Samara + Fabian by Margot Studios - Together Journal

We both really wanted an outdoor wedding, and Pemberton Gardens provided the perfect, timeless garden setting.

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

Fabian works as a commercial insurance broker—he’s highly motivated and always gives 110% to everything he does. I work in the fashion industry, mainly in marketing, with a background in modelling. We live in a city apartment and love trying out great restaurants, going for walks, and slowly turning our space into a home.

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

Fabian and I first met at school when we were 10 and went through high school together. We talked on and off over the years, but didn’t start officially dating until a year after graduating, when we both happened to be in Kaiteriteri for the summer. After spending time together, things quickly fell into place, and we’ve never looked back. A few years later, Fabian proposed in one of our favourite places, Kaiteriteri, a special place to us. We went for a walk up to the Breakers Bay Lookout just the two of us, and once we reached the top, Fabian got down on one knee and proposed.

When did you first realise that this was someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?

As soon as we started seeing each other in Kaiteriteri after high school, it was clear that this was it. It didn’t take long before we were talking about our future together.

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

Like many, I had been curating my Pinterest board for years and knew exactly what I wanted. Fabian was equally involved and helped with the final decisions, especially when I couldn’t choose between two options. I’ve always had a taste for the finer things in life, and I wanted my wedding to feel elegant and timeless. We knew we wanted to get married in Christchurch, New Zealand, as it’s where we both grew up, lived, and where most of our friends and family are. We both really wanted an outdoor wedding, and Pemberton Gardens provided the perfect, timeless garden setting. We kept the styling minimal, with a white and black colour scheme, and my bridesmaids added a pop of colour in butter yellow.

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).

One of my bridesmaids and best friends did all the design work for our wedding, and it turned out exactly how I envisioned it. The signs, order of service, and menus—everything tied together perfectly. I also loved that we had our reception name tags on ribbons, a design element I carried throughout the day, visible on our signs, cake, my reception shoes, and the flower girls as well. I couldn’t fault any of our bridal party’s outfits; the suits and dresses were all perfect. This is something I spent a lot of time on, and I loved how it all turned out. I’m also so glad I did a second look—it was so much fun getting changed and surprising everyone. It’s hard to pick just one thing because I loved all the elements of our day.

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

What I enjoyed most about the planning process was taking inspiration from other brides and editorials—it was so much fun and incredibly helpful. I loved talking to family and friends who had been married before and getting ideas from them as well. One tip I’d give to couples starting their wedding planning journey is to try not to get sucked into trends! This was a tricky one for me because I love following trends, but I had to make sure I was choosing things because I truly loved them, not just because they were “in.” I was also really lucky that Fabian wanted to be involved in the planning, so it was so much fun to choose things together and know our perfect day truly reflected both of us. And lastly, my biggest tip is to enjoy it! I absolutely loved planning my wedding, and I loved our day even more. One thing Fabian kept reminding me was to enjoy the small moments throughout the lead-up and on the day—not to keep looking forward to the next thing, but to be present and appreciate every aspect of it.

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

As someone who loves all things fashion, I found the process of finding my wedding dress so much fun. I tried on a few, but there was one dress I had saved on my Pinterest that I had always loved. After getting engaged, my dress designer, Sarah, whom I had worked with before through modelling, reached out to me offering to design my wedding dress. I seized this opportunity and worked alongside her to create the perfect dress. I also loved that my dress was actually a top and skirt, as I wanted a traditional wedding look but with something that felt very “me.” I also knew I wanted a second look, but wasn’t sure what it would be until Maggie Marilyn released the perfect set. As soon as I saw it, I knew it was the one. Fabian, on the other hand, knew right away that he wanted a classic black tux. We went to Sergios to hire the perfectly fitted suit, which we paired with a classic white and black bow tie for a timeless look.

What was 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?).

We wanted our guests to love and enjoy the day as well, so we invested in our venue to ensure a smooth experience throughout the day, with great food, excellent service, and something for everyone. I also wanted all my bridesmaids in the same dress, but it was important to me that all six of them loved how they looked and felt. So, I splashed out on their dresses and had the most beautiful custom Caitlin Crisp dresses made, which they all absolutely loved. Of course, we also had our incredibly talented photographer, who exceeded all expectations. Jess captured the most beautiful images, allowing us to look back on the best day of our lives.