Now, John is an amazing public speaker and is never short of a word, but as he dropped down on one knee, he completely lost all his words and pulled out my beautiful ring.
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
Sam: I am in the tech space and have a little side hustle running events at our family boat shed. So when it came to planning the wedding, I was in my element. I love planning! John is the General Manager of an Advertising agency in the city and is a tragic day one Warriors fan.
We are both creative and like to keep active. John spends his spare time on the golf course, and I’ve always got something on the go. We love travelling and hanging out with our nieces and nephews. We bought our first home in Sandringham, Auckland, three years ago and love it there. The area is colourful and friendly, and the local dog park is full of neighbours we have since become close with.
JM: I grew up in a small town in Taranaki, and Sam grew up in a small town, Taumarunui, before moving up to Auckland. Both from parents who split up when we were young, we never really thought marriage was on the cards…until we met one another.
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
JM: I first met Sam at my good friend’s 30th birthday back in Taranaki. I had flown back from Sydney, where I was living at the time. Sam stormed in late to the party after a delayed flight down from Auckland. As soon as she entered, the energy, positivity and noise lit up in the room. This was half down to Sam’s infectious personality and half down to the fact she had drunk a bottle of Jack Daniels on the way down!
Sam: Laughs – that good friend was my brother (and MC at our wedding). I noticed John straight away, his cool style, green eyes and ridiculously wild dance moves… it was the dance moves for me! He was confident and fun and gave me butterflies. I instantly felt like I could be myself with him.
When did you first realise that this was someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?
JM: Sam visited me in Sydney and after a weekend of shopping, eating, drinking, dancing we spent the afternoon on Bronte Beach grassy knoll watching the waves roll in and we both knew that this was the person we would spend the rest of our lives with.
Sam: When I left for the airport in the taxi to head back to New Zealand, it was like a romantic movie. Both of us looked at each other through the window of the taxi, tears in our eyes, not knowing when we’d see each other. John sent me the sweetest love note not long after, I remember the happy tears on the plane as I read it over and over…I still read it.
Was there a proposal? Tell us a little about it…
Sam: Again in Sydney…where we spent a week over there seeing friends and staying at our favourite hotel – The Paramount Hotel. Within 10 minutes of arriving, John had ordered us cocktails to the room, and we sat outside on the balcony in our robes. Now, John is an amazing public speaker and is never short of a word, but as he dropped down on one knee, he completely lost all his words and pulled out my beautiful ring. Fumbling through a proposal, I didn’t have the heart to tell him that his bathrobe was completely open and he was showing more than just a wedding ring!
Tell us about the vision you had for the mood or style of your wedding…
Sam: We knew we wanted to be outside in the summer air, surrounded by natural light and greenery. Man O’War provides just that. The scenery there is so breathtaking that I didn’t want to add much more. I’m drawn to green, so that was the colour pallet throughout the styling. We wanted an Italian-style summer soiree – a day filled with great food, music, cocktails and our favourite people.
The ceremony was on the lawn at the cottages at Man O’ War, I decided to make the most of the natural surroundings, so I didn’t have any flowers at the ceremony other than our bouquets. It was relaxed and intimate, and it felt like we were in our own backyard.
We knew we wanted to have the reception outside under the trees and fairy lights, we were very lucky with the weather! The reception was a wave of emotions…laughs, cries and an incredible haka from the boys. Oh, and the food…Man O’ War definitely delivered here – our guests are still talking about it!
We love dancing together with our family and friends, so we wanted as much time as possible on the dance floor. We served our favourite cocktails – espresso martinis and margaritas which kicked things up a notch. And gosh…the dance floor was fire! Thomas (DJ) was incredible. Again, something our guests are still talking about.
What was one element you were happy to splurge on?
Sam: Photography and Videography were a couple of things we were more than happy to splurge on. And judging by the initial previews, we couldn’t be happier. Ana and Zac did such an amazing job, and we felt so comfortable with them both. We find ourselves scrolling back through their footage, trying to relive the day, something we’ll cherish forever.
JM: I had always wanted to buy my Groomsmen custom suits, so I was happy to do that. But, the element we would have paid anything for was the two taonga carved by Taranaki artist Rangi Kipa. The two pieces represent both Sam and me and are priceless.
Did anything happen on your wedding day that you laugh about in hindsight (even if it was stressful at the time)?
Sam: My sister-in-law, who was one of our witnesses and pregnant at the time, was very sick throughout the ceremony. Unfortunately, she missed the signing and family photos. I wouldnt say she’s laughing about it just yet, but something we can all laugh about when our niece arrives.
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, is there a story?
Sam: I spent the morning in my vintage silk kimono. I’m a big thrift shopper and found the kimono at the Central Flea Market. My wedding dress – I knew from the start I wanted Alice (Hayes Bridal) to make my dress. She’d made a friend’s dress, and I loved the simplicity and uniqueness of her designs – timeless. Plus, she was a dream to work with! For me, the most important thing was comfort. I wanted to still feel like myself on the day. We opted for satin silk which felt beautiful on, and rather than a veil, I had “wings” off the back of my dress, which we had a lot of fun with on the day. I knew I needed an outfit change for the dance floor (especially the way John and I like to dance). I love Van Der Kooij’s designs and knew that’s what I wanted to be in. The dress was so much fun and matched the vibe for the evening.
JM: The Korowai which I wore is called ‘May Aroha’ and was handed down through our lines. It is an intergenerational piece of work, which was first weaved by my Great Great Great Grandmother – Pā Toka. It took four generations to complete and is made of cotton and adorned with Kiwi and Pheasant feathers, which passed naturally.
CEREMONY + RECEPTION LOCATION Mano War, @manowarwine PHOTOGRAPHER Ana Galloway, @anagalloway VIDEOGRAPHER Flatroc Films, @flatrocfilms CELEBRANT Private celebrant, Dan Walker ENTERTAINMENT Thomas Rose, @thomasrose__ STYLING + PLANNER My sister and I HIRE Lucy’s, @llhire FLORA Wild Flower Waiheke, @wildflowerwaiheke CATERING Man O’War CAKE Amy’s Secret Kitchen, @amyssecretkitchen STATIONERY Number Nine Design, @numbernine.design WEDDING DRESS Hayes Bridal, @hayesbridal RECEPTION DRESS Van Der Kooij, @van.der.kooij SUIT Crane Brothers, @cranebrothers RINGS Naveya and Sloane, @naveyaandsloanejewellery SHOES Nelson Made, @nelson.made; Loeffler Randal, @loefflerrandall; RM Williams, @rmwilliams JEWELLERY Jasmin Sparrow Jewellery, @jasminsparrowjewellery MAKEUP Beauty by Alexandra, @__beautybyalexandra HAIR Amanda Preston Hair, @_amandaprestonhair FRAGRANCE Le Labo Fragrances GROOMSMEN SUIT Crane Brothers, @cranebrothers BRIDESMAIDS DRESS Bec and Bridge, @becandbridge
