Cuban + Jayden \\ Captured By J. Photo & CO

Cuban + Jayden have always felt at home in nature, which led them to plan their dreamy forest wedding. “Not only did we want this wedding to be about us, but to bring our favourite people together and celebrate like there was no tomorrow.” says Cuban.

A whimsical intimate celebration captured by photographer Jordan Reid of J. Photo & Co was set in the forest with handpainted wooden signs and dried wildflowers, which complemented the Bridesmaids and the most adorable Flower Girl all in rusty golden tones. Cuban was a dream in her Made With Love gown paired with a Rue Du Seine lace blouse overlay with billowing sleeves and that touch of ‘something blue’ with her Eternal Heels in a beautiful powder blue by Chaos and Harmony.

Minimal wooden tables adorned with antlers, candles, wild foliage and paired with modern ghost chairs which transformed the converted old barn into a dining space spilling with earthy tones and texture for Cuban + Jayden’s reception. With Cuban working in the event industry, she was able to call on top local talent to help bring the vision of a minimalistic, organic wedding day, embracing the natural surrounds with LL Wedding & Event Hire and Pretty Wild Floral helping bring the magic together.

This stunning wedding is also featured in our 2019 Wild Hearts Magazine – an annual journal for the wild & creative soul – full of inspiration and beauty. You can get your copy here.

How did you meet and how long have you been together?

Jayden and I have been together since the age of 16. Knowing each other from a young age through church, it was a local music festival which really sparked their interest in each other. You wouldn’t catch two teenagers more smitten with one another. We were each other’s first love and have been ever since. We love doing life together and marriage has felt like such an exciting step for us together.

Tell us a little bit about the proposal and your engagement?

Jayden had spent months formulating how and when he was going to ask Cubans mother and father for Cubans hand in marriage. After the tick of approval (without any hesitation from mum and dad) Jayden began planning the ultimate proposal. After meeting with a few of Cuban’s besties, Jayden pieced together the greatest treasure hunt of all time. What simply was a brunch out for Cuban and her best friend Jamie. Turned into Cuban receiving letters written by Jayden, guiding her to her favourite things all over Tauranga city. After a day full of adventures and meeting all of her favourite people along the way to celebrate, Jayden met Cuban on the beach and popped the very important question. The day did not end here, Jayden had organised dinner at Cubans favourite restaurant followed with a surprise party from their families.

Tell us about your wedding style. What influenced your planning for the day?

Cuban works in the events industry. Her wedding became her project and was a time for her to go crazy and plan her dream wedding. The natural environment from the venues really inspired Cuban with how she wanted to style the wedding. She wanted to incorporate rustic aspects while keeping to a minimalistic modern, almost industrial look. Cuban wanted every detail of her wedding to be unique in itself, telling a story. Cuban’s stubbornness for detail became prominent, really bringing our=t the event manager in her. Local vendors such as LL Furniture and Pretty Wild Floral really inspired her on up and coming looks.

Why did you choose your location?

Jayden and Cuban always dreamt of getting married in a forest. They feel most relaxed in nature and could not have found a better place to make this commitment to each other. They let the forest speak for itself when it came to styling the area, keeping decoration to a minimum. Having the ceremony inside of a deer paddock was surreal, being amongst little bambi’s and nature felt like we were in heaven. The reception was held in a barn on Cubans parents’ farm. Cubans family are always up for a challenge. The two families came together to transform a barn filled with thousands of washing machines into a wedding venue. With a timeframe of 5 months, earth was moved, hundreds of plants were planted, trenches were dug and the barn was fully lined in pine. Cuban wants to eventually begin her own event company, so renovating the barn was also created with the future plans in mind…watch this space..

What was your favourite moment from the day?

Our favourite moment of the day has got to be our infamous 5 minutes of sun. The week leading up to our wedding, the weather was not looking in our favour. Jordan Reid, our photographer, took us away for some photos by the river, sceptical on how the weather would hold, the heavens decided to open. We had 5 minutes of the most beautiful sunset as our backdrop with Jordan capturing images we will hold tightly forever. It was a time which we felt that it was just us. With Jordan hiding on the bushes, we had space to just be us and enjoy these minutes of bliss. Its moments like these that we will never forget.

What does marriage mean to you?

Marriage to us is a commitment before God and before other people. It is a point in time where we become one, a moment where we enter into a covenant in which our love is sealed and strengthened by Gods love. Marriage for us has been a big part in conversation for us. We have never been more ready to make this commitment to each other, without any hesitation or doubt. We were most excited to make this commitment to each other in front of the people who have made a big impact on our lives, the people we love the most. Not only did we want this wedding to be about us, but to bring our favourite people together and celebrate like there was no tomorrow.

Advice for other couples planning a wedding?

Our advice to other couples getting married would be to not stress over the small stuff. At the end of the day, no one will notice of the napkins are the wrong colour, only yourself. I really special moment that stood out for us was during dinner time. Jayden and I pulled ourselves away to go for a walk and talk about the day’s highs. Looking from afar, seeing those we love most singing and loving each other’s company was extremely fulfilling for us. It is a mental image we will hold for the rest of our lives. We would advise all couples to step back and just soak up this time.