I have fallen head way over heels in love with this bride’s custom, vintage-inspired A la Robe gown.  It is a dream that I would never, ever want to wake up from if it were mine.  The rest of this gorgeous, bohemian, New Zealand wedding by Shine Studios definitely lives up to the bar the dress set for it.  It is a romantic, woodsy fairy tale and I want to spend the rest of the day in the full gallery being enchanted by it.

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…We chose Mudbrick as our venue purely because it is such a stunning setting. We love Waiheke and we wanted our special day to be an experience outside the norm for our families. Mudbrick has that magical, rustic, slightly Italian quality we were looking for. Everything about it is gorgeous and they really know what they are doing! Logistically it was great to be able to have it all at the one place. Because it was a small wedding we used the Potager room for dinner and we particularly loved the intimate feel. Our guests also commented on this. Our wedding was slightly unusual in that my father married us and my brother was my ‘bridesman’ (no bridesmaids). This worked out perfectly and I think it’s important not to feel that you have to try and fit into normal conventions. Make it your own!

My dress was by Elizabeth at A la Robe, Newmarket. The inspiration was vintage, but timeless – not of any particular era, and really personal to me. Elizabeth was amazing and made the process a pleasure from start to finish. She hand dyed everything and it felt like a real collaboration.

Our photography was done by Lauretta from Shine Studio’s. Lauretta and her assistant played a big part in our day, capturing the memories we will cherish forever! They truly captured the essence of us, the place, the atmosphere, with humour and consideration. This is exactly what you want in a photographer, I couldn’t have asked for more and they were worth every penny! It’s so vital to feel comfortable with your photographer as it always shows in the shots, in our case positively.

Venue: Mudbrick Vineyard / Wedding Photography: Shine Studios / Wedding Dress: A la Robe / Floral Design: Poppy Jones / Bride’s Hair: Katie from Servilles Ponsonby / Bride’s Make-up: Rochelle Strathdee

There is just something so wonderful about these Fiji nuptials that I could seriously gaze at these stunning images from Jel Photography all day long.  It may have something to do with the jaw-dropping location (un.real) or the bride’s amazing gown (her own design) or the feeling of pure happiness radiating from every single photo.  I suspect that it’s a combination of all of the above, and more, that has left me feeling so enchanted.  I think I just might adore this wedding and I know you will, too.  See even more lovely images in the gallery!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…Planning a wedding is a wonderful mix of emotions – excitement, nervousness and anxiety! Our wedding was like planning a United Nations conference! We live in Singapore, our families live in Australia and the U.K.; friends are in the U.S, Europe and the Middle East; our photographers come from New Zealand, our wedding planner from Queensland; our videographer from San Francisco; and so naturally we decided have our big day in Fiji!

After 5 years together, and three since we were engaged, we finally set a date and wanted to stick to it – but choosing the location was not so easy. After a couple of false starts we chose Fiji – mainly because it would mean a week long vacation for our closest friends and family rather than have the wedding over and done in less than 24 hours!

One grandmother had never flown outside of Australia and didn’t even have a passport, so we knew it would be a logistical challenge. A funny aside to this, when applying for her passport, she discovered the name on her birth certificate was different to the one she’s been using for more than 80 years! We were so lucky that we had travel agent supremo Sue Natho from Essence Tours on our side! Sue is an expert when it comes to Fiji and really guided us in the right direction. With the internet it is simple to find a lot of information when planning a destination wedding – but having that inside knowledge is priceless.

Everyone tells you when you’re planning your wedding that come the big day all the stress will be worth it. Well, a destination wedding is a lot of stress! And they are wrong! If you have a day (or a week in our case) as wonderful as we had it doesn’t just meet expectations, it far surpasses what you could hope for. We had a dream wedding in an idyllic location shared with the most important people in our lives. And the best bit is, you walk away married to the person you love!

Wedding Photography: Jel Photography / Wedding Ceremony Location: Sheraton Fiji Resort / Wedding Reception Location: Fiji Orchid / Videography: Benjamin Hanson / Wedding Dress: Designed by the Bride via the Wedding Present, Singapore / Bride’s Shoes: Bourne Collection / Flowers: Paradise Brides / Planner: Essence Tours / Music: Fiji Choir / Groom’s Shoes: R.M. Williams / Wedding Cake: Taste of Fiji

Be prepared to have some serious wedding venue envy!  Sutherland Kovach Studio sent us this gem all the way from New Zealand with stunning views of Auckland and the Hauraki Gulf.  The whole affair has a casual, backyard feel to it but still shines with elegance.  I love the wild, garden party arrangements and handcrafted details made out of vintage paper.  Stay a little longer in wedding paradise by visiting the full gallery!

Click here to see the entire image gallery!

From Sutherland Kovach Studio… Amy and Matt got married on New Year’s Eve on Waiheke Island in New Zealand.  Matt is from the UK and Amy is a New Zealander, and they met while crewing yachts in Europe.  Most of their wedding was organised over e-mail as the yacht they were on sailed around the world.  They chose Waiheke Island as it’s a short boat ride from Auckland and would make a great holiday destination for their guests, many of whom were also travelling great distances to celebrate with them.

Their ceremony and reception were held at Mudbrick Vineyard, a truly beautiful venue overlooking Auckland and the Hauraki Gulf.  The bridal party got ready and had some of their pictures taken at the stunning Delamore Lodge.

The flowers were done by Waiheke florist Wildflower, following Amy’s (very brief) brief of ‘just picked’. Amy and her stepmother folded over a hundred paper cranes to hold each placecard at the tables, and the orders of service were printed onto vintage papers.  Family wedding pictures spanning the generations were displayed throughout the dining room.

Guests toasted the bride & groom and partied into 2011 with the aid of the local Chocolate Fish Band.

Wedding Photography: Sutherland Kovach Studio / Wedding Ceremony & Reception Venue: Mudbrick Vineyard / Pre-Ceremony Preparations & Photos: Delamore Lodge / Flowers: Wildflower / Bride’s Dress: Macy’s / Bride’s Shoes: Sergio Rossi / Groom’s Suit: Dolce & Gabbana / Wedding Band: Chocolate Fish