Sarah and Neil married at the stunning Larnach Castle on the 18th of February this year.
When and where did you meet? We met about six years ago when I (the bride) was working behind a bar and he was the drummer in a band that had just started playing at the pub. Unfortunately he didn't get in quick enough and I started seeing somebody else, however, there was a wee spark between us. I left the pub a few months later and then two years later, as a newly single woman, went to see an old friend sing in a bar, and it just so happened that Neil was the drummer for him. We got to talking straight away and the rest is history
The proposal? I had been studying part-time while working full-time, and had an exam coming up. Neil suggested arranging a dinner out for the Friday night after the exam as a celebration. I got home on the Friday to find the house completely spotless (best way to a girl's heart) and he was all ready to go for dinner, even though it wasn't for a couple of hours. He urged me to get ready right then which I thought was a bit strange, but when I came back into the lounge he was down on one knee with a ring (which he chose all by himself and did a fantastic job)! I was completely shocked and surprised and over the moon. He had bubbles chilling all ready in the fridge and we had enough time for a drink and a few family/friend phone calls before we went out for a celebratory dinner.
Where was the wedding? The wedding was at Larnach Castle.
Why did you choose that venue? We wanted an all-in-one facility where we could have the wedding and the reception. We wanted an outside wedding but we needed the place to have a back-up plan because of course, it is Dunedin. It's just as well we had that back-up plan as it was pouring with rain that day, so we had to have the ceremony inside. It was definitely more intimate that way and we both loved every minute.
The dress? Bought from Elite Bridal out in Fairfield. It was a Cosmobella, style number 7380, in ivory. Sweetheart neckline, lace and a train. It was perfect.
The bridesmaids' dresses? The bridesmaids' dresses were bought off the rack from a store called Forever New.
The flowers? The florist was Carley Jones, in St Clair. Our theme colours were cream, peach and lavender. The bouquets were a vintage posy using peach avalanche, hydrangeas, lizzys and freesias.
The caterers? Larnach Castle. The food was amazing.
Highlight of the day? Two highlights. One was getting married. This was surreal and something I've always dreamed of. It really did feel like a dream. The other highlight was our first dance. We decided to go non-traditional as we couldn't think of anything worse than people watching us sway for 3 minutes, so we did a mash-up of songs and let people have a laugh at our choreographed dance.
You can view this on You Tube: Wedding Dance Video
Your photographer and favorite photo? Our photographer was Kelly Lindsay and his wife Chris. They were amazing at what they did, especially considering not one of the bridal party liked having their photos taken. They were such easy-going people and great to have around. Our favourite photo is the one with the bottle of wine. We had seen a similar photo elsewhere and my husband and I just loved it so we tried to replicate it. It's very us!!!
