Casey and Adam exchanged vows to spend the rest of their lives together in front of their closest friends and family at the stunning Puketutu Island Estate. Their day was filled with love and joy, captured beautifully in photos that showcase the couple enjoying every moment to the fullest.
Casey looked absolutely breathtaking in Adelaide by Sottero & Midgley—a lavish beaded floral lace fit and flare gown featuring a plunging illusion neckline and alluring side illusion cutouts. The scalloped illusion lace train added a striking and unforgettable touch. She complemented her gown with our cathedral length cut edge veil, an accessory that perfectly enhanced her elegant look.
We hope you enjoy scrolling through their unforgettable day and get a glimpse into Casey’s journey with Astra Bridal as she discovered her perfect wedding dress.
What was it that made this particular wedding dress catch your eye and fall in love?
The panels that shaped my hip to waist ratio were perfect, and the fit and flare style was the perfect choice. The lace wasn’t too much, and it still provided that little bit of sparkle. I also liked that it wasn’t all white—that the underlayers were nude, which really made the details of the dress pop.
Tell us about your search for the dress and the experience at Astra Bridal.
Searching for my dress was harder than I thought. I’ve dreamt of my wedding day since I was about 10 years old. I had a Pinterest board with over 50,000 pins of my dream wedding, and half of those pins were of my dress. I started looking at bridal stores on Instagram and booked appointments with the top 3 I could find in Auckland. The first time I tried on dresses, I only took my mum, which was nice, but the first style of dress I thought I wanted didn’t suit my body shape at all. I had to become open-minded really quickly, especially when trying to visualise certain things.
Honestly, Astra Bridal gave me one of the best experiences. The way they listened to what I wanted and considered the vision I had made things so much easier. I was set on getting the perfect dress, and to me, this is one of the most important parts of your big day. It’s something everyone will always comment on. They might not remember exactly how the venue was set up, but they’ll always remember whether the dress was good or bad. There were so many different types of dresses. I tried on so many, and they were so accommodating, but also honest with me about how each would fit and what would be best for my body type. The moment I tried on my dress, I just knew. It was one of the last dresses that Ilyese set aside for me. I was very nervous and insecure when I started trying on dresses, but as soon as I tried my dress on, all my worries went away. Every insecurity I had, I couldn’t even see through the gorgeous dress
Tell us your story, how you both met, and the proposal.
Adam and I met online while I was studying in Hamilton, and he had just returned to New Zealand to play for the Warriors. Our first chats weren’t great, so things fizzled out, but a few months later, I messaged him for his birthday, and we picked things up again. We finally met, but since he was traveling back to Sydney because he was still in his NRL rugby season, our 'cute picnic dinner' turned into him driving from Auckland to Hamilton, picking up pizza, and having a Netflix and chill night on campus. After that, things moved quickly—we met each other's families and went 'official' soon after.
I moved back to Whangarei for the summer, and we spent weekends traveling between Auckland and Whangarei. Then, in 2020, COVID hit, and we did 7 months of long distance while Adam played for the Warriors in Australia, and I stayed in NZ for my degree. After the season, Adam came home briefly before heading back to Australia. In 2021, with the borders opening, I moved to Australia and finished my degree online. We lived in Terrigal briefly, then the Gold Coast, and finally Brisbane. It was a pretty big adjustment as we hadn’t been together long before doing a long-distance relationship, and then living together was another challenge.
When we returned to NZ, we settled into life at home, and over our 4 years together, we discovered a love for travel. We explored Queensland, the North Island, and took holidays to Queenstown, Cairns, and Samoa. Our favorite trip was to Hawaii with our best mates. There were jokes about Adam proposing, and when the moment came, I was caught off guard. We had a fun day at the beach, then met at the Moana Surf Rider for cocktails. Adam was sweating through the heat, and when my friend and I went to the bathroom, we found a private garden for photos. As we posed in front of the palm trees, Adam suddenly knelt down. It felt like time slowed, and it was perfect—everything I’d ever dreamed of. It was one of the most amazing feelings, like all I’d ever wanted came true that day.
What was your favourite part of the day?
Picking one favourite part of the day is hard because we truly had the best day ever. The ceremony was probably number one—walking into the venue and seeing everything I’d planned come to life and be perfect was incredible. Although I was shaking and so nervous walking up the aisle, seeing Adam’s reaction and then holding each other made all the nerves disappear. Then being introduced as Mr. and Mrs. Pompey, getting to share the big kiss, and having all our family and friends cheer for us was amazing! I also loved our reception. We just wanted to have a party, and we love to dance and celebrate together, so that was definitely a highlight as well.
Tell us about your wedding day as a whole.
The day of, I was awake bright and early at 4am, and by 6am, the sun was up. There was a bit of cloud, which was good because there was no sun strike, it wasn’t too hot, and we got a nice breeze, which was perfect. Getting ready with the girls was pretty chill. I had my two younger sisters, Alex and Jamie, a friend I met at uni, Maddy, my maid of honor, Tay, and my mum all getting ready with me, and it was pretty relaxed. Unfortunately, between all six of us, we forgot a speaker, and the TV in the hotel room didn’t work, but not once did I feel stressed. Once we were ready, we had a few photos. I did a first look with my grandie and my dad, and then we were on our way to the venue. From there, things moved really fast, so I tried to just be in the moment as much as possible. I had my grandie, who is my dad’s dad, and my mum walk me from the car to the edge of the aisle, and then my dad walked me down the aisle. The ceremony was short and sweet, as we are not huge fans of public speaking, but it wasn’t as bad as we thought. We also had our sausage dog, Reggie, be our ring bearer, which was the cutest thing ever—having him in a little tux.
We spent a few hours having photos while everyone was at cocktail hour, then, once everyone was seated inside, we started our reception entrances. Bridesmaids and groomsmen were paired up to do an entrance each, which really lifted the vibe. Our best friends, Tayla and Marcelo, who were with us in Hawaii for our proposal, were our maid of honor and best man. Watching their entrance really got us hyped, and our half-planned dance entrance went out the window when our song started. It turned into a freestyle of absolute energy and fun. Everyone was up cheering, we had sparklers going, and our bridal party really brought the vibe. We moved straight into our first dance with dry ice, and it felt like it was just us two in the room, dancing on a cloud. After dinner, which was absolutely delicious, we did speeches and received an amazing haka. We cut the cake, which was vanilla and raspberry, and it was also delicious. Then it was just a big party, and we danced all night, forgetting to do our exit song. We were one of the last ones left still dancing.
Finally, what is your biggest piece of advice for brides to be?
Plan early so any issues that arise can be sorted quickly, and whatever happens, happens. You’ve planned as much as you can, so just enjoy every moment—it goes by so much faster than you anticipate. Don’t sweat the small stuff.
