No better time

What’s better than a tropical holiday? Two tropical holidays!

It’s the tail end of Valentine’s month and the good folks at the new InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa are feeling the love. Steal away to this heavenly hideaway, accept a proposal, and you could win a free wedding!

Propose (or convince your beau to propose) while staying at the InterContinental Fiji in February and the resort will treat you to a complimentary wedding, including a wedding coordinator, venue hire, marriage license, minister or celebrant, Fijian choir, flowers for the bride and groom, and a buffet dinner with a three-hour beverage package.

Sure, you have to shell out to be in to win, but flights are more economical than ever (check out www.airnz.co.nz) and we’d hardly call escaping to a picturesque paradise an imposition! Weddings may be held any time between now and next February. Conditions apply, so email weddings.fiji@interconti.com or visit www.intercontinental.com/fiji for details.

Posted by Melissa Gardi on 23 February 2010 | 0 comments

Gowns a-gogo

Inspiration ahoy! It’s gowns a-gogo in Hollywood right now, and last weekend’s Screen Actors Guild Awards was bursting with bridesmaid dress ideas. 

Our top five list goes a little somethin’ like this:

Kyra Sedgwick in Vera Wang – how about that smoky sash?!

Sandra Bullock in Alexander McQueen – because sometimes bare arms just won’t do.

Marion Cotillard in Elie Saab– note the way the sleek side part mirrors the asymmetrical neckline.

Christina Applegate in Roberto Cavalli – with a sprinkling of stardust atop her shoulders.

Lea Michele in Catherine Malandrino – in a word, exquisite.

Posted by Melissa Gardi on 28 January 2010 | 0 comments

Tis the season

Hello everyone, and happy new year! Mid-summer’s a treat for many reasons, such as seeing our little corner of the world catching wedding fever. For the bride-to-be it spells a smorgasbord of ideas to steal, and as awards season kicks into gear, it’s couture on parade in Tinseltown, too. Last week’s Golden Globes saw the stars come out to play and, my, did they bring it. Gowns fell to the floor and nude fabrics took top honours as the trend to watch, while on the beauty front elaborate updos were ousted in favour of simply styled, touchable tresses; farewelling the hairsprayed helmets that are de rigueur at such soirees. Below, a breakdown for your ideas book or inspiration board.

Jennifer Garner worked the girl next door angle to stunning effect, going for the good old half-up hairdo that saw a cascade of curls caressing her toned back, artfully exposed courtesy of her Versace sheath. Note the earrings – a sophisticated accent that didn’t detract from her on-trend asymmetrical neckline.

Drew Barrymore won an award and our hearts for her champagne Atelier Versace gown. Again with the asymmetrical, and that ruched waist and beautiful beading would not look out of place on a wedding gown. We’ll drink to her simple chignon, too.

We stifled a yawn over Julia Roberts’ lacklustre vintage YSL dress but, no matter, as her loose honey-coloured waves had us at hello. This is a look brides-to-be with long, healthy locks should definitely short-list; best served with a plunging neckline.

Nicole Kidman came over all screen goddess, selecting a satin crème brûlée Nina Ricci befitting her statuesque form. Love the nod to a bygone era with the covered buttons. Her elegantly sideswept hair proved even the frizziest of manes can be coaxed into submission when the need arises – file this under ‘glamour’.

Kate Hudson raised the topic of wedding cakes in our minds. Swathed in layers of satin and tulle – the icing on top (or bottom) was those hot ivory platforms!     

Christina Aguilera’s blunt bob was fierce and surely a serious contender for bride-to-be fans of a structured look. We weren’t enamoured with her gown’s metallic detail, but in all other respects her peach Versace gown was a triumph, successfully making a fuss of her deliciously bare décolletage.

Calling all short-haired stylistas! Ginnifer Goodwin’s chocolate crop with its saucy feathered fringe is definitely a look to consider – it framed her face and highlighted her enviable cheekbones.

But the New Zealand Weddings Award for Sartorial Excellence goes to Emily Blunt. Who cares that she won a Golden Globe for her turn in The Young Victoria? For us the feat that deserves recognition is her wardrobe selection – her dusky pink Dolce & Gabbana gown was all romantic layers of chiffon, chaperoned by not one but two silver cuffs. Captivating. 

Posted by Melissa Gardi on 22 January 2010 | 0 comments

There's something special...

There's something special about people who are unabashed about expressing themselves.

And love makes you do crazy things...

Debbie McDonald and Peter Hancock from Auckland met while participating in a cycling race for which they were dressed as Ninja Turtles. But as the winning couple of our New zealand Weddings' $25,000 Win Your Dream Wedding Competition, they'll swap the green suits and headbands for a Jane Yeh frock and Frank Casey gear, to recite their vows at Simunovich Estate in the Bombay Hills.

Debs and Pete made a hilarious video to thank friends and family members whose votes made their dream wedding a reality.

Learn more about them as they plan their April wedding in our upcoming Summer issue which hits stands December 7th.

Posted by Melissa Gardi on 23 November 2009 | 1 comments

What's on your soundtrack?

Here at the New Zealand Weddings office, we’ve been discussing how selecting the songs for your wedding reception can be almost as tricky as creating your seating plan. Do you keep Gran and Gramps happily foxtrotting around the dance floor, or do you ensure your friends are carving up all night long by keeping the top-40 hits spinning?

The simple answer is to remember that you can’t please everyone, so it’s best to use music as another element to create the atmosphere you want to achieve. If you’re envisaging a classy, sophisticated reception, choose classic songs with everlasting appeal – young and old alike will be captivated by the dulcet tones of Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby. And you can easily modernise the genre by keeping this millennium’s artists such as Duffy and Michael Bublé (his hit song Sway is bound to get everyone in a spin) on high rotation.

Some couples would prefer their reception to be more about letting their hair down. If this sounds like you, mix the latest pop hits (think Black Eyed Peas’ I Gotta Feeling) with old-school beats that everyone knows, such as the Grease Megamix. After all, a wedding reception is one of the few occasions where it’s perfectly acceptable to break it down to the Macarena or form a conga line. You’d be surprised which tracks tickle some people’s footwork fancies. One of our staffers witnessed the miracle of her new father-in-law voluntarily stepping onto the floor for the first time when Guns N’ Roses’ Paradise City blared from the speakers. And while The Nutbush is the epitome of cheesiness, it’s so simple that even people with two left feet can manage it.

After much debate among the team about the best tunes to play, we decided to ask someone who lives and breathes music and enlisted Goldenhorse singer Kirsten Morrell, who recently embarked on a new solo career, to share the 10 songs she most loves to hear at a wedding. Here’s what she chose:

1. Come on Eileen – Dexy’s Midnight Runners
2. Murder on the Dancefloor – Sophie Ellis-Bextor
3. Blue Monday – New Order
4. The Lovecats – The Cure
5. Violently Happy – Bjork
6. Brimful of Asha – Cornershop
7. Starman – David Bowie
8. Billy Jack – Curtis Mayfield
9. I Want to Take You Higher – Sly & the Family Stone
10. Blame it on the Boogie – The Jackson 5

Keep an eye out for our music special in the summer issue of New Zealand Weddings, and in the meantime, check out Cherry Coloured Dreams, the first single from Kirsten’s debut solo album Ultraviolet.

What song do you love to hear at a wedding? Leave your comments below and you could inspire another bride’s ultimate playlist.

Posted by Melissa Gardi on 3 November 2009 | 0 comments

Cocktail hour

I spent some of the long weekend trying out cocktail recipes for the next issue (comes with the job!) Now that strawberries are back in season and the prices have dropped to a couple of dollars a punnet, daiquiris make a refreshing and budget-friendly option for engagement parties, weddings or even just those breaks in the planning process. And keep some space in the garden to grow your own mint – mojitos and summer go hand in hand.

Strawberry daiquiri

2 shots white rum

15ml sugar syrup

1 pinch icing sugar

1 shot triple sec

1 shot lemon juice

1 handful strawberries (minus the stem)

Extra strawberries, to garnish.

Combine all ingredients with ice in a blender. Pour into a glass and garnish with a strawberry.

Mojito

3 shots lime juice

1 handful fresh mint

1 tsp brown sugar

Club soda

Extra mint and/or raspberries, to garnish

Muddle the lime juice, mint and sugar. Shake and pour over ice into a glass. Add rum, then top up with club soda. Garnish with extra mint, or raspberries.

Posted by Melissa Gardi on 27 October 2009 | 0 comments

Let them eat cake

Hot off the heels of Air New Zealand Fashion week, I’ve been keeping an eye on the shows in Paris and Milan for inspiration. There’s a lot for the fashionista, plenty for your bridal party and the occasional touch of bridalwear. Dutch designers Viktor & Rolf’s show was definitely a marriage of fashion and geometry. But all I saw was wedding cakes. Tiered. Sliced. And topped with icing flowers. 

Posted by Melissa Gardi on 5 October 2009 | 0 comments

From the runway to the aisle…

So Air New Zealand Fashion Week has come and gone for another year, leaving me eagerly anticipating the gorgeous garments that will hit stores in 2010. I got such a buzz out of all the new looks unleashed on the catwalk – a constant breeze of creativity layered in endless contrasting textures and colours. Whether Zambesi gets you going or you’re a Trelise girl, there was something for everyone – styles suitable for any type of ceremony, for you, your bridemaids, mum, groom… or even that honeymoon suitcase.

Some of my fave ANZFW catwalk moments:

27 Names

Juliette Hogan

Trelise

Cybele

Zambesi

Kate Sylvester

Sera Lilly

Posted by Melissa Gardi on 26 September 2009 | 0 comments

I get by with a little help from my friends

‘I get by with a little help from my friends.’ And when it comes to your wedding, the 1967 words of John Lennon and Paul McCartney couldn’t ring more true.

The wild wedding ride is not only with your fiancé, it’s with your friends and family, since they’re the ones who will share the ins and outs of the entire planning process with you. From the texture of your dress to the exact colour shade of the seating chart (‘it’s periwinkle, not purple’), they’ll listen, discuss, support and care about the decisions you make along the way.

While bearing witness to your pledge of commitment and celebrating the occasion with you, your friends and family are most importantly part of the serendipity when the big day arrives. They’ll create moments that you didn’t plan, and make memories for you all.

For my friend Juliet, (pictured below) her bridesmaids were definitely part of her tribe – they were there the night before the wedding, setting in motion a midnight skinny dip in Lake Rotoiti. They were there to toast with a tequila shot moments before departing for the ceremony, and they were by her side, creating new inside jokes, all wedding long.

On my wedding day my brother Marc’s speech, unprompted and unforgettable, triggered a few other unplanned speeches from friends and family. The sentiments brought my wedding experience to another level. Almost seven years later, it’s still my favourite part of our wedding video.

Your friends and family are there to keep you smiling when the planning becomes stressful, to prop you up if you need it, and to walk into the future with you, open armed.

There’s a reason that Beatles song is considered one of the greatest songs of all time. It’s about something we all know and love and appreciate: friendship.

What are some of the things your family and friends have done to make your wedding journey memorable?

Posted by Melissa Gardi on 14 September 2009 | 1 comments

We all love a good wedding

We all love a good wedding. And when the celebration’s yours it’s not just the day that’s memorable, it’s the steps along the way. The decisions. The emotions. The ladder to one of life’s most epic journeys: marriage.

At New Zealand Weddings our heart is the magazine. It’s our passion for weddings – the creativity and joy of the journey – that is our soul. While there are few things that I enjoy as much as putting together a beautiful, inspiring and informative magazine about all things wedding, I hope this blog will reach out that much further to those planning a wedding, or to those who just plain love them. 

With the first step, here’s one of my favourite wedding images, one that marks a sense of occasion. It’s the sense of arrival that I love about it. And the fact that it could have been shot five years or 50 years ago, epitomising that old cliché that black and white photography is timeless. (It’s actually been a decade since this was taken at my ex flatmate’s big day.)

It’s a moment like this that celebrates a bride’s debut – when she feels her most beautiful and full of life and love. When all those steps and decisions that ebb and flow for months or years transform into exactly what you envisaged.

Let the games begin!

PS
If you haven’t already noticed, we’ve taken steps upwards and onwards with our website – while getting an overview of our current issue on-sale you can also use our article directory to find stories from our archives that meet your needs. Plus our blog will keep you informed and inspired between issues. For up-to-the-minute info, visit us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter (http://twitter.com/NZWeddingsMag).

Posted by Melissa Gardi on 7 September 2009 | 0 comments