We wanted our wedding and colours to reflect the natural environment.
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
We are both junior doctors. We share a love for the outdoors and adventure: climbing, packrafting, skiing, tramping, mountain biking, running and more. When we’re at home we enjoy art, craft and DIY. We also are passionate about food and love to cook together.
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
We met in medical school where we shared several tutorials together. Rosie’s first impression of Tina was of someone outgoing, friendly and fun to be around. She seemed to know how to do a little bit of everything and soon started taking her on adventures. Tina first saw Rosie across a crowded room while she was giving a lecture, Rosie struck her as an authoritative and intelligent woman. It was only later that she learned about her kindness and warmth.
Tell us about the vision you had for the mood and style of your wedding. (theme, key styling elements, florals,
colour palettes etc.).
We wanted our wedding and colours to reflect the natural environment of both the venue and the places where we loved to spend time. We wanted to prioritise creating space for easy conversations and time spent with the people we loved. We also wanted to minimise our impact on the environment by choosing second hand, home made or reusable items wherever possible.
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).
Our favourite things were bringing personal elements into the décor. For example we sourced sand for the flower arrangements from a beach near Tina’s hometown, Rosie made homemade paper flowers out of her old sheet music. Gisela our florist did a great job pulling in these elements into her floral arrangements.
What did you enjoy most about the planning process, and do you have any tips for couples starting their wedding planning journey?
We started with focussing on our large concepts and values, which allowed us to make choices about the details that felt cohesive and personal.
Tell us about your vendors. Were there any standout suppliers you would like to make special mention of?
Our celebrant Siobhain did a wonderful job of reflecting our values in the ceremony and focussing on the people present. She kept the ceremony relaxed which aligned with our desired atmosphere and made us feel comfortable. Big Fig Wanaka provided delicious vegetarian kai, which was flavoursome, nourishing and served on reusable crockery. Theo and G provided excellent entertainment that got 100% of the guests on the dance floor throughout the night, something we have yet to see in another wedding.
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, and is there a story?
Rosie chose to wear her dress without a train or veil so she could freely walk about the whole day. She wanted to choose a coloured dress to fit with the relaxed and natural theme and to break from the traditional white gown. Tina chose a suit both because it was comfortable and fit with her personal style, and so she could use it again and again.
Tell us about your wedding and engagement rings.
Tina’s ring was custom designed by Sophie to represent Mt Christina in Fiordland for which she was named. Sophie did such a good job with this ring that we decided to get our wedding bands from her as well. They are a textured design, made to mimic the natural bark of the matai tree. Rosie’s engagement ring was designed by a queer inclusive, fair trade boutique jeweller from Philadelphia USA.
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?).
Food was the priority for the budget. We love to celebrate with our friends by sharing good quality delicious food. We also stretched the budget for accommodation for our whole bridal party + partners, we felt it was important while having a wedding in a more remote place that we should cover the extra costs of accommodation. The owners of Two Barns also very generously allowed us to host our friends and family for dinner the night prior to the wedding and also lent us their vintage Land Rover. The Land Rover was expertly driven to the ceremony (double clutch included) by one of our bridesmaids.
Was there a favourite moment (or two) that you will treasure always?
Many moments from short and sweet ceremony will be remembered forever. The funny and heartfelt speeches provided moments of laughter and squeezed out a few tears. It was also an absolute joy to see everyone committing 100% to the ceilidh dancing.
COUPLE Rosie, @rummageandraisin; Tina @tinned_tina LOCATION Cardrona Hall, Cardrona, Central Otago PHOTOGRAPHER Lokyee Szeto, @lokyeephotography FLORIST Gisela Hardman from The Floral Co Queenstown, @thefloralcoqueenstown (Provided arch flowers, bouquets, boutonnieres and flower crown, rest of florals made by brides and friends) CELEBRANT Siobhain Hooper, @siobhainthecelebrant ENTERTAINMENT Theo Redepenning and Gary Elford HIRE & MARQUEE HIRE Wanaka Marquee & Party Hire, @wanakamarqueepartyhire CATERING Big Fig Wanaka , @bigfigwanaka; Extra canapes, drinks and breakfast from couple’s friends and family DRINKS McCashin Brewery, @mccashinsbrewery ; Wine from VinoFino, @vinofinochch CAKE from couple’s friends SIGNAGE diy WEDDING RING & TINA’S ENGAGEMENT RING Sophie Divett, @sophiedivettjewellery ROSIE’S ENGAGEMENT RING Emily Chelsea Jewelry, @emilychelseajewelry TINA’S MAIN OUTFIT Working Style, @workingstylenz TINA’S SHOES Secondhand TINA & ROSIE’S MAKEUP Maid of Honour TINA’S FRAGRANCE Hair Oil from Chloe Zara, @czehair ROSIE’S MAIN OUTFIT Yvonne in Tea Rose by French Connection, @frenchconnection from Brides of Merivale ,@bridesofmerivale ROSIE’S SHOES Early 1930s Art Deco evening sandals – Helen from Memery Shoes, @memeryshoes ROSIE’S FRAGRANCE Vera Wang, @verawang ROSIE’S SECOND DRESS Second hand thrifted dress BRIDAL PARTY All found their own dresses/suit either new or second hand/thrifted GIFT REGISTRY Requested for donations to be sent to The Jean Grove Trust, Backcountry Trust or InsideOut WEDDING WEBSITE With Joy, @withjoy COUPLE & BRIDAL PARTY ACCOMMODATION Two Barns, @twobarns_cardrona
