As the owners of Markantonia, a design company in Auckland, this creative duo who we first featured in our Real Wedding Special, were willing to take on more jobs than most (and by most we mean everything!) £We couldn’t help but do it all ourselves. Candles, flowers, invites, you name it! A lot of work but so worth it, says Antonia who with so many projects on her plate, was estatic when she spied her Rue De Seine wedding dress.
£When I saw the Bella dress, it was all I wanted and could think of no other dress – the lace, the cute sleeves, being backless, it made me feel very special and suited the look that I was going for. I didn’t want anything fussy and over the top, that’s just not me, or us for that matter! I loved my wedding dress so much I still have it hanging in the lounge like a picture reminding us of our wedding!
With the dress done and dusted and with no time to waste Antonia quickly turned her attention to the next thing on her incredibly long to-do list. Using mostly flowers her mother had helped her grow in their backyard Antonia created rich, wintery hued bouquets and dried floral arrangements.
£I chose to use only dried flowers for the wedding reception, all the flowers were drying in our work room and every spare space in our house for months before! I made simple jar arrangements with dried leaves and flowers that looked beautiful, simple and they don’t need water! Then a very large hanging arrangement entirely dried that we needed a truck to transport. It was a monster. I still have it, it has taken over our living room, really.
Married inside The Glasshouse at Auckland’s Winter Gardens, Antonia says she couldn’t have hoped for a better place to finally marry her pal Mark. £I am a florist and having the ceremony in the Winter Garden Glass House seemed perfect, especially in winter, no matter if it rains the glass house is always beautiful with all those tropical flowers and ponds, it has always been one of my favourite places in Auckland.
In the company of their small bridal party, Antonia and Mark enjoyed some time in front of Coralee Stone’s camera before heading to their reception at another charming venue nearby. £We wanted to have an intimate wedding with our most treasured people. The Tasting Shed was perfect for our wedding reception of 70 – intimate, rustic and cosy, with the best food and wine I’ve ever had.
Feeling happier than a pig in mud with they way it all turned out, Antonia says the best bit happened to be inside Mark’s suit. £My father passed away when I was young, so mark wore in a special small pocket in his suit, my Father’s pocket watch, so that my daddy could still be with us all day. It was too touching to even describe how special that was to me.
Missed out on our Real Wedding Special? Then make sure you keep your eyes peeled for issue nine, which hits newsstands across Australia tomorrow! There’s a tonne of incredible real weddings, fashion editorials and DIY ideas inside plus a chance to win a pair of white gold stud earrings valued at $1,200!
Loving Antonia’s Rue De Seine gown? Then you will be stoked to know they have just announced trunk show dates for their brand spanking new 2016 collection. Click here for all the details.
CREDITS Photos Coralee Stone // Bridal gown and jacket Rue De Seine // Shoes See by Chloe // Hair Watkins & Co // Makeup MAC // Grooms suit I Love Ugly // Grooms shoes Anthony Miles // Rings Stephanie Grace // Groomsmen suits ASOS // Flowers, stationery and styling Markantonia // Ceremony The Tropical Glasshouse, Auckland Domain New Zealand // Reception and catering The Tasting Shed, New Zealand // Cake The Caker // Transport Corporate Cabs.