Real Weddings

Article by

Laura Wilson

Posted on

13/06/2018

Posted in

Real Weddings

Overlooking the Remarkables mountain range and Lake Wakatipu, this picturesque wedding in High Country, New Zealand is drop-dead gorgeous. After a quick look below, we’re sure you would agree Fiona Andersen Photography did the stunning couple (and those views!) justice and you can literally feel the love when you watch the heartfelt pre-wedding video shot by Design Patrol at the bottom of this post.

THE VENUE My family is from New Zealand, so it has always held a special place in my heart. Our first trip together was to Queenstown and we fell in love with the place. I wanted to find a ceremony spot that could show all of the beautiful spots around Queenstown. Tussock Point was perfect, as you could see Lake Wakatipu, Cecil Peak, the Remarkables and Coronets Peak. I also wanted a relaxing reception venue and Hilton’s Wakatipu Grill was perfect for that atmosphere. We all ate dinner on the deck and then moved outside around the fire pit and to deck chairs.

THE VIBE Was intimate and cosy, so we created things that allowed people to feel relaxed. Sharing platters, dessert tables, a photo booth, open bar, banquet table for dinner, encouraging people to have desserts and drinks around the fire pit outside. There was also the donut tower wedding cake that was amazing (and yummy!)

THE DRESS I loved my dress experience so much- I wish I could do it all again. I had my dress custom-made at Angela Osagie Bridal. I found her on Instagram and loved her style. My Mum and I visited Angela about 6 times for dress fittings; it was so amazing to see the transformation each visit. She was a perfectionist. We started off by draping different material until I found the one. She made me feel so comfortable and confident. I never thought I would get a dress custom-made but it was worth every penny. It wasn’t just about the dress but the whole experience.

REFERENCES A found a lot of my vendors through Instagram. It was challenging finding vendors that I could not meet personally, being in Sydney, Australia, so I had to rely a lot on drawing inspiration from magazines and reputable vendors featured in there. I would purchase Hello May as I loved how beautifully elegant everything was in there.

WE’RE GLAD WE… Did the pre-wedding video for our speeches. Damien and I are pretty private and were nervous about making speeches. So, to make sure we could say everything we wanted to say and not be full of nerves during our reception, we worked with Design Patrol and put together a video of ’10 things I love about you’. We both didn’t know what each of us said during the filming, so we couldn’t wait to watch it on our wedding day. It was so emotional – it was the first time I had seen Damian cry.

STANDOUT VENDORS Our celebrant, Glennys of Live Love Wed was so loving towards us, which helped for a beautiful ceremony. But what was more admirable was that unfortunately Glennys’ father had passed away the morning of our wedding. We had no idea. I would have completed understood if she couldn’t have been there. She made us feel so loved, she did so well on a day I would imagine she just wanted to be home with her family. I will be forever grateful to her.