On a stunning sunny day, Jenn and Jake vowed to spend the rest of their lives together at Tidal Waters Loglodge in front of their friends and family. Photos of the day show the couple encompassed in a bubble of joy surrounded by the venue's gorgeous beach scenery. Their day was filled with lots of smiles, love and happiness.
Jenn awed in Acacia by Theia Bridal, a minimalistic V-neck crepe gown with curved asymmetrical seams, which add a touch of uniqueness. The side split and low back bring an element of sexiness, while the delicate buttons trailing down the back to the train completes the look of the gown.
Continue reading and scrolling for some insight into their wedding, Jenn's dress shopping experience, and her advice for brides-to-be.
What was it that made this particular wedding dress catch your eye and fall in love?
The gown I chose combined all of my favourite elements from others I had tried on: fabric, neckline, buttons down the back, and the side split. It caught my eye right away and I had a really good feeling about it. I also had a top made by Sens Clothing who did our alterations. She created a beautiful custom top from the tulle of my Mum's wedding gown, I'll cherish it forever.
Tell us about your search for the dress and the experience at Astra Bridal.
I
had tried on dresses at a couple other places, but hadn't necessarily found
"the one" yet. I looked online at Astra Bridal's collection and found one
that I loved, it also really helped to see it in the Real Bride section. I made
an appointment to try on the gown that caught my eye and Khym was amazing. The
whole process was easy and I felt super supported throughout. Khym also showed
me where I could go in Hamilton to have my alterations done.
Tell us your story, how you both met, and the proposal.
In 2017 I moved from Canada to New Zealand, we met the old fashioned way...on Tinder ;) We had so much fun on our first few dates, going hiking and rock climbing. The good times and adventures continued over the years with many more hikes, camping, vacations, and weekends at the beach. Jake proposed at the arboretum near our house, a place that had become a special little spot of ours after spending a lot of time there during lockdowns. I had no idea it was coming and he pulled off a complete surprise when he popped the question.
What was your favourite part of the day?
How to choose?! We got up early and went to the beach to read our vows to one another, that felt really special. We also had the best time ever dancing the night away!
Tell us about your wedding day as a whole.
We had our wedding at a lodge between Gisborne and Tolaga Bay. The weeks before the wedding were quite uncertain due to the extensive flooding and highway closures. Thankfully, the entire guest list made it there from our various destinations across New Zealand and Canada. There was a thunderstorm the night before the wedding, with lots of lightning over the ocean. We woke up to blue skies and sunshine that held out for the remainder of the weekend.
I got ready
with some girlfriends and my mum at a nearby house that friends had rented for
their accommodation. We didn't have a bridal party so the morning was quite
relaxing and I didn't start getting ready until noon! We had our ceremony and
reception at the lodge, there were about 20 of us that stayed there for the
weekend. The ceremony felt true to us, we had written our own vows and my mum
did a reading of “the art of marriage”. We had a champagne toast after the
ceremony and then went to the beach for our photos. We rejoined the party for
cocktail hour, followed by dinner and a lot of dancing!
Finally, what is your biggest piece of advice for brides to be?
My
friend gave me this advice so I will pass it on; don't view the ceremony as
just something to get through so you can get to the dinner and dance party.
Take time while you're up there to look out at all of your guests while you're
standing in front of them. It's a relatively quick part of the day, but such a
meaningful one. After we signed our papers and waited for our witnesses to sign
we just took a second to hold hands and have a look around at all the faces
that were so excited to be there with us on our wedding day.
