Alejandra and Jordan, Ale and Jordy to their mates, hosted an incredible wedding on Waiheke Island in New Zealand, which they planned from their now hometown of Chicago, USA. The theme of the day was “timeless and bright”, with the newlyweds encouraging guests to “wear colourful attire, avoiding black. We wanted the occasion to feel happy and warm.”
Ale made the very good call of putting The Peach Club in charge of her glam, and Wildfolk Photography took care of capturing all the beautiful memories. Scroll to see. We’re head over heels for the film shots…
THE VENUE “We actually planned our wedding in Chicago (where we live) which did make it a little bit harder, but Mudbrick Vineyard truly made it so much easier for us to navigate. We were in between two venues and had heard about how beautiful Mudbrick was and how they had the best view on all of Waiheke. It was definitely a dream to have gotten married here.”
FAVE DETAILS “Our entire wedding was truly a dream come true and there is almost nothing we’d change. The flowers from Roses Florist were stunning in every way. We incorporated orchids because they are Venezuela’s national flower, and I’m from Venezuela. My bridal bouquet featured white orchids along with other beautiful flowers, making it truly breathtaking. The venue, Mudbrick Vineyard, was absolutely gorgeous. Having a wedding on Waiheke Island at a venue like Mudbrick was something we would’ve only imagined, and spending it with our families and friends from New Zealand amongst all of our family and friends from Chicago, was captivating and beautiful.”
LITTLE LOL “During Ale and I’s first dance, we had planned to do a dip or two throughout the song. I knew it was coming, but we hadn’t really practiced too many of our moves. Ale was an accomplished ballerina before college and was a little more flexible than I had anticipated, and when we went for the first dip, ale dipped so far down and her back became, what to me felt bone-less, I almost dropped her on the floor. I’m so glad I didn’t. Ale and I could not stop laughing, and we tried it a second time later in the dance and that went much smoother.”
MEMORABLE MOMENT “My first dance with my dad, we were dancing to Let It Be, slowly, and our DJ switched up the music halfway through and started playing our favorite song, Suavemente. Immediately my dad and I lit up and brought the dance floor in.”
A TOUCH OF TRADITION “We wanted to include Alejandra’s grandmother in our ceremony, and she said a heartfelt prayer in Spanish. Incorporating Spanish made our ceremony beautifully bilingual. She also honored and recognized all the loved ones in Jordi’s and my lives who have passed.”
A WORD OF ADVICE “Make sure to ask for help when you need it! Plan ahead and communicate everything with one another, whether big or small. It’s easy to get caught up in the planning, but to avoid that we had weekly wine nights where we sat down and planned our vision, together. At the very start of planning, we asked each other, “What are the three most important things to you?” This helped us priorities a reality for both of us.”
Looking for your own dream team in NZ? From photographers to cake makers, we rounded up the best of the best right here.
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Wildfolk Photography Cinematographer Cinematic Creative Co Event Planner & Hire Items The Island Collection Stylist Bride Florist Roses Florist Ceremony & Recption Venue & Catering Mudbrick Vineyard Cake Lillith Waiheke Entertainment Sam Jones, Real Entertainment Celebrant Vanessa Valecillos (Family Friend) THE BRIDE Bridal gown designer Michelle Mason Reception Dress Jenny Yoo Shoes Jimmy Choo Hair & Makeup The Peach Club Bridesmaid dresses Jenny Yoo Bridesmaid Shoes Jimmy Choo THE GROOM Shoes Jimmy Choo Watch Gucci Le March Des Merveilles
