One of the best parts of our wedding was the build-up, as we had so many special people around for six weeks before the big day. My brother, his wife and their 6-month old daughter Ellie, were down from Auckland and our close friends from Australia were over too! So it was fantastic to have so many people's support for the stressful times (as there are quite a few when planning a wedding!) and to have them there to see all that planning come together for such a wonderful day.
Nahshon and I met four years ago. I had just started working at the hospital and he was a painter there. For a few weeks we shared smiles and shy hellos. I used to call him "hot painter guy" to my friends because 1. he was hot and 2. I had trouble saying his name -- Nahshon.
After a few months of this we come across each other at a party. He was leaving as I was arriving, and he must have had a bit of liquid courage as he grabbed a pen and wrote his cellphone number on my arm and ran off. Of course I texted him straight away . . . who would have thought that four years later we would be married.
The proposal: Like most girls, I had been dropping hints for a few weeks. Then one day on my lunch break he took me to the jewellers to have a look at some rings and we chose one together, one we both absolutely loved. It was about a month later when Nahshon proposed. He brought me into the lounge, where his son Kaleb and our dog Missy were waiting and got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. It wasn't a flashy proposal but it was perfect for us, our wee family together for such a special moment.
Where was the wedding? The ceremony was held at my parents' garden in Wingatui. It's a lovely big garden which was perfect. It really meant something to get married in the backyard that I grew up in. It was a VERY hot day! We had our photos taken in the garden and out in the paddock while the guests enjoyed some bubbles and snacks. The reception was held at the Mercure on Princes St in Dunedin. The team there did a great job to make it perfect for us and were so accommodating. Nothing was a problem. We chose the Mercure because not only was the room beautiful with its stained-glass windows and the chandelier, but we could also stay there for the night. This was convenient for out-of-town guests and my family.
The dress: I had no idea what I was looking for when I came across my wedding dress. My mother, bridesmaids and I went to the House of Kavina in late July to start the wedding-dress search. It didn't take long because the fourth dress I tried on was the one! They say you know as soon as you see yourself in it and that was exactly the case! I loved it and still love it. It was straight off the rack with no adjustments needed . . . it was perfect!
The bridesmaids' dresses: I got the bridesmaids' dresses online a year before the wedding, which was pretty risky because one of my bridesmaids ended up getting pregnant six months before the big day. However, it paid off in the end as I saved quite a bit of money and they were exactly the style and colour I wanted. With a few minor adjustments they fitted all the girls perfectly.
The flowers: The flowers were a very special part of the day because my mother, who is a former florist, did all the flowers for the wedding party and the reception. We had no idea what kind of flowers we wanted and Nahshon wasn't so keen on going through book after book of them, so Mum sat me down, gave me a few suggestions and we decided on orchids. Mum did a wonderful job with them and we had so many compliments! We both really appreciated the hard work and time she put in.
The caterers: The Mercure catered our wedding reception. The food was fab! and so much of it, which was awesome as we both come from families of big eaters. We had roast beef with pan jus, roast pork with apple sauce and tomato herb-crusted chicken. The highlight of the food was the cheesecake for pudding . . . so many flavours and so much of it!
The highlight of the day: There were so many to choose from! Having Kaleb (our son who is 8) bring up the rings and give a touching speech at the reception was a massive highlight as he is quite shy. We were both very proud. One of the best parts of the day was going to visit my granddad in the rest-home, as he wasn't able to make it to the wedding due to illness. We made a time between the photos and heading to the reception to stop by and see him. He was so surprised and I was very pleased that he got to see me in my wedding dress.
My favourite photo: My favourite photo is the one of Nahshon with a big dorky proud grin as I walk down the aisle . . . it was all the reasons I was marrying him wrapped up in one big smile. The whole day went so fast and was such a blur, but one thing I can remember clearly is seeing him waiting for me with that smile on his face.
Photography: The photography was by SVZ Photography, Sanna was awesome, making us feel a ease when taking the photos and doing an amazing job!
