Rustic Chic KatiKati Orchard Wedding

"It all started as a summer fling almost six years ago at Italian island of Sardinia. Both of us were working at the same campsite. I worked with kids and Dale was extreme sports guide. After the first summer together we thought that we wouldn't see each other again, but we stayed in touch and that was the beginning of our long distance relationship. I believe our story happened by chance but to make it work we had to overcome many challenges, and as a result it turned it into something really special." I said yes... We saved by... We splurged on... Our advice to engaged couples... CREDITS P+L SUPERSTARS FEATURED IN THIS WEDDING

I was away to Europe for five weeks and the day after I came back Dale took me to Waiheke where he was going for a day of work. Being jet-lagged I spend a day just relaxing with the book at the beach by myself. At lunchtime, we meet up and had a picnic at Manowar bay. We went for a little walk by the water and Dale got down on one knee and said a little speech. He proposed with the shell that he found earlier as the symbol of commitment. We choose the ring together several weeks later.

Our wedding style was... Shabby Chic, Simple and Rustic.

Having the ceremony and reception at the family orchard of Dales grandparents. They put so much love and work into the beautiful gardens, we couldn't think of a more special place for our wedding.

As a couple we love to DIY, so lots of the decor was made by our friends and us. From the invitation to flowers, decorations, and little details it was all a collective work. Our delicious cake was made by Dales Mother, and the flowers by our dear friend Chelsie. Before this day I never could of imagined how much work goes into the flowers, and what great job she did! I'm a Graphic designer by profession so all the invitations, stationery and packaging for favors were created by myself.

We also borrowed a vintage caravan by the name "Agatha" from our friends and "she" was used as a bar and shelter for drinks. To get to the wedding location, I arrived in the classic car that was build from scratch by Dales Uncle.

Each part of the day was created with love and the help of friends and family.

It's hard to say what we splurged on. We planned and made it how we wanted it. I must confess that the numbers that you have in your head and the reality is different, so sometimes you should close your eyes on the price and choose what you love. That is what happened with my dress, I fell in love with it at the first try but made a few rounds before I came back to it.

We got engaged a year and a half before the wedding but due to family reasons and difficult time planning, it was put on hold until the end of 2016. In middle of November, we made a decision on the date, so it meant that we had 2 and a half months to organize. It didn't sound that crazy or scary to us. But as soon as we were getting questions such as "Are you talking about 2018?" or comments like "Wow, that is soon" we realized that some people saw it as a short time to plan. So our advice would be: don't stress too much, if you have a plan and have thought about every part of the day it will all fall into place. It's such a special day, so with all the planning don't forget to just to enjoy it.