OUR ENGAGEMENT STORY

Karl and I had only been together for 2 years when we got engaged, but we had been friends for a year before our dating relationship started and I quickly realised I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. The proposal was a surprise, I had a feeling it was coming and it had crossed my mind but he planned it so well and so sneakily. We had a photoshoot planned with our friend Yvonne Liew, I thought we were just meeting to get some cool pics together but during the shoot, Karl popped the question! It was such a cool moment caught on camera.

Soon after the proposal, NZ went into lockdown due to COVID. It was during this time we started talking a little bit about what we would do for our wedding and then once things started to open up again we just decided to jump straight into planning with very little money but knew that we wanted to make it happen for May the following year.

WE MADE OUR OWN WEDDING VIDEO!

When looking for a videographer we found it really tricky picking a style that we liked so we decided to approach it differently. With Karl working as a wedding videographer we knew that we could edit our own video to make it suit our personality and editing style. We couldn’t just ask any professional videographer for the RAW footage as it comes across as a bit of a disrespectful request, therefore we asked a fellow videographer friend who doesn’t usually shoot weddings to take footage for us and they were happy for us to edit ourselves.

Our approach to creating the video was we wanted more of a 'vlog’ style short film, so there are some parts with funny audio and authentic moments. It’s fast-paced, shows the full day but without being too static and repetitive. We hope that anyone can watch it and feel entertained right to the very end even if they don’t know us personally. We really wanted our personalities to come through and we didn’t want it to look too polished or serious because it’s not us!

p.s. If you’re ever worried about mucking up your own wedding vows just remember I swore during mine, so it's totally ok. Woops!

PREPARATIONS

We decided to get ready together, so all of the bridal party was hanging out the night before and the morning of the wedding. Originally we had an Airbnb booked for our preparations but it cancelled on us 1 week before the day!! Not a great situation to go through but it ended up being a blessing because we found this incredible accommodation which was much nicer and everyone loved the experience (despite it being more expensive). It even had heated floors which made us feel extra special.

Getting ready together felt more relaxed and we went into the day feeling so connected and supported by one another. I didn’t care about Karl seeing my hair and makeup. We did a first look at the accommodation before heading off for our bridal photos.

OUR $60 BRIDESMAID DRESSES!

Finding bridesmaid dresses wasn’t easy! We tried so many online stores that specialised in bridesmaid dresses. We ordered samples but had no luck with the styles or they were overpriced for the quality that they were. One of my girls suggested Pagani, at first I thought there is no way we would find something there but we found the perfect style that all 5 of my bridesmaids loved. We also saved so much money buying at Pagani which was a bonus! My advice is, don’t knock it until you try it. No one knew they were dresses from a chain store.

MY LOVERS SOCIETY WEDDING DRESS

I found it really hard picking the right wedding dress. I must of tried on about 50 gowns before this one and I knew straight away that this was ‘the one’. There definitely was an ‘aha’ moment when I saw it on. It was more expensive than I originally wanted to spend but it was worth every cent, I was 100% happy with how it looked. My best piece of advice is if it’s not feeling right then keep looking. I also found it easier going to fittings alone, that way I had less people around me and could think to myself without conflicting opinions.

I really wanted to wear white or cream boots, but they were really hard to find. I ended up finding a soft grey coloured pair at Mi Piaci. Again, more expensive than I originally planned but worth it. My feet didn’t get sore and they looked so cool.

BRIDAL PARTY PHOTOS

For our bridal shoot, we wanted a location that looked different from what we usually see in our industry. It also needed to be somewhere that had the option to photograph inside just in case of bad weather. We somehow came across this old building at Trentham Racecourse. It’s run down and not often used for this purpose but we fell in love with its old charm. One of the floors has been used as a cafe and bar scene on the set of King Kong and the other space we really liked was the pink ladies powder room.

PICKING OUR VENUE AT SHORT STRAW EVENTS

Short Straw in Whitemans Valley was the first and only venue we visited when planning our wedding. We knew as soon as we walked in the door that it was perfect for us! We loved the wooden furnishings and farm setting, which was fitting since we both grew up in rural towns.

Mckenzie the venue coordinator was so accomodating and helpful throughout the whole process. She gave us access to set up earlier than most venues provide and said yes to all of our requests. The only mishap on our end was inviting more guests than the number that was recommended to us. We squeezed in 72 guests, it was a tight seating plan but everyone had a good time and that’s the main thing.

Our vision for the reception room was rustic and laid back, with a minimal but eclectic look. It didn’t need to feel big and bold, or too matchy. I love that the space alone didn’t need a lot of decorations, that’s what caught our eye. My Mum did all of our table arrangements from the dried flowers that we collected prior. The pink vases are from our friend over at The Power Plant NZ plant and the name placements and our larger sign at the back of the room from Peg Creative.

With the help of family and our bridal party, we put this all together on our own! We felt so pleased with how it turned out.

A DIFFERENT CEREMONY ARCH

I fell in love with these geo stands from The Vintage Party. We wanted something different to the very popular wooden look archways, which don’t get me wrong always look good but we wanted an installation that no one would be expecting for a wedding ceremony. Floriade created these beautiful floral arrangements, as well as our bridal bouquets and the guy’s buttonholes.

LATE AFTERNOON CEREMONY

We timed our ceremony to be as late in the day as possible about 1.5 hours before sunset. This was intentional so we had the best possible light since we wanted to get married outside. Often ceremonies are planned for the middle of the day in Summer, which is usually when it’s very hot and sunny. Bright light isn’t always the best as it’s harsh on skin tones and casts uneven light/shadows. We have photographed so many weddings in these tricky lighting conditions and it was something we wanted to avoid which is partly why we choose to have a May wedding so the light would be soft and golden at 3:30pm.

UNPLUGGED CEREMONY

We made a big deal out of it being a strictly no cellphone event during the ceremony. We had a huge sign at the entrance and we asked our celebrant to announce it at the start which worked perfectly. Our ceremony was so short and we really wanted everyone to be in the moment with us.

QUICK AND EASY FAMILY PHOTOS

We made sure our family photo list wasn’t over complicated. On my side of the family, I had about 3 different family groups and 2 friend groups that I knew were really important to capture. It meant that not every person was photographed but our guests were able to relax more and not have to wait patiently for photos. We didn’t do a group photo, these are always the hardest shots to get as a photographer, especially when there is more than 50 people because you can’t clearly see everyone in the back rows.

MISSED OUT ON SUNSET BUT NO BIG DEAL

There wasn’t really much of a sunset out in Whiteman’s valley that day and honestly we didn’t even mind. We still got these beautiful photos that still have nice light and a bit of drama in the sky.

MY ONE REGRET…

We had the best day ever filled with lots of laughing and love. It was perfect! The only thing that was unfortunate was my Grandma wasn’t well enough to come to Wellington for the wedding. This meant setting up a Livestream video really last minute. We didn’t really discuss placement for the camera and guests accidentally stood in front of the camera so during the stream my Grandma couldn’t really see. If you have guests that can’t make it then I suggest investing in a proper Livestream and hire a cameraman to operate.

LIST OF VENDORS

Venue: Short Straw Events
Flowers: @floriade_wellington
Hair: @dollhousedo and @alana__muha
Makeup: @kellymichellemakeup and @jaymiejarvis.makeupartist
Photography: @yvonneliewphotography
Celebrant: @aingiemillercelebrant
Dress: @paperswanbride @loversxsociety
Signage: @daydream.nz
Geo frames: @thevintagepartynz