HANNAH & NATHAN | 99 PALMS, TAURANGA

Well, you certainly know it’s going to be a goodie when you REALLY struggle to choose what photos to include in a journal! A wedding set in their home town of Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty, Hannah and Nate had the day of their dreams. The middle of summer, a stunning venue, topped off with a clear marquee to dine under the stars. We think this a recipe for pure wedding perfection (we do love ourselves a clear marquee wedding!). Even better when the weather plays ball too! And this is also quite possibly the best first look we have seen in a while..!

Where did you purchase your dress and accessories from:

The dress is the Sol Gown from Grace Loves Lace. As soon as I saw it online I knew it was the one I wanted. I took a trip to their Gold Coast showroom to try it on, as well as try on a few more styles just in case something fit better But the Sol gown was the one! My earrings were from Lovisa.

What were the highlights on the day:

Arriving to the venue a few hours early for the first look and bridal party pics! It was fun just being able to hang out and see each other before the ceremony. This helped calm the mood and keep us relaxed.

I loved seeing all our family and friends, plus the friends we have met on our travels, all come together under one roof. We'll likely never see that again, so we both made sure to appreciate it during the day. It's a surreal feeling looking out and seeing everyone there for you.

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

The venue was a family friend's property in Tauranga. Since then they have turned it into an actual wedding venue called 99 Palms. We had originally had our venue booked in Raglan for a whole year. But as time went on, we became less excited about it due to logistical issues and the fact that most of the guests were from Tauranga anyway. That's when our friends, Lisa & Brett offered to have it at their property. We fell in love with their palm tree lined driveway and the outlook over the hills and farmland.

When choosing a venue, we wanted somewhere we could have both the ceremony and the reception so guests didn't need to drive between places. And we needed somewhere that would allow us to bring in a marquee, furniture, caterers of our choosing, and BYO.... We needed a blank canvas!

Where did you find your inspiration for your wedding day:

We found a lot of inspiration from Bali! Bali has become a second home to us over the years so we wanted to have a nice, tropical, relaxed vibe to the day.

Also, from day one I fell in love with the Twelve Tables clear marquee... I suppose the entire wedding was based around having a clear marquee. Hence why we needed a 'blank canvas' wedding venue.

The Bali theme with the clear marquee went hand in hand.

We saved on….

Stationary - instead of sending out physical invites we made a wedding website with theknot.com. Guests could see all the info on there and RSVP via the site.

Ceremony & Canape Hour Music - We didn't have live music for the ceremony or the cocktail hour. We just used Spotify! The DJ started up during dinner.

BYO - Having a venue which lets you bring in your own alcohol is a big saver. No corkage fee!

Our wedding style was…

Bali! We had umbrellas made in Bali which we bought home with us. And we incorporated a lot of woods, greenery, and whites into the look of the day.

Our Rattan bench, arm chairs and side table.

Tell us about the proposal…

Nate proposed on my birthday (December 23rd) while we were in Prague for Christmas. We had walked up a hill and had a beautiful view over the city and river. I really didn't see it coming but the poor guy was so nervous . As soon as he got down on one knee we both started bawling our eyes out. I don't think either of us remembers what he actually said while he proposed haha.

We splurged on….

Photographer - Out of the entire day, the photos are the things that will last the longest - we wanted to make sure we got some good ones!

Food - Good food = happy guests! No Biggie was so great in catering for our guests' different dietary requirements. All their food was delicious!

Twelve Tables Marquee - From day one I was obsessed with Twelve Tables clear marquee. That was my one must have out of everything.

Our love story began…

At a house party over 12 years ago! I was 16, and Nate was 17. We're lucky that as we've grown up, we've grown in the same direction.

Do you have any tips for other brides & grooms?

Don't get swept up on Pinterest inspiration haha! Stick to what is true for you and don't feel like you need to do all the little expensive things that you see other people doing. For example, Nate and I didn't buy each other gifts for the morning of the wedding.... to us, the wedding was the gift.

I also recommend doing a first look. It was a very intimate moment and definitely helped calm the nerves.

Vendors:

Ceremony + Reception venue: 99 Palms, Tauranga

Photographer: Newfound Photography

Videographer: Le Roex Media

Entertainment: Mixit Djs

Hire: Love Club, Twelve Tables, The Heirloom

Wedding planner/stylist: Wild & Whim

Celebrant: Married by Kelsey

Caterer: No Biggie Food

Florist: Pretty Wild Floral

Palm hire: The Green Room

Bar Staff: Blume & Darling

Cake: No cake

Hair and makeup: Hair by Yvana, Makeup by Tiffany (Blush Club NZ)

Stationery: No stationary. Love Club did the welcome sign and seating chart. Wedding website with theknot.com. Then we just printed our own food/bar menus

Dress: Bride - Grace Loves Lace | Bridesmaids - Blak

Accessories: Lovisa

Rings: Michael Hill and Walker & Hall