BECS & RICHIE | TAUWHARE

Situated at the brides parents house in Tauwhare this wedding was the perfect mix of traditional meets untraditional. Focusing on really what was important to them and doing it “their way”, Becs and Richie made sure they had everything they wanted for their day, and nothing they didn’t. Richie’s gorgeous children stood up the front with the happy couple as the ‘bridal party’ which such a nice and special touch. And we are OBSESSED with this Brides stunning 2 piece dress. She looked incredible!

What were the highlights on the day:

Oh man, so many highlights! I absolutely loved spending the morning with my sisters, my step-daughter and my nieces. Watching the little girls get their hair done and get into their dresses and get excited together was so special. Rich and I didn’t have a traditional bridal party, we had his little boy and girl stand up the front with us. It felt like the perfect way to begin the next chapter of our lives together. Richie and I also left our wedding to head home for some pics and I’m really glad we took that time to take a few breaths together. Wedding days can be a little overwhelming as you try to spend time with as many of your loved ones as possible, so I think it’s really important to take a few moments to soak it all in just the two of you.

Where did you purchase your dress and accessories from:

Daisy brides was a one stop shop for me – I got my A. B Ellie earrings and Chaos & Harmony shoes from there as well. The team at Daisy was amazing! I was a reluctant wedding dress buyer/wearer because I was so sure I wasn’t going to find something that felt right. They helped me find something that felt perfectly ‘me’ – a cool and comfy two piece with pockets. I absolutely loved it!

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

Initially we wanted to get married at home but as our guest list grew we realised that wasn’t going to work so we chose to get married at my mum and dad’s house in the country (Tauwhare), ten minutes up the road from where we live. Mum and dad have such a stunning outlook and the location really suited the relaxed vibe we were trying to achieve. We are so glad we got married there!

Where did you find your inspiration for your wedding day:

Instagram and Pinterest really. We were also inspired by weddings we’d already been to, taking little bits that we loved and incorporating them in our day.

Tell us about the proposal…

We were heading to Hawaii for a week long hosted trip with one of Richie’s suppliers at work and I’d wondered if he might propose but thought it was probably a bit too predictable for him. We were sitting in a dark corner of the Koru lounge in Auckland airport on our way out and he whispered to me to come sit next to him before rummaging around in our backpack for a little box. I think he had big plans of waiting for the perfect romantic moment on a mountain top or beautiful beach in Hawaii but couldn’t even wait til we got to the gate. He forgot everything he rehearsed and just did it off the cuff, his way. Very spontaneous and totally unpredictable. It was perfectly ‘us’.

Our love story began…

Rich and I officially met through a mutual friend at the gym. He was laying on the floor at the tail end of a workout being stretched out by his PT (the mutual friend). I’d seen Richie on other people’s Instagram stories before that and thought he was pretty dishy, but that was the first time he ever noticed me. After that we followed each other on Instagram and occasionally replied to each other’s stories until one day Rich asked me if I’d like to grab a drink with him sometime. We met up that weekend, danced the night away and have been best friends ever since.

Our wedding style was…

The one thing we knew we really wanted for our wedding day was for everyone there to feel completely relaxed – a ‘backyard Sunday session’, with rustic vibes. We had lawn games and cocktails and Richie wore sneakers.

We splurged on….

We chose amazing vendors! Real good sorts, running small businesses, making wedding day dreams come true. The food and drinks were made with love, our photographers were like part of the family and the muso’s kept smiles on everyone’s faces – it was perfect. Money well spent!

We saved on….

My very talented sister in law did all of our flowers for us which was amazing! A very special family friend Lisa also put together a beautiful grazing table for us… Both us these ladies saved us a small fortune.

Do you have any tips for other brides & grooms?

I think it’s important not to lose sight of the fact that this is your day, and you don’t have to do anything that you don’t want to do just because it’s what people usually do. You can do things your way and you’ll be so glad you did! Also, wear comfy shoes/at least wear them in properly before the day. I was ready to ditch mine as soon as we said ‘I do’