This wedding is INSANE. I could go on and on about all the things I love about Monique and Stephens big day, but I think I will just let you see for yourself. So beautiful, so fun, so stunningly styled. I am in wedding heaven!!!
A massive congrats to gorgeous couple Monique and Stephen, you two are so beautiful together! And a huge THANK YOU to I Do Photography and the team over at My Waiheke Weddings & Events for sharing these oh so gorgeous images with us. Enjoy!
How did your love story begin?
We went to school together and were in the same group of friends, he asked me to be his girlfriend the old-fashioned way and we have been together since we were 15 years old.
Why did you say ‘YES’?
I said yes simply because you just know that it’s right. When I close my eyes and imagine my family or my future he is the one beside me.
What was your inspiration or theme for the day?
We didn’t really aim for a theme but rather gathered inspiration from the elements and from things that seemingly appear to be mismatched or opposite but really balance out and compliment each other nicely. This showed from the mismatched flowy dresses the bridesmaids wore to our table decor which had loose natural florals held in a combination of cut crystal and rusted tin cans alongside these beautiful copper trestles our amazing florist Naomi had made for our wedding.
We also think a venue is an extension of your theme or inspiration, and our venue Mudbrick on Waiheke Island, was certainly that for us…it was contradictory in it’s feel – with views of the ocean contrasting against the bush, vineyards and gardens that surround the property, the feeling of being somewhere old and romantic yet modern and chic all at once. The elemental factor came through in through Mudbricks raw, rustic and elegant decor – with it’s brick flooring, concrete pillars, exposed wood ceilings, iron chairs and fences with ethereal fairy lights and candles all around.
What were your Save & Splurge items?
We live and work in a remote area of Australia and didn’t have the time or ability to organize a lot of things ourselves so our splurge was on our suppliers – venue, photographer, florist, videographer – having suppliers that not only produce quality work but that connect with your vision will give you confidence and peace of mind that your day will flow together smoothly and just as you imagined. For us our suppliers were an investment (in my sanity) and not an expense.
We saved on our invites by designing them ourselves – we were lucky that my bridesmaid and best friend is a graphic designer so she took all my ideas and brought them to life! We also saved on our honeymoon by traveling around the South Island – we had the most amazing holiday and got to spend lots of time together road tripping from town to town exploring our beautiful country…of all the places we have traveled New Zealand is by far one of the most amazing destinations.
What music did you play for those special moments?
Picking music is harder than you think. I walked down the island to Six60’s acoustic version of “Feel the Love” by Rudimental.
Our grand entry was to “Get Lucky” by Daft Punk…it set the party vibe for the whole night.
Our first dance was to a modern twist to the classic song “At Last”, sung by Beyonce.
What do you love most about being a MRS?
Silly small things – like booking our travel under Mr and Mrs Barry or not having to introduce each other as boyfriend and girlfriend…it makes us feel very grown up and official!
Photography I Do Photography // Videography Bubblerock // Hair Shannon Lee Johnson
Event Coordination My Waiheke // Makeup Kate Smith Makeup // Cake Bluebells Bakery
Florist Leaf & Honey // Brides Dress & Veil Alvina Valenta // Jewellery brides own
Bridesmaids Dresses Lisa Brown // Bridesmaids Accessories Lovisa // Grooms Suit Crane Brothers
Venue & Catering Mudbrick Vineyard and Restaurant, Waiheke Island
Invitations Designed by the bride and bridesmaid
