Nigel + Dean by Jinal Govind Photography

Our vision was honed in on ‘Spring in Italy’.

Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…

Dean works in fintech and founded Kernel Wealth just before the world turned upside down in 2020. Nigel is a trained pharmacist who has since moved into the pharmaceutical industry. Dean grew up in Nelson at the top of New Zealand’s South Island, while Nigel emigrated from the Philippines to Auckland in 2000 at the age of 6 with his Filipino–Chinese family. Today we call St Mary’s Bay home, where life revolves around quiet rituals — morning coffee walks by the water, long dinners with friends, and weekends spent with our pup, Cooper, who is unquestionably the centre of the household.

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

We first met when Dean messaged me on Instagram after realising we had mutual friends — a modern kind of meet-cute. Our first date was at Woodpecker Hill in Parnell and it turned out to be one of those unexpectedly great first dates: easy conversation, genuine laughter and only some slightly awkward silences. The first impressions were equal parts intrigue and comfort, and whatever that spark was, it caught on quickly as a second date followed soon after, and the rest is history!

Tell us about the vision you had for the mood and style of your wedding. (theme, key styling elements, florals, colour palettes etc.).

We’ve always known we wanted to get married around Queenstown, and once Ayrburn came into the picture that really set the spark to the day. Many of our friends live overseas now, so it’s seldom that we get the to have everyone we love and adore around us in a single setting, and after Dean’s dad had passed away on October 20th last year (which is actually Dean’s birthday and only a few weeks after we had gotten engaged), it further cemented our desire to not only celebrate our wedding day but also commemorate Mark by being surrounded by all those closest to us.

What styling and visual elements worked best for you? (could be things, the florals, particular hire products or your marquee, etc., something the stylist created or simply just the scenic beauty of your location or the existing design of your venue).

We knew we wanted to play on masculinity and femininity in the right way. Our vision was honed in on ‘Spring in Italy’ after we were inspired by some photos we’d seen with Patrick Dempsey at an event he attended in Tuscany. We had our first out of town trip in Arrowtown, so it was always sentimental to go back there and when we found Ayrburn we really wanted to play on the themes that were present at the venue. Alongside this, we picked three main focal points that harmonised our vision; lighting, foliage versus florals and harmony of colours. We opted with a colour palette of shades of green, muted neutrals and white; keeping in theme to the natural, fresh and down to earth feel that we wanted to exude for the evening.

What did you enjoy most about the planning process, and do you have any tips for couples starting their wedding planning journey

Plan early and make sure you both are as involved on this day as each other, even with the tiny details, it sounds cliche I know, but you learn so much more about each other and it makes the day that much more special once you’ve ventured to the other side. Fortunately, Dean and I were relatively aligned on most aspects of the wedding (with some compromises, of course), we probably even surprised ourselves on how capable we were at planning such a large event together even after being together for 8 years. Lastly, learn to trust your vendors; it really does go a long way.

Tell us about your vendors. Were there any standout suppliers you would like to make special mention of?

We had a last minute change of wedding coordinators at Ayrburn a couple weeks out to the wedding, but the wonderful Paige, really took everything to account on the day and ensured every detail was listened to. We also had a little mishap with spilt espresso martini’s on Dean’s suit on the night of and they were so accommodating, even giving Dean and free t-shirt and getting his shirt all clean and pristine the day after! In all honesty, all of our vendors were absolutely wonderful, we didn’t have a wedding planner or stylist so we did all liaising ourselves, they were all very open and approachable. Some key standouts include Revel and Light for our candles (Ioana was just the sweetest), and Jinal (Photography) and Emily (Woven Images) who just made us feel so comfortable and truly helped us enjoy being in front of the camera even though we are so awkward at times!

Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, and is there a story?

Both of our outfits were from Crane Brothers, we knew we wanted something local and high quality. It was the first time we both had tailored suits made for us but once again, Chris from Crane Brother’s High Street, was just so down to earth and really provided us with much of his tailoring expertise in what would suit both of us in our own ways. Nigel also had a hand embroidered jacket made by Perte de Ego as he wanted to have a little pizzazz coming into the reception and dance party, besides who doesn’t love a snazzy outfit change.

Tell us about your wedding and engagement rings.

Nigel’s engagement ring was local as well from The Village Goldsmith in Wellington where Dean’s auntie had gotten her ring from years prior. Dean’s wedding band is from Naveya and Sloane, a platinum signet-esque ring that complimented his lighter skin tone and Nigel’s golden band from Meadowlark as he wanted something more lightweight and designed. Neither of us have family heirlooms to hand down to one another so it was a nice opportunity to make something for ourselves that we can hopefully pass onto our children and family in the future.

What were one or two elements that were most important to you both that you were happy to spend a little more on? (food, photography, florals, the venue, your outfits?).

The one thing that Dean and I had always agreed was the centre of our nuptials was definitely getting to see and spend time with those we love all around us. While floral, styling and food are important, we knew we wanted this to be a true celebration, not just of us but also all the family and friends we have in our lives who have been with us through each and every moment. When we think and look back on our wedding day we wanted to be able to relish on special candid moments of Dean and I surrounded by all the people who mean the world.

Was there a favourite moment (or two) that you will treasure always?

I don’t know about Dean, because we were absolutely terrified leading up to it, but our first dance together was just delightful – a spontaneous, candid and slightly uncoordinated expression of our joy and love for one another. Also, I don’t think either of us can ever forget just being there at the ceremony, sharing our vows to one another, it was just magic to us. Lisa from Your Big Day was so supportive and calm throughout the entire service it really helped us to just focus on one another.