A countryside soiree with a a mix of moody floral tones for Tara + Lee’s Palmerston North wedding. Set on the hill side of Tara’s family farm with a clear marquee, surrounded by trees and green.
Tara in her stunning Karen Willis Holmes gown, captured beautifully by photographer David Le and filmed by Sink or Surface, with flora and styling by Amy of Oh So Pretty Styling & Design. It was a magical day spent with their nearest and dearest. Jewel toned blooms, cascading greenery and filled the candlelit tables. With lights hanging above creating a starlit sky, it was the perfect setting to dance the night way!
“I choose you, today and every day.“
How did you meet and how long have you been together?
We met through a swipe right on Tinder where we found we had a lot of mutual friends. Lee actually knew all three of my then flat mates so once I got the all clear from them, we went on our first date. That was four years ago now, and the rest is history!
How would you describe each other?
Lee says – Tara is highly organised, naturally caring and an adventurous person who can deal easily with most situations thrown her way.
Lee is hard-working and loyal; he has a lot of very close friendships and would do anything for anyone. He has a very positive personality and is a calming influence to me!
Tell us a little bit about the proposal and your engagement?
Lee went to Auckland just before Christmas to find the perfect ring. After a solid day of hunting and lots of phone calls to my good friends; he ended up at Naveya and Sloane. Here he was given a beer and the option of picking out the diamond and letting me design the rest of the ring. It was like a life raft to a drowning man!
Lee proposed to on my birthday and had organised a weekend of activities including hiking up the Pinnacles and staying over night at the Falls Retreat; one of our favourite places. He had also organised dinner with my parents and his mum so that we could tell them the good news as well.
Tell us about your wedding style. What influenced your planning for the day?
Lee was happy to leave the wedding planning to me as long as we had a good photographer and videographer, he was happy. And we definitely had those!
We really wanted to be able to have the ceremony and reception at the one venue, and we also had the bridal photos before the ceremony so that we could maximise the time we could spend with our guests.
The styling was all about making the most of the venue, we had a clear marquee on the lawn that was surrounded by trees and lots of greenery. Our florist Amy from Oh So Pretty styling and design did such an amazing job with the flowers achieving the naturally wild feel that I was after.
Why did you choose your destination?
We got married at my Dad’s family farm just out of Palmerston North. I grew up in the ‘Pink House’ and it is a place that holds a lot of significance to our family. The last wedding held there was my great Aunty Marj in 1946 so it was about time for another one! The whole family got involved in getting the venue looking as beautiful as it did on the day. This is one of the special things about weddings and particularly when held at a private venue, the time and effort required really brings everyone together.
What was your favourite moment from the day?
Our favourite part of the day was saying our vows that we had written together, in front of all of our family and friends.
And also dancing the night away, we didn’t want the day and night to end!
What does marriage mean to you?
To us marriage is just another step in our journey together. It is a conscious, thought out decision to commit to our future. Marriage is repeatedly choosing to love each other and to put our relationship first.
Who were your stand out vendors?
All of them!! We were really lucky that the vendors we wanted and knew were the best, were available for our date.
David Le did an amazing job capturing our day and was an absolute legend by getting our magazine and album to us so quickly. We were able to gift our wedding magazine to each of our parents for Christmas and they love them!
We have probably watched our wedding video that Ben from Sink or Surface created for us at least 100 times and love it more every time!
Amy our florist was super creative and took my initial ideas and come up with something really magical.
Lisa from Boatshed catering did an outstanding job with our food and her team were so professional and seamless on the day.
Our band, Winsome Lost, had every dancing well into the night and there were multiple encores as we didn’t want them to finish!
Advice for other couples planning a wedding?
Well, Lee would say let your fiancé organise it!
It was a lot of work having it at the Pink House, but we wouldn’t change anything about our day. There were a lot of personal, sentimental touches and lots of contribution from family and friends to make our wedding as special as it was.
Also have lots of lists and timetables, especially the week of the wedding because there seems to be endless amounts of things to do!
|| CREDITS ||
Photographer: David Le | Videographer: Sink or Surface | Event Planner / Stylist / Florals: Amy, Oh So Pretty Styling and Design | Bridal Gown: Karen Willis Holmes | Bridal Shoes: Mi Piaci | Hair Stylist: Samantha Crow | Makeup Artist: Emily, Make Up Etc | Veil/Headpiece: Made by bridesmaid Julia | Bridesmaids Dresses: Shona Joy | Rings: Naveya and Sloane, Diamonds on Seddon in Waihi | Groom’s Suit: Hallensteins | Groom’s Shoes: R.M Williams Groomsmen Suits: Hallensteins | Venue: Private property | Marquee: Party Up, Palmerston North Prop or Furniture Hire: Mustard Folk | Stationery / Signage: Friend, Zelda Senekal | Celebrant: Sarah Brown | Catering: Lisa, Boat Shed Catering | Cake: Made by Aunty Margot, Carrot cake and Chocolate mud cake | Transport: Tranzit bus hire | Entertainment: Band –Winsome Lost | Lighting:Image Group NZ
