Timeless romance in the heart of the Waimauku countryside

Surrounded by the rolling and undulating hills of rural Waimauku, Joel and Sarah wed in the minimalist yet modern black barn of The Hunting Lodge. White tongue and groove timber walls, ceilings and exposed concrete floors created the perfect blank canvas for the day, complimented by crisp white floral. Long grey wash timber tables with matching timber Bentwood chairs complimented the neutral colour palette to add to the timeless touches and the air of modernity of the day.

This elegant wedding was masterfully captured by The Wedding Guys

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

Bride – we were down in Queenstown for our baby moon and went on a day trip to Glenorchy. Joel kept asking about a nice view I had mentioned but I couldn’t remember where it was. We decided to walk down onto the pontoon. While on the pontoon I asked someone to take our photo, Joel took this as the perfect opportunity to get on one knee and propose! I was completely shocked and so so happy. He did this at the very start of our babymoon so we had a beautiful time celebrating the upcoming arrival of our son and our new engagement.

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

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

Bride – my theme I went with for my wedding was timeless romantic. Honestly like most girls this is a day I have had planned in my head since I was a little girl. It was so fun seeing it all come to life exactly (if not better) than I had imagined. I did all the styling and planning myself. I sent through images of what I wanted to blush flowers and they were so great at getting it perfect!

Why did you choose your destination?

We visited The Hunting Lodge and instantly it just felt right. We liked the idea we can easily visit when ever we want as well.

What was your favourite detail from the day?

Bride – a few of my favourite details were the signs I made with my dad. Our son all dressed up. My dream dress that transformed from Ceremony to Reception.

Did you have a stand out vendor from your Wedding?

Bride – Honestly no one stood out because they were all SO amazing I couldn’t just pick one. Everyone we worked with was so great with communication and made us (me especially) feel so relaxed about our day. I would say Toni from The Hunting Lodge deserves a special shout out, she is just fab!

What was your favourite moment from the day?

Bride – walking down the aisle and seeing my soon to be husband and all of our nearest and dearest.

What does marriage mean to you?

Marriage to us means we have found our person who we want to enjoy life with. Also, sharing the same last name was something we personally found so special – especially since having our son. We are each others people and will always be here for one another. We look forward to watching each other grown as individuals and as a team.

Advice for other couples planning a wedding?

Enjoy the process and allow yourself enough time you aren’t feeling like you’re rushing the planning process. Sort out all your main big vendors first and go from there! It really is such a fun, special time.

|| VENDOR CREDITS ||