
Here’s one damn delish New Zealand destination wedding day recipe, courtesy of Corey (a chef), and Amber (a wedding planner). First, take one stunning bride in a frock from Moonstruck Bride and pair with one prince charming (preferably in a popping pink suit). Then, add home-grown blooms, a “literal angel” of a photographer (Nikki McCrone), open-fire feasting, a crackin’ custom playlist (One More Song), an Off The Hook audio guestbook, and of course, 64 of the couple’s fave people (including some groomsmen in M.J. Bale, ideally). Finally, serve on a picturesque South Island family property. Bon appétit!
These cool cats told us that, at times, it was tricky to plan this NZ bash from their home in Melbourne. But ultimately, they “wouldn’t change a thing”. “It’s one of our favourite places in the world and we wanted our friends and family to see why.”
Hope you’re hungry, this one’s a real treat!
THE VENUE “Corey had already suggested his parents’ backyard in New Zealand back when we first got engaged, but ultimately moved our search to something closer to home. One day on the trip to NZ for Christmas, we were standing in the backyard on a beautiful sunny day, with a glass of bubbles in hand and the general sound of family in the background, and it just felt so right!”
FAVE DETAILS “Our mothers ended up contributing two of our favourite details. Corey’s mother is an amazing gardener, and when we talked about the kind of flowers we wanted on the day, she immediately offered to grow them. Now, every time we go back to the house, we have the most amazing reminder of the whole wedding weekend because the dahlia plants sit proudly in the garden. We decided not to go with a wedding cake, and my mother suggested we buy a mix of classic Kiwi ice-creams and pass them out when the time comes. The photos of everyone digging into their ice creams on the dancefloor later in the night are some of the funniest, and lots of our friends got to try their first Jelly-Tip!”
REFERENCES “Elizabeth from Weddings by E helped me with my colour palette, and also very graciously let us take one of the Off The Hook phones international, which was such a hit on the night! Aleks from One More Song DJs played our engagement party, and when we realised how hard it would be to fly her out mid-peak season, we asked her to make us a customised playlist for the day, because she already knew our friends and family and what they liked, The vibes were immaculate, and she paced everything out so well. Our caterers (Food by Fire) are actually run by a chef-friend of one of my Kiwi chef mates who lives in Melbourne. It’s crazy how we Kiwis always find each other overseas. As a chef myself, I have a huge respect for anyone who cooks over an open fire, and I just think what those boys are doing is so cool.”
STANDOUT VENDORS “Nikki McCrone is a literal angel. She works genuine magic making people feel comfortable and cutting through the bullshit. She came to the pub the night before and really got involved with our friends and family, matching everyone’s energy so beautifully. Having worked a few weddings with her in the past, it was so amazing to be on the other side of the lens with her and get to experience her warmth from another angle. We can’t speak highly enough of her.”
Wowsers, can we talk about the talent in this team? Amber and Corey sure know how to pick ‘em. Take a leisurely scroll through more Nikki McCrone weddings here. Wedding day ‘fits next on your hit list? We’d be remiss not to recommend Moonstruck Bride and M.J. Bale; jump over to the Directory to take a look. While there, suss out audio guestbook options from Off The Hook (always a HIT) and entertainment (or celebrant/MC) packages by One More Song.





































CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Nikki McCrone Event Planner Amber Florist Joanne Gallichan (Family) Stationery Vistaprint, Eventiico via Etsy, Amber (Bride) Venue Private Property Catering Food by Fire Hire Items The Little Hire Company, Truly Yours Sound Hire Audio Dynamite Playlist One More Song Audio Guestbook Off the Hook Celebrant Married by G – Georgia Huxtable Rings Windfall Jewellery, Grew & Co Accommodation The Vicarage Geraldine Arrival Cocktails Humdinger Gin THE BRIDE Bridal Gown Designer By Watters Bridal Boutique Moonstruck Bride Hair Piece A’el Este Robe BlackMilk, Bride Tribe Shoes Forever Soles, Bared Footwear Accessories Karen Walker, Tiffany & Co Hair Jessie Guthrie (Friend) Makeup Sagan Cassidy Fragrance Diptyque Bridesmaid Dresses Karen Millen THE GROOM Suit & Jacket Arthur Galan Shirt, Pants & Shoes Calibre Tie & Cufflinks Otaa Groomsmen Suits M.J.Bale Fragrance Maison Margiela via MECCA