Kirsty & Pete Photographed By Susannah Blatchford

For teenage sweethearts Kirsty and Pete, a dreamy holiday engagement in Fiji set the wheels turning for planning their beautiful rural wedding.

A family lifestyle block was the ultimate location for their beautifully minimalist and nature inspired wedding day. Set amongst forest in the Southern Canterbury region of Woodbury, the property provided a stunning backdrop for the couple, who brought together talented local vendors to create their wedding look and feel. A gorgeous white palette for the day was shown not only in Kirsty’s stunning Made With Love Bridal gown, but also in the bridesmaids Shona Joy lace gowns, lush florals by Flowerhead and a beautiful white marquee by Silk Estate.

Their day was photographed by Susannah Blatchford who captured the essence of this amazing wedding and landscape so beautifully. We caught up with Kirsty and Pete to chat more about their love story below….

How did you meet and how long have you been together?
Pete and I were 18 and 16 when we met in 2010 through mutual friends at a Christchurch Hagley Park Event. We went to the same high school. We dated on and off through tertiary study for 6 months long distance and he got a job on a farm back in Canterbury so I could finish school. We have been together ever since but didn’t feel like we needed to rush into marrying too young and we knew the type of wedding we wanted so it all felt right.

Tell us a bit about the proposal and your engagement?
Pete and I LOVE to travel and went on one of our holidays to Fiji in between jobs. Fiji is one of my favourite places in the world and we spent Valentine ’s Day on Cloud 9 – the floating bar and at a sunset dinner back at the island he popped the question! We had the trio come over and sing with champagne and a few cheers along the way.

Tell us about your wedding style. What influenced your planning for the day?
I have a very minimalist palette in general; my clothing and house are not full of colour so I knew I wouldn’t want anything too bold or trendy. I find I get over colours if I see them too much and safe to say it was going to see a lot of whatever theme we picked! I spoke with Pete about not having a colour and sticking to white throughout the event and after showing him some pictures he was on board! The best advice I got at the beginning was pick a theme and stick with it – there will always be other themes and palettes you like just as much.

Why did you choose your destination and venue?
Luckily, this idea was a no brainer for us as Pete’s parents have a lifestyle block in Woodbury. Even when we were dating we loved the idea of marrying there one day. Once we started getting quotes and booking vendors we quickly realised that there was going to be a lot more work for us than that of a commercial venue. Still, to this day I have no regrets! We were lucky
to have an amazing network of family ready to help bring it all together.

What was your favourite detail from the day?
My favourite detail that comes to mind are the wreaths hanging in the marquee, there is a gum forest on the property and we used it everywhere! Pete decorated Silk Estate’s wreaths and they were so beautiful. I really don’t think the reception would have been the same without those. I also loved the chairs we used. Paying a little more for those instead of plastic really anchored the marquee and made it feel more like a room.

Did you have a favourite vendor from your wedding?
I absolutely loved all of my vendors and would recommend them to anyone. Starting the planning process early meant we didn’t miss out on people we loved. Two standouts would have to be Toni and the team at Silk Estate. World Class service and she completely brings your vision to life, not to mention the quality of her hire catalogue is stunning! She makes you think about the finer details but at the same time puts your mind at ease. I will forever have very fond memories of working with her.

Another standout vendor is the amazing photographer Susannah Blatchford. I don’t even know how to describe how amazing and professional she is. Not only is her work mouth dropping but her presence is very warm and you can feel that she truly wants you to have the best photos possible. I remember hearing many guests throughout the day chatting about how good she was.

Do you have any advice for other couples planning their wedding?
Start early! Ask questions! If you see something on pinterest or a DIY give it a go and if it works out that’s great. I do believe less is more when it comes to weddings and don’t lose sight of what’s important. Marrying your person. I feel like I asked my close friends and family what they thought of ideas from a guest point of view which was helpful when it came to finalising and booking.