Matt is a farmer and I’m an environmental planner. We both grew up in rural communities so it’s a strong part of our identities. We live on Matt’s family farm, which is almost 100 years old, with great friends and neighbours close by.
In addition to the farm animals, we also have a number of pets, including part-time farm dog Busk and Nacho, a wild tabby who was gifted to us as a kitten.
We got engaged in Rarotonga during a winter break. About a week before we were scheduled to leave, Matt cut his hand and had to undergo surgery. He was cleared to fly out on the proviso not to get his cast wet. He spent the first three days snorkelling with one hand in the air to keep it dry! On the fourth day, we did a loop around the island and picked up some chips and burger rings, my favourite. On the journey home, Matt was acting strangely and told me to stop eating all of the chips. Of course, my reaction was to eat more. When we got back to the resort he got down on one knee and proposed with one of the last remaining burger rings!
We got married on Matt’s family farm on the weekend we first met, nine years later. We really wanted to keep the focus of our day on spending time celebrating with friends and family, so had an informal wedding. Instead of a sit-down meal, we shared nibbles made with fresh ingredients plucked from the farm and served a buffet for those still hungry later in the night.
We wanted to keep things simple to avoid excessive waste when it came to the styling of our wedding too, so rallied around the local community for tables, chairs, decorations and flowers. My bridesmaid Olivia created our cake topper and Matt’s cousin, a talented jeweller who also designed my ring, made our three-tier wedding cake, which was delicious!
pWe’re so lucky to have had so many people contribute to our special day. I dreaded the thought of wearing a traditional wedding dress and wanted something simple that I’d feel comfortable in. I also wanted to support a company that aligned with my personal values in terms of sustainability and ethical clothing production. Naturally, Maggie Marilyn was a double tick.
We flew to Auckland for the weekend to find Matt’s outfit. We hadn’t researched where to go in advance so ended up spending the whole day walking around Auckland CBD before we thankfully stumbled into Crane Brothers. Murray Crane sat us down with a cold drink and asked how he could help. He booked us in for an appointment the following day, and by 11am, he had sorted everything for us. We invited around 160 guests and it was so awesome having Matt’s grandmother there, who turns 93 this year. A real highlight was seeing the dancefloor packed from start to finish. We had to drag people off to get them on the bus back to town!
photographer Soph and Si from Bayly & Moore / bride’s dress Maggie Marilyn / groom’s attire Crane Brothers / location Groom’s family farm Wilencote / bride’s shoes Number One Shoes / groom’s shoes R.M. Williams / bride’s engagement ring Humphreys family heirloom / bride’s wedding ring Handmade using gold from dad’s wedding band by Jaime Lucinda Jewellery / bride’s earrings Family heirloom from Norway / celebrant Sarah Charteris / makeup Amy Cheetham / hair Gayb Kirkpatrick Hairdressing / flora Field of Roses / fragrance Le Parfum Royal by Elie Saab / groomsmen’s shirts H&M / groomsmen’s pants R.M. Williams / bridesmaid’s attire Juliette Hogan / Gregory and handmade / marquee Martins Event & Party / catering Friend / beverages TW Wines + Ashwood + Hãhã Wine / cake Jaime Tombleson from High Country Garden / entertainment The Ashes / dancefloor Macpherson Marquees
