Real Wedding: Alex & Ricky – Photography by Bespoke Photography

Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love, what is unique about you and your relationship…

We started out as random flatmates in Perth, Until one very fateful night, we both went out on the town, came home a little bit boozy, looked at each other a little differently, and the rest they say is history.

After 3 years together, one very romantic night in Bali Ricky got down on one knee and popped the question. It was such a surprise, Ricky had picked the ring all by himself and even rung my dad to ask for permission.

We had 4 awesome years in Perth together, traveling and enjoying Australia, but last year it was time to come back to NZ and be closer to our families.

Tell us about your special day, was there a specific theme or style? Tell us a little about the setting, the styling and some of your favourite details…

The venue was my Aunty and Uncle’s beautiful property in Taupo that over looks the river, this garden setting fitted our relaxed style perfectly. The garden and view is so beautiful we just wanted to keep everything else quite simple. Mum picked some ivy from her garden for the tables and we had a few candles and that’s all the decorating that needed doing.

We both agreed from the beginning we wanted more of a party than a traditional wedding. Opting for a cocktail reception so all our guests could mingle all night and not be confined to one table was such a great idea. The day was such a perfect summers day, after the ceremony everyone just sat on the lawn or pulled up a chair under a tree and enjoyed a drink. It felt very chilled out, exactly what we had wanted.

The beautiful arch was my favourite detail of the day! It was a bit of a last minute addition to the wedding and we were so happy with how it looked.


Tell us about your main outfits:

The day we got engaged I knew I would wear a Rue De Seine dress, I had always spied them on Instagram, they were so beautiful and unique. Mum flew over from NZ to Perth to help me choose, after trying on every dress they had, we both fell in love the Ash Gown.

As we were having a garden wedding, a full suit or tuxedo wouldn’t have suited the theme. Ricky also isn’t a suit person so we wanted to make sure he was comfortable.  The linen jacket with chinos worked perfectly.

What were some of the most memorable/unique moments from the day?

The whole day was so amazing! Firstly, waking up to the most perfect summers day in Taupo was great, the weather leading up to the wedding had been a bit unpredictable.

We loved seeing each other for the first time, doing a “first look” before the ceremony really calmed our nerves.

Also my grandad making a speech was a real highlight, im so lucky to have my grandparents still alive and for grandad to make a speech and be a part of our wedding was really special.

Any advice for other couples planning to spend the rest of their lives together?

Enjoy every single moment of the wedding planning, its not meant to be stressful or hard, its meant to be fun and exciting. You only do it once!

Photography: Bespoke Photography | Ceremony and reception location: Private residence | Celebrant: Rebecca Gillgren | Entertainment: Lee Gray Music | Bouquets: Blooming Flowers Taupo | Arch and marquee hoops: Sandra Florence | Catering: Yum Food Company | Cake: Baked with Love | Hair: Hi Fashion Hair | Makeup: Gorgeous Taupo | Wedding dress: Rue de Seine | Bridal boutique: Through the White Door | Shoes: Senso | Earrings: Samantha Wills | Groom and groomsmen’s attire: Tarocash | Rings: Michael Hill | Bridesmaids: Hope & Ivy, Zimmermann