Auckland has the kind of landscape that needs very little decoration. With an infusion of elegant design and styling by Erin Lovich, herbs and all white florals by Wildflower Waiheke plus a a gorgeous Bride and Groom, the natural beauty of these surroundings are enhanced ten fold. And the images by Samm Blake do it all so much justice. See them here.
From the Bride… Scotty proposed at Lavender Hill. It’s an idyllic spot on Waiheke Island in Auckland, New Zealand. We had stayed there before, and I had declared it one of my favorite places on earth. After that, there was no question it was the perfect venue for us to get married at. We had a few must-haves on our list. An amazing photographer, great music, great food and a neutral cream color scheme that let the beauty of the venue do the talking. Also hugely important was an atmosphere where all our guests could relax and have fun. We wanted to create a beautiful day that didn’t feel too contrived where everyone would fall in love with the location like we had.
As a wedding stylist and planner, I had to make a conscious effort to have everything organized and ready to hand over to my wonderful friend who ran the day for us, so I could relax and be a bride not a planner. Lavender Hill is a venue where you need to bring everything on site, so there were a lot of logistics I had to pretend not to notice during the setup of the day. But it was amazing because we had the freedom to style the day just as we wanted. We had a late afternoon ceremony at the front of the property, overlooking the olive groves and out across the ocean to Auckland. We wrote a snippet each about why we fell in love with each other, which the celebrant read out on our behalf. We opted for traditional vows.
After the ceremony, the guests moved through to the lawn for drinks and canapes while Tom Rodwell & Storehouse played acoustic gospel blues and we disappeared for photos. Dinner was in a long marquee with cream fabric and fairy lights draped from the ceiling. We had six, large, rectangular tables, each set for 20, which created a really intimate atmosphere. The tables were littered with tealight votives and wire baskets filled with different types of vases, jars and zinc planter pots. The theme was a long Italian lunch, and our menu reflected just that. Delicious, easy food. We screenprinted cloth napkins with a cute verse designed in line with our wedding stationery. Cream pashminas were draped over the back of each female guest’s chair for later in the evening when the temperature got chilly.
The evening concluded with dancing — a combination of the live band from earlier in the day and DJ’s the Sweet Mix Kids. We had festoon lights and large tin S & E lights to create an outdoor dance floor. Our first dance was to “Obla di obla da” by The Beatles, which got everyone up dancing before the song had even finished. Looking back on the photos, we feel so lucky we were able to have Samm Blake there to capture the day. Our photos are amazing, and it is so hard to choose which ones we want to frame. I look at them and want to travel back in time and repeat the day! It was the happiest day of our lives, and everyone there looks like they are having a great time too, which is exactly what we wished for.
Wedding Photography: Samm Blake / Wedding Venue: Lavender Hill in Waiheke, New Zealand / Event Design + Planning: Erin Lovich / Floral Design: Wildflower Waiheke / Officiant: Luana Crompton / Catering: John Oyagawa / Wedding Cake: Jo of Delivision / Wedding Invitations: Kate of Cottonwood Studio (A Friend of the Bride) / Letterpress Printing: Magpie Press / Band: Tom Rodwell & Storehouse / DJ: Sweet Mix Kids / Lighting: La Lumiere / Tent: Platinum Hire / Tabletop + Rentals: Figment Event Outfitters / Wedding Dress: Vera Wang / Hair: Danny Pato of D&M Hair Design / Makeup: Aimie Fiebig / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Custom by Anne Barlow / Men’s Attire: Crane Brothers