Lexi + Brad by Ana Galloway - Together Journal

We went for a walk up Mt John, and when we got to the top, with panoramic views and no one else in sight, Brad got down on one knee with a ring he’d designed and a bottle of champagne.

Lexie – Brad is a builder and a doer, someone who’s practical and always pottering away at projects. I work in fashion and have a background in marketing and buying. We share a love of food and wine, great design, good music and being active. We live in an apartment we renovated in Christchurch City with our dog Cooper.

Our paths crossed through work. I was part of the marketing team directing a photoshoot, and Brad was one of the models. We caught each other’s eyes immediately, and while we didn’t get time for much more than small talk, Brad asked me out for dinner. We quickly became inseparable. From early on, it was obvious that we had something special, and it wasn’t long before we were talking about our future together.

Brad proposed in Tekapo, one of our favourite places where we escape to regularly. We went for a walk up Mt John, and when we got to the top, with panoramic views and no one else in sight, Brad got down on one knee with a ring he’d designed and a bottle of champagne.

We decided early on that we wanted a city wedding. The Christchurch Art Gallery was the perfect location – a local icon known for both architecture and art, it felt like a combination of our worlds.

We wanted our day to have a polished, elevated feel and the beautiful, light-filled foyer of the gallery was the ideal setting to work with. We’re both drawn to a clean, contemporary aesthetic, so our styling was quite minimal and modern.

We splashed out on food, flowers and music that had our guests dancing all night. And of course, a talented photographer to capture the day for us.

Getting married at an art gallery came with challenges, as the gallery is open to the public until 5pm. We ended up having a first look and champagne hour with our nearest and dearest in the afternoon before an evening ceremony.

As someone who loves fashion and design, pulling together our looks was a fun part of the planning process. I tried on some amazing dresses and very nearly went with an incredible, structural Sex And The City-esque gown but decided that it didn’t feel quite right. I really wanted my wedding dress to feel like me and to align with my personal style, which is more pared-back. I had visions of a simple silhouette with an added design element, so I put together a mood board and contacted Caitlin Crisp to see if she would work with me to create my dress. As soon as she said yes, I never looked back.

Brad’s suit hunt was much simpler: from day one he knew he wanted to wear a black tux. We found a great Joe Black suit at Ballantynes, got it tailored so it was the perfect fit, and finished it off with a crisp white shirt and a black bow tie. Such a timeless look.