, I’ve made it!” However, we were both in other relationships at the time and became friends for a few years. Eventually, when the stars aligned and we were both single, our first conversation revealed an intense synergy we couldn’t ignore.
When did you first realise that this was someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?
Lara – I knew pretty instantly that what we had was something special. We both tried hard not to get into anything serious with each other because we had both said we didn’t want to be in a relationship (both having come out of relationships only a month or so earlier, on the same day too with no communication!). But hey! I was powerless against his ginger charm and fell head over heels within about a week. I think from then on I just knew that I would like to do literally everything with him, I want to experience everything life has to offer with him. I had never felt that before.
Blue – From the start, it was electric. I had just committed to a period of self-discovery after leaving a previous relationship when Lara joined our friends at my flat. During a deep conversation about how touch connects us to the world, I held out my hand, and she placed hers on mine. In that instant, our souls ignited like a thousand lifetimes’ worth of fireworks, and I knew.
Was there a proposal? Tell us a little about it…
Lara – For my 22nd birthday, Blue surprised me with a secret holiday. I had no idea where we were headed until we arrived in town! It turned out to be his family’s cherished bach, a place he had told me about for ages. The night before my birthday, he gave me some gifts, including a retro ski suit that clued me into our plans for the day. We had a fantastic time on the slopes, and just when I thought it was time to head home, he convinced me for one more run. At the top, he handed me a tiny box, but slyly said it was the wrong gift. Then, he opened it to reveal a ring and proposed! I was utterly shocked and took a moment before shouting, “Yes, yes, YES!”
Blue – I’m a romantic at heart, and often have dreams about situations I wish to experience in my life. One night I was given the dream of proposing to Lara on the face of a mountain, Mt Ruapehu to be exact – where I used to ski with my Nana and Sister as a young boy. With utmost respect, I asked her father for his blessing. Under the guise of celebrating her birthday, I planned a secret getaway, and I found a peridot and silver ring to hold the space until I could create a more extraordinary one. After a beautiful day in the snow, at the mountain’s peak, I “fixed my boot” and surprised her with a ring, her eyes filling with the shock of realization.
What was one element you were happy to splurge on?
Lara- The Smoking Barrel 100%!! Although I’m sure for a lot of people it might not be such a problem to budget for spending lots on their wedding, we only have a short period of time and I wasn’t working (being a stay at home mum) so blue was the sole provider. We absolutely fell in love with the Smoking Barrels food and the owner Jo. We knew instantly that he was the only person to cook for us on our day. Jo was incredibly flexible for us which helped us keep the cost down as much as possible, but honestly that food was priceless. Id never seen so many people go up for 3rd or 4th fillings. It was one of the highlights of the day for not only us but all our guests too.
Blue – I feel Lara and I both will have the same answer here. Food! The Smoking Barrel is owned by the most incredible man in Motueka, Jo. We splurged almost a third of our entire budget on this alone because we feel that food is the great staple of traditional connection between people. In more primitive times, a tribe would share the hunt together and celebrate with music, dance and laughter around fire – and we incorporated this into the evening of our wedding by sharing a low n’ slow style feast, of which Jo and his son received a standing ovation from the crowd on their exit from the wedding.
LOCATION Private Residence (Brightwater, Nelson) / PHOTOGRAPHY Velvet Moon Photography, @velvet.moon.photo.motueka / CELEBRANT Raewynn Jenkins / ENTERTAINMENT Genre Fluid, @genrefluidduo; Raul Ventura, @raulventura_ / HAIR Hair and Hayley, @hairandhayley / HIRE Got It Covered, @gotitcoverednz / MARQUEE Borrowed from a Friend (Little Pig Company) / FLORA The Floral Bar, @the_floralbar / CATERING The Smoking Barrel / CAKE Made by Groom’s Dad / GROOM’S GLASSES 18K Gold Heart-Shaped Rose-Tinted Glasses from Vintage Frames Company, @vintageframescompany / GROOM’S BLAZER ‘Without Prejudice’ Royal Blue Velvet Blazer from Twisted Tailor, @twistedtailor / GROOM’S JEANS AND SUSPENDERS Nelson Tailors Menswear, @nelsontailors / WEDDING DRESS House of CB, @houseofcb / JEWELLERS Paul Harris Jewellers / SHOES The Iconic, @theiconicau / VEIL Ali Express / FRAGRANCE Maison Francis Kurkdjian, @maisonfranciskurkdjian; Armani, @armanibeauty / BRIDESMAID DRESSES Hello Molly, @hellomolly / GROOMSMEN’S ATTIRE Rodd and Gunn, @roddandgunn; Hallenstein Brothers, @hallensteinbrothers /
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