Tag: auckland

Today we are sharing the newly wed couple Ryan & Alexandria’s wedding, after being postponed three times due to Covid like many of you who are engaged and are wedding planning may have experienced too.

“Our florist was incredible, she came up with heaps of ideas to keep the costs low. Like using our arch flowers on our head table when we were seated for dinner. It was the little things like these that made all the difference!”

Who  Ryan & Alexandria Sample

Where Allely Estate, Kumeu

Guests 73 adults, and my bridesmaid’s new born baby

Budget We didn’t want to go over 25k. At the same time of planning a wedding we were also building our first home. So budgeting, sticking to a ballpark figure, cutting costs where we could was very important to us. We actually managed to not only stick to the budget, but we were well under the 25k mark, so we were pretty thrilled with that!

How did you meet? We originally met one another through our parents who would attend the same gym. Within no time, our families became inseparable – even our dogs are great friends! After building a solid friendship, we soon realized there was potential to be more, once we decided that then there was no going back.

How did your partner propose? Before Ryan proposed, he knew that I liked a bit of tradition; meaning that it was important for him to get my father’s permission to marry me. Even though we had been going out for over 11 years, it was something that was a huge deal to me and I found pretty special. When he proposed, it was a Saturday afternoon at sunset, just sitting on the deck having a drink he got down on one knee and popped the question! Very cliche’ I know! 

What was important to you when you started planning your wedding? We wanted to make sure that it was very intimate, that we got to chat to most of our guests. Having beautiful photos to look back on and cherish the memories we made that day!

In three words describe your wedding style Romantic, Intimate, and Relaxed.

Was there anything that you did that was a little different to the ‘norm’ for your wedding? Not really! My dad spent the day with us girls getting ready. We made sure that we captured the moment, and took heaps of photos of when he saw me in my dress for the first time. So emotional, and I will cherish that moment forever!

How did you personalise your wedding day? The little details on the table settings, the wedding cake which was a donut tower with a cake on the top. Also removing of my garter- so much fun and so many laughs!

What were your save and splurge items for your wedding?

– Splurge hair and makeup for myself, my maid of honor and bridesmaid. Best decission.

– Save on florals. Our florist was incredible, she came up with heaps of ideas to keep the costs low. Like using our arch flowers on our head table when we were seated for dinner. It was the little things like these that made all the difference!

What was the most difficult part of planning your wedding? And the most fun? Covid, we had to reschedule it three times before finally been able to go through with it. Choosing the donuts, the florals and adding our personal touch.

What did you use to plan your wedding When we booked the venue, in the package we choose it came with a wedding planner. She was wonderful. Along with that, I did a heck of a lot of googling. I got a wedding planning book and spoke to friends who had gotten married.

Did you DIY anything, or have family and friends help? Both my mum and mother in law had the most beautiful vases/jars. My mum went out and got heaps of candles for the tables. We also had a pillar candle which was lit for those in memory who were there with us in spirit.

Did lockdowns have any effect on your plans, did you have to postpone, change any of your plans or reduce your guest list? Hugly, it got postponed three times! 

What advice would you share with others planning their Big Day? Do you research, take your time, ask the questions. Enjoy the process and the wedding day, because it goes by so quickly!

Do you have any regrets, what would you change, if anything? None whatsoever. 

Where did you go for your honeymoon? Due to covid, the borders aren’t fully open to the whole world. We have decided to wait till we can go to Bali, so hopefully soon! But we did move into our new home on the same night of the wedding, so that was like a honeymoon all within itself.

CREDITS

Photographer www.charlottechristianweddings.com

Venue Catering & Event Planning  Allely Estate, Kumeu

Makeup & Hair Jade Beauty

Bride’s Dress  Bridal and Ball

Groom’s Suit & Accessories Barkers, Farmers

Wedding Party Attire Forever New, Chaos and Harmony, Mi Piaci Shoes

Rings Walker and Hall, Pascoes

Flowers Print&Petal

Wedding Cake Whipped Cakery

Music Mix it Dj

Wedding Celebrant Valeria Antipenko

Invitations & dress alterations Debbie Williams at Imprezzions Boutique

Today’s wedding is actually a second gathering to celebrate with the Groom’s parents not able to make the first. This chic photoshoot beautifully combines the couples sophistication with cool inner city backdrops (how cool are the concrete silos!) all captured by the talented Diana V Photography. Enjoy! xox

Who Obed & Brogan George
Where Auckland
Guests 30
Budget  $10,000 (wedding two)

Our love story began… by a chance encounter Sydney, Australia

I said yes… in the snow Queenstown, New Zealand on our first ever vacation together.

Our wedding style was… Classic with a hint of cultural tradition.

We chose to have a second reception in New Zealand because… Obed’s parents were unable to attend our original wedding in Sydney, Australia due to illness and we wanted to celebrate our marriage with them and everyone who couldn’t make it the first round. We had originally planned to celebrate twice but Obed’s parents’ absence firmly cemented this desire so we went ahead with the planning.

This time we saved on flowers! Gina (the groom’s sister & bridesmaid) and I purchased the flowers ourselves making the bouquets, boutonnieres and flower arrangements for the tables.

We splurged on… our HONEYMOON to Hawaii. It was fabulous.

Our advice to engaged couples… Enjoy the day or in our case days it goes by so fast! We decided on a videographer at the last second and it was worth every penny! Oh and don’t worry about the weather! Two weddings, two days of torrential rain!

CREDITS

Photographer Diana V Photography
Stylist Consultant Chanel Friend
Flowers Purchased locally in Parnell (first wedding was Tammy Ingledew for Bouquet of Dreams – absolute perfection!)
Venue Soljans Winery
Brides Dress Pronovias, Fashions by Farina
Brides Shoes Ivanka Trump
Bridesmaid Dresses Designed by the bride and created by the very talented and professional seamstress Margaret Thornhill residing in the bride’s hometown Harden, NSW Australia
Grooms suit Noose & Monkey UK via ASOS
Grooms accessories David Jones
Rings Designed by Lauren Albon, created by Matthew Ely by York Jewellers

Today’s wedding is a cool, chic, city wedding with a seriously killer dress. I love the simplicity of it yet there are so many unique details. Beautifully photographed by Jessica Higueras of JESSICA PHOTOGRAPHY, I will leave you with some sweet ideas to steal…

Ideas to steal 1. The single stem bridal bouquet and simple bridesmaid flowers dressed with ribbons (unique idea and will save you some mulah!). 2. The black mix and match bridesmaid dresses and shoes (LOVE the boots!) 3. The brides hair and makeup (perfect for a sophisticated modern look). 4. Scout out some great buildings and alleyways in your area for photo backdrops or ask your photographer (they know all the nooks and crannys for great shots!) 5. If you have great legs like the bride Haylee, wear a dress with a split and show off your pins!

Who Dwayne & Haylee Warby
Where The Sapphire Room, Ponsonby Central, Auckland
Guests 120

How did you meet?

Dwayne and I met over the dimly lit bar at Tabac in Auckland during a mutual friends birthday celebration. It was in fact two of our friends who decided we would be a good match and took it upon themselves to stage the introduction. I will be forever thankful that they did!

In three words describe your wedding style… Modern, Urban, Relaxed

Did you have hens & stag nights? 

Yes! The Hens-do involved a pole dancing lesson that culminated in a performance to the group by the bride (hilarious and by far the highlight of the evening), a delicious dinner at Moo Chow Chow with “how well do you know the bride” type quizzes etc., and concluded with drinks and dancing at various bars on Ponsonby Road, with the bride equipped with a list of dares to be completed, of course!

The men spent the afternoon at the races (horse races that is) and the evening at…one guess … Showgirls! Surprise, surprise!

What were your save and splurge items for your wedding?

Splurge The whole affair was a bit of a splurge, really! But I think most wedding’s are, right? That being said, we didn’t go completely nuts but we had chosen to have the wedding at Ponsonby central with 120-ish people and in doing so accepted there would be certain cost associated with that. It was a special, significant, once in a lifetime occasion and we decided to make the most of it!

Save From the outset I had no desire to have a typical, traditional wedding dress. I had my heart set on something modern that no one would expect that was also more in keeping with the relaxed and modern vibe of our city wedding. I saw a Stella McCartney dress worn by an actress at a movie premier, fell in love and set about finding someone to replicate it. I ended up with the perfect dress that I absolutely adored and because it wasn’t your typical wedding dress it didn’t come with the hefty price tag either, which was a real bonus!

What music did you play for those special moments?

I had enlisted a friend of mine who is a guitarist and pre-recorded an acoustic version of me singing “I Choose You” by Sarah Bareilles for my walk down the aisle, as a surprise to my hubby-to-be. I thought it was going to be a nice touch but hubby was so caught up with nerves and the excitement of the moment that he didn’t even click it was me!

What was the most difficult part of planning your wedding? And the most fun?

For me, the most difficult part was also the most fun part, which was drafting the ceremony and the wedding vows. The words we said and the promises we made were hugely important to me, so you can imagine the hours and energy spent ensuring we got it just right and did our special moment justice.

Do you have any money saving tips for engaged couples?

Weddings are expensive. I’d firstly suggest accepting that from the outset. I’d secondly suggest being realistic and choosing a wedding “format” that is compatible with your budget expectations. You don’t necessarily need to have a huge wedding with all the bells and whistles in order for it to be a special, magical and memorable day! Get creative and do something unique that resonates with you.

Where did you go for your honeymoon?

Vietnam (Hanoi and Hoi An). Amazing food, a bit of culture, amazing resort on the beach, brilliant hot weather…and my handsome new hubby! It was superb!

CREDITS

Photographer Jessica Higueras of Jessica Photography
Venue The Sapphire Room, Ponsonby
Catering & Event Planning Little Wolf
Makeup Rachelle Fisher Makeup Artist
Hair Terry Whaitiri Hair & Makeup
Brides Dress Nicola Graham of Nicola Dawson Design
Grooms Suit & Accessories Barkers
Rings Louis the Goldsmith

Today’s inner city wedding captured by Wonder Ferris is a beautiful blend of industrial chic with a sweet touch of vintage! Including two very cool and creative Auckland wedding venues By George and Hopetoun Alpha, this wedding might just convince you to trade in your rustic barn wedding for a fun colourful party in the heart of the city! Enjoy xox

Who Charlotte + Mike Church
Where By George, an industrial space in Kingsland (ceremony) + Hopetoun Alpha, where I had dreamed having my wedding since I first went inside years ago (reception)
Number of Guests 160

Budget We set out with the ambition of spending not a cent over 20K. I would say we’d have to add at least 10K to that.

Our love story began… about 5 years ago. I don’t think either of us particularly saw it coming, but friends of friends and all that, we ended up together. Our friendship and love has grown over sport, travel, food and our faith.

I said yes… at one of our favourite spots at Piha. Mike had planned the whole thing with fish and chips on the beach (except the takeaway shop was shut and we ended up with pizza). He’d bought the bubbles along and everything.

Our wedding style was… a bit of everything. We like the industrial feel, hence the warehouse space, but we love greenery, and flowers were always going to be a big part of the day. Food trucks and a caravan bar were how we included our love of food and drink.

We saved on…

Booze was always going to be a big expense given our guest list and we didn’t want to scrimp. We queued up for hours at the Wine Society Warehouse sale, where we took a punt. Luckily it worked out.

The boy (and some friends) also helped out with some of the decorations including a beautiful copper archway and a ply backdrop behind the bridal table at the reception. Both amazing backdrops and I loved his handiwork.

The thought of sending out 160 invites and collating the replies was a bit daunting, Paperless Post was our friend.

We splurged on…

Flowers, although we got a decent hand up with those too given a close friend is also an awesome florist. She made us a beautiful decorated archway, gorgeous table decorations and the most stunning bouquets I could have asked for.

Our guest list wasn’t small as we both have large families and wanted to share our day with all our friends.

The Honeymoon. Mike and I spent 3 and a half months in Asia straight after the wedding. The best decision ever.

Our advice to engaged couples is… stress less and keep things simple. Wedding planning can be overwhelming so make sure you’re also planning a wicked honeymoon too!

CREDITS

Photographer
 Wonder Ferris “Actually awesome. Adam and Kirsty not only got us out of a pickle after our original photographer cancelled a month out, but we know that it was meant to be because they were truly awesome.”
Flowers Chloe Melles
Venues By George and Hopetoun Alpha
Bar Alfie the Caravan Bar
Afternoon Tea Euro Snacks Food Truck
Hire Company
 Insphire
Stationery + Signage Paperless Post and a bit of DIY designing
Hair
 + Makeup Ali’s Makeup Station

Brides Dress Kelly Lin Couture
Brides Accessories + Shoes
 Miss KG from ASOS
Ceremony Music The Worship Project
Bridesmaid Dresses
 Esther Boutique
Grooms Suit + Accessories Barkers
Rings Partridge Jewellers