1. 1. ELLIE AND SAM HUTCHINSON
APPROACH
Our vision of a relaxed and informal festival-
style wedding came true. We created a laid-
back daytime wedding, where we could take
our time and show our guests one of the most
beautiful places in New Zealand.
LOCATION
We knew we wanted to get married on
Rakino Island in the Hauraki Gulf. It’s a
special place to Sam and his family and we
have spent a lot of time at their bach. It is
a magical place, where long lazy days are
spent snorkelling, swimming and having
barbecues while taking in the views. We
loved the mystery and exclusivity of Hurakia
Lodge, complete with stunning views. We
wanted our guests to feel what we do every
time we visit: that as soon as they stepped on
to the private wharf, something exciting was
about to happen.
DRESS AND SUIT
My mum visits New
Zealand each January and
I knew I wanted to choose
the dress with her while
she was here. It was the
first one I tried on and
we knew it was the one:
a two-piece Bo & Luca
design. I fell in love with
the boho elegance and
intricate beading. It took
nine months to make so I
was glad we decided early.
Sam wore a navy suit,
his bow tie had a hidden
message we both shared;
a subtle Union Jack design
in gold, ivory and silver to
match my dress.
FLOWERS
White roses and
gypsophila for my
bouquet. Morag from
Devonport Flowers put
together some whimsical
gypsophila bouquets
for the bridesmaids, the
tables, cake-topper and
pagoda.
TABLE SETTINGS
Our dreams came true on the day as the
weather was perfect and we had the picnic-
style lunch we had hoped for. Sam’s aunty
made picnic baskets to keep the guests going
during speeches, and his dad Perry made the
most delicious legs of lamb and beef on the
barbecue to accompany the caterer’s salad
selection for the buffet lunch.
PHOTOGRAPHY
We asked our good friend Captured By Keryn
as we knew we would feel relaxed with her
and have seen how stunning her work is.
Her candid style complemented our wedding
perfectly and we could completely relax. Side
Project films also brought their drone and
captured mind-blowing footage, and set up a
slow motion photobooth.
TOP TIP
Persevere, because if you really want it, you
can make it happen.
2. RACHEL AND BARRY LOCKE
“Wear a tie, don’t be shy” was the theme at
Barry and Rachel Locke’s engagement party,
a night that was so much fun, they almost
themed their wedding, “Grow a beard, don’t
be scared”. Instead, the easy-going couple,
who met three years ago at Kingsland’s music
venue the Portland, invited 140 guests to their
“big fat hipster wedding”, held at the stunning
elevated Mahurangi West Hall last month.
They’d found the venue by accident while en
route to check out Scott’s Landing. “We knew
we wanted to get married in a community
hall, because with that amount of people it
couldn’t be somewhere licensed,” says Rachel,
a textiles teacher. “We had a vision of an old
hall with a nice piece of grass, something
humble, so it was exactly what we were
looking for.”
The hipster reference was a tongue-in-cheek
ode to their shared love of vintage cars, rolled
up chinos, and white Havaianas, the latter
featuring on everyone in the bridal party.
Barry, who manages a landscaping company,
built the altar himself, and performed a
specially written song for his bride, who wore
a gypsy-style silk-cotton gown from Rue De
Seine. Both Barry and his best man wore
chinos, white shirts and skinny ties from
Working Style, with pocket watches, waistcoats
and braces from Suits on Broadway. Barry’s
7-year-old son Silas was the ringbearer, and
the couple’s 16-month-old daughter Lelia
Rose was just one of the several guests to
experience a teary moment as her mum
stepped out of a 1967 Ford Galaxy. After the
ceremony, guests sat at long tables under a
large white marquee, where they dined on
rustic lasagne and salad. The newlyweds
visited each table to uncork the wine, allowing
them to connect with their guests. “We wanted
people to feel they were coming to our place
for dinner,” says Barry. Cue hours of dancing
as his band took the stage.
3. GRACE AND MATT SAATHOF
APPROACH
Very relaxed, with lots of dancing. We wanted
it to reflect our love for each other and involve
God as much as possible. I’ve worked at lots
of weddings so I knew what was important,
for example, favours were not on the priority
list, instead lots of good food, and plenty of
champagne!
WEDDINGS
The best weddings are deeply personal — be inspired by these five tales of I Do
DAYSTOREMEMBER
LOCATION
The ceremony was at Bethlehem College
Chapel, where I went to school and which my
dad had recently renovated. The reception
was held in a marquee at my parents’ place
in Te Puna; they have lived there for 20 years,
and I grew up there.
DRESS AND SUIT
The dress fabric was spotted at a fabric
store; the first roll we picked up! The dress
was a joint venture between my sister and
mother who worked tirelessly with the little
time they had to make it. It was fitted to
my body perfectly and I had complete faith
they would pull through, even when Mum
was making final touch-ups the day before
the wedding! Matt’s suit was from Barkers,
everything from head to toe, shirt, pants,
jacket, shoes, socks, belt.
BRIDAL PARTY
My maid of honour, my sister Rose Ackland,
wore a vintage Laura Ashley cut on the bias
dress, and my other
bridesmaid Hannah
Warren wore Miss Crabb.
TABLE SETTINGS
I wanted to keep the table
settings simple as we had
family style food; placed
on the table and everyone
helps themselves. I liked
the idea of it being like
a big family dinner, and
everyone is chatting to
each other and asking for
this and that to be passed
to them.
ENTERTAINMENT
We had a live band that
my Dad organised. He
plays at weddings often.
He said he was only going
to play a couple of songs
so he could dance with
Mum, instead he ended
up playing at least three
sets. Matt and I danced
until 2am. We were the
last ones standing.
MEMORY
My veil came off at the
start of the ceremony but I didn’t care, I just
gave it to my sister. There were so many
special moments. Riding into the reception on
a motorbike was pretty cool and got the crowd
going. Having everyone you love and care
about in one big tent was overwhelming, in a
good way.
TOP TIP
Don’t worry about the little things. Trust that
your family has things under control and enjoy
your guests. We got up straight after dinner
and went round to all the tables saying hello
and checking everyone was having as much
fun as us. I’m glad we did that.
4. ALEXIA AND PETER CARRAS
LOCATION
Someone suggested a destination wedding as
a joke and this planted the seed. From that
night, we were ready to face any challenge
to make our dream a reality. We love the
South Pacific islands, so it was the perfect
location. However our culture and traditions
are very important and a destination wedding
meant we were risking losing that. When we
became aware of a little Greek church in Fiji
(which our Archbishop, K.K. Amfilochios from
Picture/CapturedByKeryn,capturedbykeryn.com
1
32 viva.co.nz