Rebecca Smith (28), veterinarian and Jason Smith (26), farmer.
We met in Ranfurly. I work there as the local vet and Jason works on his family farm. We met at a friend's 21st, where he had a strange fascination for my jewellery . . . little did I know that he would be buying most of it for me in the future! We got engaged on December 16, 2013 in Edinburgh on our OE. We had the most magical day exploring Edinburgh and the amazing Edinburgh Christmas markets. We went ice-skating under fairy lights, saw the famous Christmas tree at The Dome and had a lovely romantic meal out. It was after such a beautiful day that Jason decided to top it all off and asked me to be his wife! I told him he was crazy, and then said yes of course! The wedding was on Jason's family farm 5km out of Ranfurly. We had the ceremony in the garden and the reception in a maquee in one of the paddocks overlooking the Maniototo. We chose the farm for our wedding because we wanted to get married somewhere that meant something to us as a couple. We have spent a lot of time together on the farm, even in the early days of our relationship, so it is a really special place for us. Jason's mother is a fabulous gardener, so when we knew we wanted to get married in a garden there was no other option really! I had my dress made by Tracey MacKenzie, from Elite Bridal in Dunedin. She is amazing! I had tried on so many dresses and couldn't find the perfect one, so she made it for me! The bridesmaids' dresses were altered versions of the Alba dress from Kilt. We shortened the hems (from full-length) and capped the sleeves. These are a one-size-fits-all option. With a range of shapes and sizes in my girls and my matron of honour due to have a baby the week after the wedding, these dresses were a godsend! Our flowers were done by the wonderful Ruby Tuesday in Alexandra. She was a dream to work with and the final result was exactly what we wanted. We had soft whites, peaches, blush pinks and dusty greys, with the beautiful scent of lavender and roses. Rustic twine and grass seedheads added a country touch in the boys' buttonholes and my grandmother's cameo ring was entwined in my bouquet, very special. Our caterers were the lovely team from Ida Valley Kitchen in Oturehua. We really wanted a picnic-style dinner and they made this come to life! We had ham and lamb (grown on the farm), fresh ciabatta rolls and a beautiful array of salads. This was all topped off by my dad's homemade spicy peach chutney and apple and mint jelly. Dessert was our three-tier lemon, white chocolate and dark chocolate cake, made by local lady Rachel Duffy. She did an amazing job and this was accompanied by a wonderful selection of truffles and slices made by my stepmother in Dunedin. It was these personal finishing touches that really made the day ours. There was a wonderful moment when Jason and I were seated at the head table together, but everyone else inside the marquee was having a blast; busy dancing to the music, talking and laughing. Time stood still for that moment and there was an amazing feeling that we had done it! We were husband and wife, and all the people we love were around us having a fantastic time on our wedding day. It was really magical! The amazing Rebecca McSkimming was our photographer. She is married to a local Ranfurly guy, Greg, so it just made sense to have her taking our piccies! She, with hubby in tow, did a marvellous job taking in all my inspiration and ideas and transforming them into a beautiful series of photos that we couldn't be happier with! Our favourite photo is one of the two of us in the old Linburn woolshed: the lighting, the dress, the location -- just perfect!
