Chris surprised me for my birthday with a weekend away glamping in Matapouri. We went out for dinner on Friday night and Chris was really nervous that he had left his truck unlocked, which on reflection was very odd (it turns out the ring was in there). The next day we went for a walk and then Chris asked me to go outside and turn the outside bath on. I went outside and when I turned back around Chris was down on one knee asking me to marry him. I was so shocked, surprised and happy all in one moment (I think I asked him whether he was being serious!) It was perfect being just us for the big moment and it meant we got to repeat the feeling with our friends and family the first time we saw them after that.
Our wedding was in March at Stonebridge Wedding & Event Venue in Geraldine, near to where I grew up in Ashburton. We decided we wanted a venue where our friends and family could come and relax and not have to worry about changing locations for the reception or travelling a long distance. Stonebridge was perfect! The venue was also special because it was the same venue my sister was married a few years ago (no pressure on my younger sister!).
We wanted everything to be simple and elegant, and that was about as far as our theme went. We didn’t want to tie ourselves to a colour, so we stayed with black and white and used accessories and greenery to add some interest. Instagram scrolling also helped me find the trends that I liked, especially when it came to dresses, shoes and accessories.
Stick to what you like and try not to overcomplicate things. I think it is easy to get caught up in the hype of needing to find what is on trend and what would make the perfect wedding and you can lose sight of your personal style and what it is all about. We found it helpful at the start of the process to agree on the things that were really important to us and that we were happy to spend money on. We also talked about what we remembered from weddings we had been to, which was often the vibe, the ceremony, speeches and the dance floor! (I also had a no crafting rule, which I would highly recommend if you don’t like stress. Your bridesmaids will thank you too).
It is so hard to pick! I do remember one moment when we had just walked back down the aisle and we looked at each other with people cheering and we were both so content and happy. I also loved our ceremony and our speeches, they were the right balance of love, seriousness and humour and created the best vibe for the whole day. Our amazing photographer Sophie Isabella managed to capture people laughing and crying during the speeches, and when we look back at the photos we can still remember the exact moments in time or things that were said that triggered the emotions. The best memories.
