Hannah & Travis

We met through mutual friends at a potluck dinner, though I was too shy to talk to Trav. Over the next six months our friendship grew through weekly pub quiz nights at the dingy but loveable Claddagh Irish Pub in Newmarket. On a Saturday out we realised we were more than just friends. In 2016 I went overseas to backpack across America and Europe. Being apart for four months was hard, but it gave us time to achieve some individual goals and made us realise that we were meant to be together.

Trav proposed during a holiday in Samoa. He’d designed an engagement ring in Auckland, talked to both of my parents and managed to keep it hidden from me in the very bottom of our bag. It happened while we were swimming in the beautiful To Sua Ocean Trench. I was very surprised but said yes straight away… then asked if he was serious and would like to marry me too!

We visited Goldie Estate, which we had first heard about online, on a day trip over to Waiheke Island and as soon as we got there we loved it! It had a giant pohutukawa tree that we just knew we had to get married under. The ocean views also stood out to us and we loved the ceremony spaces they offered, while the reception area was lovely and open with great light. We chose our date as spring is a time of new beginnings which we thought seemed perfect for a wedding.

Our undone natural bouquets had a mix of white and pastel orange, pink and coral flowers including ranunculus and peonies. We also made vanilla scented candles using some of my parents’ wedding crystal and other vintage pieces for the tables. They added a warm, romantic light and a vintage touch to our table settings.

I chose to go with a dress from Sally Eagle – I love her style and that she uses top quality materials. I like that the designs are elegant but simple as I wanted to wear the dress and be comfortable, not have the dress wear me! I chose the ‘Julia’ dress as I loved the lace – it was light with a beautiful flower design. I also really liked how the skirt moved and the backless detail – it was elegant and modern. The dress had a structured lace bodice, floaty lace sleeves and a full skirt with a slight train.

We did a first look, allowing us some time to celebrate and reflect on the day together. It felt really special to have this time to talk to and check in with one another as we had spent the previous night apart. We had a pre-ceremony lemonade and Pimm’s stand, opted to say ‘Always’ during the ceremony in place of ‘I do’ and had dried flower confetti to be thrown when we came back down the aisle. These touches added a bit of fun and helped to kick off the celebrations!

A canape hour followed the ceremony with pétanque and giant Jenga for people to play. It was a nice way to help people relax and get to know each other, particularly after the formalities of the ceremony. A sit-down platter service followed – each table had a spread of cheeses, breads and olives, and then salads, new potatoes and meats like lamb shoulder and pork belly. We liked the idea of everyone being able to share food at their tables and people loved the freshness and simplicity of our food.

The night was wonderfully warm, so all of the dancing took place outdoors, which was really fun! At about 10pm punnets of hot chips were delivered to the dancefloor, which was a hit with many of our guests and stands out as a crowd favourite! At this point the music switched to hits from our teens, which was a great throwback for all of our friends and sparked many a conga line! Our wedding really was such a celebration and filled to the brim with happiness and love.

THE DETAILS

BRIDE’S GOWN Sally Eagle from The Haven Bridal Boutique. BRIDE’S SHOES Sol Sana. BRIDE’S ACCESSORIES Grae, Mamoru. BRIDESMAIDS’ ATTIRE Miss Crabb. GROOM AND GROOMSMEN’S ATTIRE Yaly Couture, Vietnam. HAIR Lipstick and Co. MAKEUP Megan Jansen (Bride’s sister). RINGS Grae, McGee Design NZ (Groom’s business). RECEPTION AND CATERING Goldie Estate, Waiheke Island. CELEBRANT Teresa Callaghan. FLORIST Wildflower Waiheke. CAKE Bluebells Cakery. MUSIC Cameron Mason McCurdy.