If you're looking for bright, colourful inspiration than look no further than Natalie and Nick's New Zealand bash! For a bride who described herself as 'kinda obsessed with styling' she made it all work, while looking effortless and amazing! From her incredible beaded gown, to her colourful bridesmaids and epic decor, that included tassels, gold glitter and giant balloons. All this amazingness is set high in the hills above the city giving the most epic view of Auckland. Jill Andrews was the lady behind the lens, and boy oh boy are these pics magic...
Nick and I met through mutual friends back in 2001, when he took a room in my best friends' flat. For a while we didn't really talk, I thought he didn't like me because he never showed any interest, but really, he was just a bit shy. We started playing indoor sports together and then one night, we all went out for dinner together to celebrate a successful season. We ended up partying all night, and by 5am, we were the last ones standing or, dancing I should say to Wham! At that point, we decided to innocently go and find somewhere to watch the sunrise! (Our story takes a bit of 'bogan' turn there.) Anyway what better place to see the sunrise than from a high rise hotel! Gazing out the window, looking across the harbour from that high rise was obviously too romantic to ignore and that's where the sparks flew! We then had a very cute conversation over email and arranged a first date. The rest is history, as they say. We've pretty much been inseparable ever since.
So after 12 years together and 2 kids and a cat (can't forget the cat) it was Natalie who sealed the deal (well kinda)... It was Christmas Eve 2009. We were lying in bed and I had kind of joked about proposing before and I asked. I really asked. Like, seriously. I think he got that and he decided to ask me straight back. I joke that it was just like Britney Spears and Kevin Federline. Hopefully our marriage lasts a little (a lot) longer than theirs!
One of the main elements to Natalie and Nick's wedding was the introduction of colour, in as many aspects as possible! The cute orange, yellow and pink bridesmaids dresses are from ASOS and Etsy!
Way back when they started planning they fell in love with the idea of saying their vows under a big tree...and they found the perfect one (but we'll fill you in on how later!). Living in New Zealand the pair were blessed with some fabulous weather on the day so the outdoor ceremony worked wonderfully.
We had our two young girls there with us, so it was important to have them feature as much as possible and make it a day for them as much as us, so they acted as our flower girls.
Natalie's bouquet is the perfect pop of colour, incorporating her bright and colourful bridesmaids into her own look.
Natalie is a gorgeous bride. Her beaded bodice wedding dress is from Rachel Gilbert (more than a little bit in love with it!) Plus she added a custom made detachable tulle skirt that she had made by a local seamstress in Auckland and it looks perfect! Like many brides, Natalie had a vision for her wedding dress, sometimes you don't always find it in bridal boutiques, so think out of the box when it comes to your personal style, knowing a talented seamstress helps too!
Natalie describes herself as 'kinda obsessed with styling' so when it came to choosing their venue, it had to be able to lend itself to the quirkey and personal theme Natalie was aiming for...We both thought it would be amazing to get married in the country underneath an amazing tree or somewhere with amazing ocean views. We set about trying to find somewhere but it turned out to be a big ask to find 'the one'. Nick's family are from Warkworth, which is a small town north of Auckland where we live. The surrounding rural areas are incredibly beautiful and hold a place in both our hearts. We desperately wanted to find somewhere to get married around there. But everywhere we looked wasn't quite right. We almost hired a gorgeous bach, and thought we'd create the venue ourselves by hiring a marquee etc. We decided instead to take a chance on a venue I'd seen on Waiheke Island which featured on a weddings blog. It was only 9 months before the wedding by now, and I was pretty sure they'd be booked - Everything on Waiheke books out early! But I emailed and to my surprise (and excitment), our date was free! We took a trip over that weekend to have a look and that's when we fell in love. The Goldie Estate had the amazing huge tree we had imagined and it had the sea views. It was meant to be!
Being kind obsessed with styling (her words not mine!) Natalie needed to call on the help of a few friends to get things going. Lucky for her, they were delighted to help! Natalie threw wedding craft parties for her pals, supplying wine and nibbles while the group worked on countless tassels for the garlands, glitter dipped vases, pegs and gold bunting... It was so lovely of them to put aside time to help us, I was really touched by all their effort. Also, my ever supportive and tireless bridesmaids baked into the night making batches of delicious rocky road and coconut ice cream for our dessert table and it was amazing. We concluded that we indeed have the best friends in the world! Sounds like great fun if I'm honest!
The Goldie Estate is breathtaking, yet simple in it's presentation, so this made it easy for Natalie and Nick to incorporate their colourful touches!
Natalie and Nick's wedding reminds me of a very sweet (and uber cool) French wedding we featured earlier this year, anyone remember Amelie and Christophe?
We wanted a whimsical, romantic, colourful and playful wedding that wasn't too formal or stuffy. We wanted people to have fun and enjoy the day and know they could relax, soak up the good vibes, eat some fabulous food and have a blast celebrating with us! I think with the venue, and the styling, we achieved that.
What advice would you give to couples planning their day? Make sure you keep a firm grip on the timeline, as it's easy for things to slip. Be prepared for some things to go wrong, but accept that it's fine and you'll wake up the next day and be married and blissful and that those little hiccups are what make your day a special one for you! Because I was so involved in the styling, I made sure I had a 'right hand woman' to arrange things as I had imagined, and she did amazingly, by following my dossier of instructions (hehe, poor thing!) Making sure you and your bride/groom take a moment to step away from the party and take a quiet moment to look back on all the guests and appreciate how great a day they're having and how great it's been for you.
A huge congratulations to Natalie and Nick on their gorgeous and colourful wedding day. Of course a big thank you goes to Jill Andrews Photography for sharing her work with us at One Fab Day. To see more of Jill's work pop over to www.jillandrewsphotography.com.
The Wedding Details
- Venue: Goldie Estate, Waiheke Island, NZ
- Wedding Dress: Rachel Gilbert
- Photographer: Jill Andrews Photography
- Bridesmaids dresses: Etsy (yellow and pink) and ASOS (orange)
- Flower girls dresses: Country Road
- Flowers: Wildflower Waiheke
- Grooms's suit: Topman
- Accessories: Forever New
- Cake: Rocket Kitchen, Auckland
- Favor Tags: Georgie Cummings
- Stationery: Allison Cornu
- Make Up & Hair: Melle van Sambeek
- Wedding Bands: Karen Walker & Michael Hill
