Sophie + Rishab by Sophie Bayly

The vision became a kind of English wedding: wildflowers, a hint of ritual, and stepping outside into a shower of rose petals.

We’re Sophie and Rishab — two old souls with a love for things that feel eternal: ruins and churches, old-vine vineyards, braided rivers, and wide open skies. We find joy in experiencing the wonders of the world together, especially now with our daughter.

Joys shared are joys multiplied, which is why it felt truly magical to celebrate our wedding with family and friends in Arrowtown, under a cloudless sky. We also celebrated in India, with a quiet, moving Anand Karaj and a music-filled reception, honouring both cultures in a way that felt joyful and deeply meaningful.

We met on Bumble in 2019 — modern, ordinary, but meant to be. Rishab’s profile said, “Slowly working through the pile of books on my bedside table.” I (Sophie) replied with a photo of my own wobbly stack. From the beginning, we’ve never followed the prescribed path. I was meant to move to London in 2020, but the world had other plans. The day Auckland locked down, we moved in together. By the next lockdown, we’d bought a house — complete with a crumbling kitchen and a jungle out back.

Rishab proposed at a little wine bar around the corner. We returned home to a surprise engagement party arranged by our friends — the first of many good parties in that house. Years passed. We travelled, and we became parents. And with the arrival of our daughter, a wedding began to feel right, not just a celebration of love, but of family and belonging.

We wanted the ceremony to reflect the Central Otago landscape — its golden light, stillness, and sense of the divine. Once we settled on the local Anglican church, the vision became a kind of English wedding: wildflowers, a hint of ritual, and stepping outside into a shower of rose petals. We wrote our own vows, chose an inclusive service, and added a blessing in Te Reo.

My grandmother arranged the flowers at the church using locally grown blooms gifted by a guest — her involvement meant the world to us. After the ceremony, we paused for a moment of stillness at Ayrburn’s flower farm before joining the reception. Our florist, Little Botanica, brought the outside in — blush David Austin roses, wildflowers, fruiting branches — echoing my mother’s and grandmothers’ gardens. It was magical.

We planned the wedding ourselves — a shared creative project that became one of the loveliest things we’ve done as a couple. Ayrburn was a dream: luxurious, thoughtful, and grounded in the landscape. We kept the guest list small, wanting it to feel like a fabulous dinner party. After dinner, the music took over, cocktails flowed, and the courtyard came alive with dancing and conversation.

Rishab wore a deep blue velvet smoking jacket from Crane Brothers — elegant, with a touch of mischief. I wore a custom silk dupion gown by Brooke Tyson; her gentle, collaborative approach made the process a joy. I especially loved the tight pleats on the bodice. For dancing, I changed into a vintage ’90s sequinned slip from Love James, paired with a custom scarf by Reparation Studio. And in true toddler fashion, our daughter had her own ideas about being the flower girl, prompting Rishab to walk back up the aisle to scoop her up. A quiet, unscripted moment that reminded us what the day was really about: love, calm, and family.