Breath-taking Wedding in Queenstown

On a cloudy day in picturesque Queenstown, Georgia and David said "I Do" in a lovely intimate ceremony at Stoneridge Estate. Their photos feature breath-taking views with a tranquil lake, majestic mountains and gorgeous gardens.

Georgia shined brightly against the beautiful landscape in her gown -Shasta- by Sottero & Midgley - a glistening fairytale ball gown with shimmering beaded tulle over glitter tulle and an illusion corset with exquisite beaded lace detailing, adding an extra touch of sparkle and flair. To match the sparkle of the dress, she wore our Hendrix veil, a cathedral length full glitter veil. We love the dreamy shots of the veil on the mountains!

Enjoy scrolling through images of their day and hearing about Georgia's journey to finding the dress of her dreams.

What was it that made this particular wedding dress catch your eye and fall in love?

I had asked for a gown that had a woodland fairy vibe with some lace and dropped sleeves. I wanted it to look magical. Trying on the dress, I instantly knew it was the one and everyone in the room did also. It even fit perfectly and it was everything I was looking for. While I am not usually a girly girl, this felt the right amount of everything. I especially was so excited to see the sparkle on top of the mountains in Queenstown.

Tell us about your search for the dress and the experience at Astra Bridal.

The search for the dress was terrifying as we were getting married in 3 months; I did not have a lot of time. I booked two dress fittings, only two weeks after I got engaged, one being Astra. My friend had recently got married and she got her dress from Astra and it was simply stunning, so I knew I had to try it there. I really loved the zoom call and made sure I was wearing something that was my style so the consultant could get a good sense of what I was looking for. We hit it off straight away and I really felt confident about Astra. The theme of the wedding (and our relationship) was definitely the second time's the charm and Astra was the second place we tried. I even remember at the beginning of the day my mum had told me I have a good feeling your dress is at Astra. Me and Ilyese hit it off straight away and was like a long-lost sister. She knew exactly what I was looking for and was so patient and kind. She wasn't afraid to even mix the dresses together to create a new outfit. What amazed me the most was when Ilyese told me that she thinks she has my dress downstairs but didn't want to show me just yet as it was out of my price range. At the end we all thought I should give it a go. As soon as I walked out of the changing room, everyone could not stop crying and we knew it was the one. It was simply stunning and everything I had asked for.

Tell us your story, how you both met, and the proposal.

Dave and I originally met at a mutual friend’s party and it was not love at first sight. However, we met again at that same mutual friends' party about a year later when Dave was 21 and I was 19 and we VERY quickly fell head over heels (Dave is now 30 and I am now 27). When we both asked our mutual friend for his trusted opinion of whether we should pursue a relationship together his advice was “no way, you are both far too stubborn to be together.” I later found out my brother had met Dave before so I asked him for his opinion as well and my bother Chris' response about David was “He’s a great guy, just terrible at karaoke!”. The second time we met our connection was instant and we fell instantly in love. I fell in love with Dave’s cheeky sense of humor and caring nature. David tells me that he knew I was the one when I beat him at his favorite video game.

Dave and I don't talk about our first date because it went so badly but we both knew there was something special there. Since our second date (which went perfectly) it was certainly a whirlwind relationship. We moved in together after 3 months because I “stopped going home” (to David’s delight). We have now been together for 8 years. Of these 8 years, the longest we have spent apart is 2 nights, truly inseparable!

After 8 years David finally proposed. He proposed at Bridal Veil Falls near Raglan (well-suited name!). He completely surprised me and got on one knee in front of the waterfall. It was truly magical. The ring was a beautiful 3 stone rose gold ring with a moonstone in the center. It feels very magical and fantasy and elven which is definitely my style! And 3 months later we were married! We just couldn't wait any longer.

What was your favourite part of the day?

Dave's favorite part of the day was the helicopter ride and the photos in the mountain. He had always dreamed of doing this for his wedding day and to share it together was so special. My favorite part of the wedding day was when the videographer asked if we wanted our first dance filmed and I realized we had not even planned for a first dance! I quickly asked Dave to choose a song and he picked a song that we both loved and it was simply perfect. We had the best moment of slow dancing and taking it all in together.

Tell us about your wedding day as a whole.

The wedding day itself was simply perfect. We had a mini elopement so the wedding was small but it felt huge as we were surrounded by so much love and happiness. It was so special to spend the day together as a family before the wedding and share so many moments together. Once Dave left to head to the alter, it was so special having time to talk with my dad and hear him tell me how proud and happy he was. The dress was a bit of a beast so getting into the car was no easy feet but we got there! The day was overcast and there was a little bit of rain, but those are my favorite kind of days! Luckily the rain held off and the wedding could continue outside. I remember stepping outside of the car and I was a mess. I could not stop crying and had to try and suck it up, but seeing Dave at the alter made it all so real and I was overrun with happiness. I will always remember how special our vows were. They were so personal and included so many joyous and core memories which we have shared together.

After the ceremony the first thing we did was get that champagne and celebrate!! From there, the champagne did not stop for the rest of the day! We had some lovely photos and then were whisked away to go on the helicopter up to Cecil Peak. Once we arrived it was bloody cold .. but we braved the weather (with the help of more champagne!) to take some truly amazing photos. Once we arrived back at Stoneridge, we decided to cut the cake cause why not! Once we cut it, Dave and I both took a big chunk and smooshed it right into each others faces. There were a lot of laughs and it was such a funny moment which we will always cherish. We then were asked if we wanted to do a first dance which we never thought of! I asked Dave quickly for a song and he picked a beautiful song from one of our favourite movies and had a wonderful time dancing together. After a lot of dancing, we sat down for dinner (and more drinks) and had the best evening. I then put on a song from my childhood game which my brother and I always promised we would dance at my wedding. This was really special that we kept that promise all these years later. Our wedding day was truly perfect and we will never forget was an amazing day and experience we have had.