Makenzie + James by Chasewild - Together Journal

I popped a bottle of champagne and proposed that night, on top of the hill, just the two of us as the sun was setting.

Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
J – The oldest of 6 siblings. I manage an event ticketing company called Ticket Fairy from England. We work with some of NZ’s largest festivals and events! I love my family, our dog Theo, the ocean, music, surfing, travel adventures and a cold beer on a summer’s eve!

M – I’m also the eldest in a large family and work in the events industry! I love to travel where possible and to try and make the most of the warmer weather (when we are lucky to get some!)

How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?

J – I was backpacking at the time and took a temp job in a call centre in Takapuna. On my first day, Makenzie walked in, and it was love at first sight. I ended up staying in that job for over a year, saving money for a trip to Canada and Europe to meet my family. Fast-forward 10 years, and here we are!

When did you first realise that this was someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?

J – The first time Makenzie met my grandparents, my 105-year-old Grandmother Maisie told me, ‘Don’t let this one go, Jamie’, and I didn’t.

Was there a proposal? Tell us a little about it…

J – Our first official date was to Waitomo Caves in 2013, and it felt fitting to return to such a magical place. We spent the day revisiting the caves, and I pretended we had to find a random motel for the night. I pulled into the entrance to Waitomo Glamping, and Makenzie’s jaw dropped. She had seen them on Instagram and, due to such a full calendar of bookings, never imagined we’d be staying there! I popped a bottle of champagne and proposed that night, on top of the hill, just the two of us as the sun was setting. It was perfect.

Tell us about the vision you had for the mood or style of your wedding…

M – Tuscan-themed as a nod to our first anniversary spent there, and the month we travelled around Italy. Soft, classic pastel colours with olive leaf and greenery.

What was one element you were happy to splurge on?

M – For us, we always knew how important photography and videography were to us. With our family and friends being spread across the world, we wanted to capture the feeling of the day as best as possible so that those who couldn’t join us felt as if they were there.

We couldn’t have been happier with the end results we received from Cameron at Chasewild/Haute and Andy at Grey Area Productions. They are both so incredibly talented and were brilliant to have part of our day!

Did anything happen on your wedding day that you laugh about in hindsight (even if it was stressful at the time)?

M – The wind! In the hour or so before leaving to go to the ceremony, I could hear my girls on the phone sounding quite stressed. They reluctantly ended up having to ask me how I’d feel about shifting the ceremony inside as there was ‘a bit of wind’. I think my exact words were, ‘Unless it’s a safety hazard, we’re running with it outside!’.

It wasn’t until I got to the end of the aisle and my veil basically flew immediately out of my hair that I realised what they meant. (It ended up making for some gorgeous dramatic photos, even if my hair was ruined immediately.)