You may recognise this gorgeous couple from the cover of our issue 14 ( now available for purchase at our online store). Jen and James searched far and wide for their wedding venue, having considered South Africa as well as various locations around New Zealand. But in the end, the choice was clear… home. “I’m quite sentimental so getting ready in my childhood bedroom seemed very ‘right’. Having been to lots of weddings, in the lead up to ours we wanted to be very relaxed and very personal. It doesn’t get much more personal than your own backyard!”
Going for a relaxed, country vibe with a hint of glamour, this pair didn’t skimp on the DIY. The brave soul that she is, Jen took on the major project of creating all of the wedding stationery which meant save the dates, invitations, ceremony booklets and menus galore! When asked about her favourite detail from the day, she tells us, “I loved the invitations, but in the end it was the church decorations that my grandmother, James’s mum, and my mum all helped me with. The church looked absolutely amazing!”
Clearly a couple with a case of wanderlust, this bride tried on “what felt like a million dresses” by a boatload of amazing designers all over New Zealand, Melbourne and Hong Kong but it was Oscar De La Renta who stole her heart. “I found my dress by complete luck and didn’t even have an appointment at David Jones. I described to them my dream dress and the rest was history,” Jen explains, adding that the very first vendor she booked in for the day was Danelle Bohane.
“I didn’t even look at any other photographers. I saw a wedding she shot in a magazine and just loved the photographs. James and I had our own little after dinner photo shoot, which was just magical as we had relaxed and were having so much fun…Danelle and her husband are just lovely humans. They made us feel so at ease it was almost like they weren’t there!”
With a four-tier cake, tunes by jazz/funk group The Oval Office, and a boat race at the end of the night, Jen and James admit that they may have been having so much fun, they completely forgot to go to the bed and breakfast they’d booked down the road. “We danced until 4AM and then realised it was much too late to be checking into the B&B, so we spent our wedding night in my bedroom. We had a full house and my little brother was then bed-less so my brothers and James lifted up my sleeping granny’s bed to get a spare mattress out for him!” Talk about team work.
CREDITS Photos Danelle Bohane // Event planner and Stylist Hayley and Co // Florist Mrs Bottomleys Flowers // Printer Moo // Reception venue Bride’s home // Catering White Tie Catering // Cake Just Desserts // Wedding Favours Little Travellers // Marquee, Prop and Furniture Hire Hyde Park Hire // Rings Georg Jenson and Rutherford // Bridal Gown Oscar De La Renta // Boutique David Jones // Hair Piece Stephanie Browne // Robes Love and Lustre // Shoes Shoes of Prey // Hair Ashleigh Jane // Bridesmaid zdresses Needle and Thread // Bridesmaid Shoes Nine West // Suit, Bow Tie and Groomsmen Suits Peter Jackson // Shirt Henry Bucks // Suspenders Vance Vivian // Shoes Loakes // Socks Happy Socks // Watch Tissot