HANNAH & ELLIOT | THE BOATSHED, LAKE KARAPIRO

Where do we even begin with this day? You know we don’t think we have ever seen a wedding album where the smiles on the bride and groom are THIS BIG the WHOLE DAY! Such stunning photos which is why this is another one of those journals where we found it really hard to decide on what photo’s to leave out. We loved being part of this day and especially loved how Hannah and Elliot used our rattan loungewear to sit with their bridal party for their speeches. Such a great idea and a lovely way to make this part of the day more intimate and informal, but most importantly, them.

Where did you find your inspiration for your wedding day:

Elliot and I wanted our wedding day to be truly authentic to who we are as a couple. We didnt want to fuss on all the flashy bits and pieces that can so easily creep into your day. We tried to stick to focussing on the things we love the most, which was having fun with our favourite people, eating good food and drinks and dancing along to great music. This really set the stage for our day, and everyone continues to tell us how the vibe of the day was so relaxed and unique to us and really showcased who we are as individuals.

I loved magazines like the Together Journal. My best friend passed one of these on to me when I got engaged, shortly after she was married herself. She left me notes throughout the book and wrote little messages of the things she found useful, and I fell in love with flicking the pages to gather my own inspo from other people’s weddings. Pinterest was also my best friend!

Where did you purchase your dress and accessories from:

I actually spontaneously purchased a dress online during New Zealand’s lockdown without ever trying it on. It was very bold, but it turned out more perfect than I ever imagined. I wanted my dress to be simple, timeless, a little bit sexy and a little bit classic. I found a Bias Cut Silk gown from Grace Loves Lace and fell in love with it. It was made to fit my measurements specifically so my risky lockdown “YOLO” moment worked quite well in my favour. Knowing my usual style, I knew everyone was expecting me to wear a gown that was quite a bit more "boho and lacey", so I was happy to surprise people with this gown. I paired this look with pearls to really compliment the classic style of the silk. I wore a long cathedral veil with small pearls tossed all through it. My high heels had pearls across all straps, and I had a gorgeous pair of pearl earrings on gold hoops made for me from local jewellery designer, Portfolio Jewellery. I wore this along with a lovely white floral piece in my hair to tie it all together.

What were the highlights on the day:

Oh too many to list out! My brother and I are so close. I arranged for him to drive our bridal vehicle and then walk me half way down the aisle, to where we met with my dad, who then took me to Elliot after passing via my mum for a quick kiss on the way. It was a perfect moment between our family of 4 and made me really happy to skip tradition and do things a little more personal.

I loved our relaxed setting. Where guests gathered informally around our outdoor garden lounge area. People could chat away with each other and move around, playing lawn games, drinking cocktails and champagne and enjoying the sunshine!

I loved doing a first look prior to the ceremony. It was such a special time to share some one on one time with my soon-to-be-husband amongst a jam-packed day. We were able to take a moment out from the busyness of the day and come together to celebrate what we were there for. It really calmed any nerves and emotion of the morning and as soon as we saw each other and shared a few smooches, it was like, “OK lets go do this” - and we were beaming from ear to ear.

Tell us about your venue and why did you choose it:

We got married at the stunning Boatshed at Lake Karapiro. Elliot and I met on Lake Karapiro wakeboarding a few years ago, so it was only fitting we went back to the stunning spot to tie the knot.

Our wedding style was…

We had a pretty relaxed boho themed wedding set on the lake side of Karapiro, exactly where we had met three years earlier. We had a more intimate wedding with just 70 of our closes friends and family. It was perfect. We hired gorgeous furniture and decor from local vendors to create a relaxed, outdoor garden party style. We chose not to have formal seating or a bridal table. Instead we wanted everyone to hang out with whomever and wherever they wanted. We had bench seats and leaners under umbrellas scattered around for guests, and I organised a rattan lounger set, with turkish rugs, cushions and poofs for our bridal party to be seated in a more intimate area for speeches and formal parts of the evening. This was maybe my favourite part of the whole day. It was so cozy and kept us together nice and close to our guests. We had a food truck with Spanish Paella and everyone ate dinner from bowls - it was super casual and relaxed. Would do it all the same way again in a heartbeat🙂

We splurged on….

A photographer and videographer. Sooo worth it!

We saved on….

Food and drink. We chose a food truck with a low cost per head total, and we made grazing boards for nibbles ourselves. We also had a great venue who allowed us to BYO booze, saving us a coin or two.

Our love story began…

I met Elliot on sunny summers day on Lake Karapiro. A friend I was living with at the time, was trying to organise a day out on the boat to put the two of us in touch. Little did I know that agreeing to go wakeboarding down here on the lake those years ago was going to single handedly be the most important day of my life. It lead me to my person. Things happened very quickly between us – we went on a few dates on our own after this day. Our first being a date up the Hakarimatas – an insane idea to hit the hardest stair climb in the Waikato whilst chatting, and trying to come across charming, and well not completely unfit and sweaty!

After this Elliot planned the worlds cutest date for me. He didn’t tell me where we were going, but instead messaged me a list of items I needed to pack, and to be ready for pick up one Saturday morning. He took me on an amazing adventure to a beautiful waterfall. We have made it our mission to always chase waterfalls together throughout our life. One brief but very beautiful year later, we were engaged, building a house and creating a life together.

Do you have any tips for other brides & grooms?

Planning our wedding was the highlight of two years for me. I loved every second of it. I tried really hard to listen to the advice I was given over and over again, so I shall now pass this piece of wisdom on to future brides and grooms also planning their special day. Don’t sweat the small stuff. The tiny details that you forget or didn't end up getting around to will become insignificant in the big picture of your day. The build up, the events leading up to, and then the day itself, all goes sooo fast. This is your time to be the star of the show, the centre of attention of your own love story. Everyone is so excited to celebrate your love, so soak it all in. Every conversation, every minute of getting ready, of dancing, of the speeches and the lovely well wishes and then the bonding of your love, its so magic. You will be on cloud nine - so enjoy these moments, they are once in a lifetime stuff!

Tell us about the proposal…

Elliot proposed on a beach in a very quiet beachside down near Matakana. He tricked me into thinking he was taking a few photos and videos of us and the sunset/surround scenery from his drone and go pro, which was quietly set up to capture the moment. It took my breath away. There was noone else around on the beach but us, and a few by-standers in surrounding houses who had seen what was going on, gave us a few moments to enjoy ourselves and then rushed down with French Champagne for us to celebrate our engagement. It was perfect, and conveniently captured on film for us to watch back.