We really wanted to transform the space with the florals.
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
We’re both Engineers by trade, but outside of spreadsheets and high-vis, we love exploring and getting outside. Whether it’s a stroll along the Wellington waterfront to find our next favourite bakery or going for a hike in the bush, you won’t find us inside if the sun’s shining. Our biggest adventure so far was a three-and-a-half-month trip around Europe last year, where we soaked up the sun and visited friends and family across 17 countries.
Little Kaiteriteri and Kuratau are our happy places, and over Summer, you’ll find us beachside going for countless swims, walks, and fishing expeditions. Cooking and food are also passions of ours, but we’re still working out the rules around cooking vs. doing the dishes, as Hamish has a knack for using every dish in the kitchen. We have a never-ending list of restaurants and cafés to check out, which get ticked off whenever we have visitors to the Capital.
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
We met on our very first day of University in 2014. We ended up at the same Hall of Residence, studying the same degree – Engineering. Through this, we became close friends and study partners, sharing a few all-nighters to get through tricky assignments. After a year of studying together and playing “will they/when will they”, we moved out of the friend zone and started dating – something that didn’t surprise those around us.
Lydia’s first impression was that she had met her match with Hamish. Not only was he helpful with the hard maths questions, but his tennis game was rather good, too. He was always up for a yarn or an adventure, and the time seemed to disappear whenever they were together.
Hamish’s first impression was that Lydia wanted to study more than him, the first hint of her diligent and conscientious personality. Her loving and caring qualities, paired with her competitive nature, led to a strong bond of support and challenge between the two.
When did you first realise that this was someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?
For both of us, the realisation was simple: life was just so much better when we were living it together. Hamish was the first one Lydia wanted to share any news with, even the mundane stuff. Meanwhile, Hamish appreciated Lydia’s calm, loving, and supportive presence, plus she was laughing at his witty jokes. Thinking back, it probably was a lot earlier on in the relationship when we had conversations about who we were and what life might have in store for us. Little did we know all those connections made on the first dates would be the start of an amazing friendship that grew into love.
Was there a proposal? Tell us a little about it…
We went up to Kuratau for the weekend, which was nothing out of the ordinary. We almost didn’t go due to the weather, but Hamish was adamant we had to go to escape the city.
Plan A didn’t quite pan out. We went for a walk, and Hamish kept wanting to stop to ‘take in the lake views’. This was very out of character as he’s usually in a hurry to go everywhere. Lydia wasn’t in a scenic mood, so back to the Bach we went. On to Plan B – a bike ride later in the afternoon with Hamish again attempting to stop Lydia along the lakefront to take in the scenery. Frustrated at this change in character, we ended back up at the Bach again, with Hamish asking Lydia to stop in the middle of the lounge.
He reached into his Swanni pocket, saying, “I’ve got something in here for you.” Finally clicking on, Lydia’s heart rate increased with a smile starting to spread, only for Hamish to pull out the Bach keys with a chuckle.
Jokes aside, he reached into his pocket again and said, “There’s something else,” before getting down on one knee. With a yes secured and the ring on Lydia’s finger, we shared the news with family and friends. Hamish made sure the pre-purchased Champagne went straight into the fridge for the celebratory Fish & Chip dinner.
What was one element you were happy to splurge on?
The flowers. Our venue boasted stunning views over Tasman Bay with wonderful indoor and outdoor areas, but we really wanted to transform the space with the florals. We were recommended Bianca, AKA Dirt Floral, by our amazing photographer Ana Galloway, and once we had seen her work, we handed her the reigns. With the exception of a few requests, like adding daisies to Lydia’s bouquet to remember a special relative, we gave Bianca a creative licence. We were blown away by the result and couldn’t have asked for more beautiful arrangements. From the bouquets to the ceremony nest to the thoughtfully placed cascading arrangements, everything was stunning!
The following day, we packed a whole lot of flowers from the venue to take with us to Little Kaiteriteri for the post-match debrief lunch. It was lovely to be able to enjoy the flowers in the weeks following the wedding and share them with our guests to take home.
Did anything happen on your wedding day that you laugh about in hindsight (even if it was stressful at the time)?
There were no mishaps that we know about! All of our worries were taken away by our wedding planners, Lauren and Ben from George & Co. These two and their team went above and beyond to make our day the most amazing day of our lives.
There were a couple of close calls while taking photos up Mt Owen. While we love hiking, we haven’t ever been in a suit or a wedding dress before! The heels posed a unique challenge among the tussocks and rocks with Hamish standing on Lydia’s veil once or twice being the first test of the marriage. It was worth the perseverance for the stunning photos and video footage that we got. The location was otherworldly, and we’re looking forward to heading up there again to relive the memories of our wedding day, but perhaps we’ll go in our boots next time around.
The mosh pit got a little rowdy when Lydia took over the mic during the band’s set to sing a couple of songs, but fortunately, the only casualty was a pair of pants, which ripped while everyone was dropping it low on the dancefloor.
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, is there a story? The history of the ceremony dress..
Lydia’s dress was created by Anita from Vinka Design, who had also made her sister’s wedding dress in 2020. After such a fantastic experience, Vinka was one of the first boutiques Lydia visited. After narrowing down options online, the first dress Lydia tried on at Vinka’s was a winner. With a few tweaks to the fabric, Anita and her team expertly crafted the dress to fit like a glove. A hand-beaded floral veil and pearl earrings tied everything together. A quirk that Lydia loved was the pockets in the dress – how fun?!
BRIDE Lydia Hayes, @olyndia GROOM Hamish Hayes, @hamishhayes1 VENUE The Summer House, @the_summer_house_nelson PHOTOGRAPHER Ana Galloway, @anagalloway VIDEOGRAPHER Holly Wallace Photos and Films, @hollywallacephotosfilms PLANNER & STYLIST George & Co. Events, @georgeandcoevents FLORIST Dirt Floral, @_dirtfloral CELEBRANT Friend ENTERTAINMENT Band – Corner Sounds Band, @cornersoundsband CATERING Kristin Harrison Catering, @kristinharrisoncatering CAKE Honey The Cakery, @honeythecakery INVITATIONS & SIGNAGE h.studio, @hstudio.co HIRE Hayley The Hirer, @hayleythehirer; Royal Laboratorie, @royallaboratorie RINGS The Village Goldsmith, @thevillagegoldsmith BRIDAL DRESS Vinka Design, @vinkadesign BRIDE’S SHOE Django & Juliette, @djangoandjuliette MAKEUP Asher Artistry, @asher.artistry HAIR Chloe Hewetson Hair Stylist, @chloehewetsonhairstylist SUIT Working Style, @workingstylenz GROOMSMEN SUIT Working Style, @workingstylenz BRIDESMAIDS DRESSES Essk, @essklabel