Natasja + Will by Keryn Sweeney - Together Journal

I had in mind something timeless and romantic, like the Bennet family home from Pride and Prejudice.

NATASJA —— We live in Mount Maunganui with our two retrievers, Paddy and Hazel. We love surfing, eating and drinking good food and wine, and spending time with friends and family. Will is a structural engineer and I’m an intern clinical psychologist. Between our work and our love of the outdoors, life is always full. We’ve known each other for years, but the timing was never quite right.

Will is four years older than me, so even though I had an instant crush on him when I first saw him at 15, it took nine more years before we finally kissed — at a New Year’s festival. From that night on, we’ve been inseparable. It just felt right, and I knew immediately that he was the one for me.

We really wanted our wedding to be at a venue where the building and gardens set the tone of the event. I had in mind something timeless and romantic, like the Bennet family home from Pride and Prejudice. Mount Vernon Villa was perfect.

We kept our styling simple yet atmospheric, with candles glowing down the tables as the evening unfolded. The floral wall on the front of the bar was made from hundreds of dried hydrangeas from my mother’s garden, lovingly arranged by my best friends. It added a deeply personal element to the space.

We absolutely loved sourcing local wines while planning the wedding — it was one of the highlights of the whole process! We also really enjoyed the creative side of things, thinking through how everything would come together to create the best experience for our guests.

Our biggest piece of advice for other couples would be to not get caught up in the tiny details and to keep things simple. The most important thing is making sure you can fully enjoy the day together and spend time with your loved ones.

Will’s suit was custom-made by Crane Brothers, paired with Common Projects shoes — a classic and effortless look. My dress was made by Liz Mitchell and her incredible team. My auntie had her wedding dress made by Liz in the late 90s, and I had always adored it, so I was thrilled to find out that she was still designing bridal gowns. Both Murray and Liz were wonderful to work with and made the entire process feel incredibly special. I felt like I was in the best hands, and I couldn’t have imagined wearing anything else.

We were more than happy to spend a little more on the things that would allow us to relax and truly enjoy the day. Staying at the villa for the whole weekend meant we had time to take it all in and not feel rushed.

We also had Alesia Ainsworth from Flock Events coordinating everything on the day — she was worth her weight in gold and made sure everything ran seamlessly. Nothing stressful happened, but Will couldn’t get his ring on at the altar, which was quite funny! It wasn’t exactly planned, but it gave everyone a good laugh.