Annabel + Nathan – A Modern Gypset Wedding Christchurch

This modern gypset wedding in North Canterbury is inspired by the non-traditional, full of wild moments, bohemian styling, and one heck of a celebration!

And what a party they had! Annabel and Nathan wed on a family farm in North Canterbury surrounded by friends, family and wild green fields. Captured by WA photographer Paris Hawken, on a balmy evening shared alongside their littlest loves, they surprised guests with circus performers, ice-cream trucks and market styled food.

A true gypsy soul, Annabel runs Christchurch based Gypset Style & Hire full of uniquely wild treasures for the boho lovers – which all started from collecting for her wedding.

Bohemian Persian rugs, beautifully wild flora from Mrs Bottomley’s Flowers, brass vases and outdoor festoon lights which created the perfect celebration setting to dance the night away under the stars.

“Her heart was wild but I didn’t want to catch it, I wanted to run with it, to set mine free.” — Atticus

HOW DID YOU MEET?

We have known eachother for 12 years but became a couple 7 years ago, Nathan was my brother Jordan’s best friend so was out of bounds for me when I was a young teen even though my heart had a huge crush on him! through the years our bond got stronger and stronger as we helped each other through life’s ups and downs and eventually we got our act together and became a couple. There were a few people who protested at the time (mainly Jordan as he was worried about what would happen if it didn’t work out) But now everyone can see it was meant to be. Jordan even did the best man speech on our wedding day and helped Nathan mine the gold for my wedding ring – and is now our biggest fan.

THE PROPOSAL

Nathan had planned to propose on Burleigh Beach at sunset – we go there every winter with our family for a holiday- but he was worried about the logistics of getting the ring there without losing it or me finding it. So he settled for making me pancakes with my daughter (nathans stepdaughter) on a sunny Sunday morning and delivering them to my bedside with the ring in his hand. It was perfect, non showy and intimate and a special moment for the three of us, as not only was Nathan proposing to be my husband but also Ellas stepdad. We were engaged for 5 years as we decided to add another little member to the family, our son Max.

Throughout the five years I stopped and started and planned the wedding of my dreams, I am glad I had so long to plan as what I wanted when I first got engaged was the polar opposite of what I ended up wanting 5 years later.

THE STYLE

When we first got engaged we started ticking the boxes off the standard wedding checklist and thought we were doing what we needed to do to have a successful wedding day but as time passed we realised that we weren’t fussed to have the traditional wedding everyone else had, we wanted a day of celebration, of fun, food, family and friends. We ended up with a boho day filled with laughter and surprises for the guests including Mr Whippy and a performing artist who climbed 6 meters into the air and did a handstand on a very thin pole held up by four of the guests.

WHAT DOES MARRIAGE MEAN TO YOU?

Being able to wake up next to your best friend everyday and knowing that no matter what you have to face you don’t have to do it alone. We are treating the marriage much like the wedding where we want it to be an adventure we can look back on with fondness and amazement of what we have achieved as a family and not get stuck on the small details or ticking other peoples boxes.

FAVOURITE MOMENT OF THE DAY

The 4 of us walking down the aisle afterwards and seeing everyones joy and being surrounded by so much love at once – it was soul warming! (we had no wedding party other than Max as best man and Ella as my bridesmaid, we wanted it to just be about the four of us as a family.) Another highlight was during the ceremony Nathan gave ella a necklace and vowed to ella to always protect her and be her support and asking to be her stepdad, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house!

ADVICE FOR COUPLES PLANNING A WEDDING

Have fun with it!! It’s amazing how caught up you can get with every detail , focus on what you want and make regular check ins with yourself to make sure it’s really reflecting you! Gone are the days of stuffy traditions (unless you’re a stuffy traditions kind of couple then go hard!) this is probably the biggest party celebrating who you both are as a couple so make the most of it!!

FAVOURITE DETAILS

Aaaah so many! We were married on a kilim rug that now lays at the end of our bed in our bedroom , it reminds us daily of the best day of our lives as well as the promises we made to each other on the day. Nathan also mined all the gold for Annabel’s wedding ring on the west coast beach annabel’s nana grew up on