KELSIE + GED \\ WANAKA WEDDING CAPTURED BY CHARLOTTE KIRI PHOTOGRAPHY

An intimate destiantion celebration in the wildly beautiful Central Otago countryside in Wanaka. Australian based Kelsie + Ged were joined in New Zealand by their closest friends and family for a full weekend of celebrations, which started with a good old pub quiz and ended with the most beautiful lakeside ceremony at Corbridge Woolshed Wanaka.

Captured beautifully by Charlotte Kiri Photography and featuring florals by Gypsy from The Vase in the most dreamy tones of wild blush and golden rust. A romantic and playful addition to the mountainscape backdrop and soft grey skies. A little rain did not stop this couple having the best time with the ones they loved the most, celebrating love together.

“How many words would it take for me to say, How much you’ve changed my life in every single way?
You make the good stuff better and the bad stuff too,
My life is better ’cause I get to do it with you.” – GARFUNKEL AND OATES

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

We have been together for eight years before we got married. Kelsie went to high school with one of Ged’s cousins, who introduced us when we all moved to the city after school. Ged came to help build Kelsie’s study desk, apparently quite impressively!

How would you describe each other?

Ged is an entertainer who wears his heart on his sleeve. He makes me laugh everyday.

Kelsie is the centre point to my life. She makes the days seem less crazy, probably because she is so organised.

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

Ged proposed when we were on holiday in New Zealand. Well he tried… Kelsie had a feeling about what was about to happen and did her best to run away. We can laugh about it now.. mostly.

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

A refined and relaxed vibe was our goal for the wedding day.

We wanted everyone to enjoy the time as much as us. We had a trivia night at a local pub as a bit of a welcome party, and it really set the tone for fun for the next few days. Making sure we had a chance to spend time with all of our guests, as well as each other over the week, really took the pressure off on the wedding day. We could just enjoy it.

Why did you choose your destination?

We love New Zealand and especially the Wanaka region. Having a holiday with all our guests was a major drawcard for us, and it meant everyone was able to stay and switch off and enjoy the moment.

We planned a scavenger hunt for the guests to do while they were travelling, complete with a prize and winners ceremony the morning after the wedding. It was so special to be able to share the experiences of travelling New Zealand with our family and friends.

What does marriage mean to you?

Committing to be by each other’s side for every adventure life throws at you. Figuring it all out together, even when neither of you have the answers; being married makes life seem more manageable.

What was your favourite moment from the day?

Unfortunately our helicopter was cancelled due to torrential rain, but our guests decided they still wanted us to have the full experience. We arrived at the reception to a receiving line where everyone was making helicopter noises!

The energy of everyone involved on the day was such a positive – our vendors made us feel special, and our guests just went all in! Standing in the increasingly heavy rain with smiles on their faces for our whole ceremony, and the vibe continued well into the night, from the first moment MOJO started playing, the dance floor was full.

Who were your stand out vendors?

Our photographer Charlotte (Charlotte Kiri Photography) – she is an amazing human, and was all over everything we needed since the first time we met her. Charlotte and Bruno slid seamlessly into our friends and family, so glad they were a part of our day. Plus she takes amazing photos – always a great quality for a photographer.
Rachelle at The Platter Share – She did our grazing table and the girls morning spread. Amazing food, and so easy to work with.
Sophie at Major and Minor Hire – we never actually met Sophie in person, my biggest regret of the day. She styled the space for the ceremony and reception. Sophie was so good to talk to when everything was getting overwhelming with planning, simplifying something that can be so complex.
MOJO – our band. Absolutely amazing. Everybody raved about them at the reception, and they were so much fun. So in tune to the vibe of the party, and the guests. Their energy was up there with ours for the whole day.
Morsel catered dinner and dessert and staffed the bar – amazing food, and the perfect style to compliment the day. Everyone was so friendly.
Shannon from Corbridge Woolshed. Shannon was perfect, so helpful and always there when we needed her. She handled any issue, big or small, that came our way.

Advice for other couples planning a wedding?

Regular ‘wedding meetings’. We had them weekly in the three months leading up to our event. We would get some fancy beers, and dedicate an hour to catch up on what had happened during the week, and what was next on our list to work on. It gave us allocated time for decision making together. And it kept us both aware of the to-do list for each of us so we were much more appreciative of each other.

Also, definitely take personality into consideration when choosing your vendors. If you are vibing well with someone, its going to be so much easier to work with them going forward, and you know they are going to understand you and be emotionally invested in making the day work.