Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love, what is unique about you and your relationship…
Josh is a builder and an outdoorsman. Any opportunity he gets, he’s outside. I’m pretty sure he’d live in a tent if he could. I run my own interior design and project management firm. We both love the outdoors, travel and animals, and our latest obsession is our little girl, Remmi-Lou. I’m the first generation of my family to be born in New Zealand. We are from a small town in Holland, a family of architects and builders. My great-grandfather built the house Matisse lived in. Josh comes from a farming family. His grandfather was the inspiration for ‘Wal’ in his late cousin’s iconic New Zealand cartoon, Footrot Flats, so Josh is about as Kiwi as they come! We met in high school. I chased Josh down. He’s going to be so happy I’m finally admitting this! He was good looking, insanely rude, but loved by everyone. There was something about him I couldn’t help but gravitate towards. He actually turned me down a few times. He said he was “too busy for a girlfriend”. But in our final years at school, we were inseparable. We had a pretty limited budget for the wedding, so it was a labour of love. Josh, his groomsmen and his brothers’ friends built the grazing tables, table number holders and arches the day before the wedding, with manuka wood from the farm and rimu that Josh’s father milled when he was a young buck. Josh’s grandma, Sesa, made the bridesmaids’ bouquets. I styled the tables, and the list goes on. Our family and friends really made our day what it was. Six weeks before the wedding, while we were on holiday, I emailed Miss Crabb and asked if they could make me a dress if I sent measurements. I tried the dress on about three days before the wedding, and it was perfect. On the day, I was breastfeeding Remmi-Lou just before I got into my dress and had a moment: I felt so still and special, with my girls all around me and my baby in my arms, knowing I was going to be Josh’s wife soon. Once married, remember: life would be boring if you were the same, so embrace your differences. Always communicate. If you can’t talk or it’s too hard, slow dance with your partner. There’s a lot of comfort and solace in slow dancing with someone you love.
Photography: Stephan & Nakita– Bride’s dress: Miss Crabb– Veil: Made with Love Bridal– Suits: Barkers– Hair: Hannah Carter at Dede & Daph – Make-Up: Christiana Cleland– Location: Surreydale Farm, Pahiatua- Special Song: ‘Fallen So Young” by Declan J Donovan- Celebrant: Mikayla Zandstra– Styling: Gezelling Interiors– Shoes: Beau Coops– Place Setting Cards: Michaela McBride– Flora: Jillybud Flowers, Groom’s mum, Jackie, and grandmother, Sesa- Plate Hire: LL Furniture– Blankets and Steel basket hire: ARKADE – Marquee, furniture, lighting & bar: Twelve Tables– Catering: Harrows Caterers– Groomsmen: Barkers– Bridesmaids’ dresses: Bec and Bridge, Shona Joy, ASOS, Evolution Clothing– Cake: The Cakery, Palmerston North– Bridesmaids gifts: Necklaces from Meadowlark– Rings: Meadowlark and custom engagement ring by Naveya and Sloane
