Laura and Jonty said 'I Do' surrounded by family and friends at the romantic Meadowood House in Hawke's Bay. Their day was filled with love and smiles as they celebrated together.
Laura looked stunning in Josephine Lynette by Maggie Sottero, a minimalistic crepe A-line gown with a V-neckline. She radiates classic elegance with her covered buttons, and the pockets are an added bonus to this gown. Laura completed her look with our Boston veil, a gorgeous English net veil that floats gracefully down.
Continue scrolling for beautiful images, an insight into their wedding day, and Laura's advice for brides planning their big day. Enjoy!
What was it that made this particular wedding dress catch your eye and fall in love?
I quickly figured out that a square neck wasn't quite right, and the Astra girls were very supportive and quick to find an alternative - a V-neck to show off the girls, haha! It was everything I wanted, and all my friends agreed.
Tell us about your search for the dress and the experience at Astra Bridal.
I had some ideas of what I wanted, but my heart was set on a square neck A-line dress. I had visited a few other stores in Wellington and liked some dresses, but nothing was 100% what I was looking for. The ladies at Astra were very accommodating of my dreams, and they also knew exactly what would suit my body type (being a bigger girl and all). I had two dresses that I was choosing between, but I had a feeling that the one I ended up picking would be the one, and it was! The whole process at Astra was so easy and stress free, and I would definitely recommend Astra Bridal to all my friends in the future.
Tell us your story, how you both met, and the proposal.
Just like any 21st century love story, we met on Tinder in 2017. Jonty superliked my profile, and the rest is history. I was living in Wellington at Massey University, and Jonty was living in Hawke's Bay (where I am from). We met when I was back for the Uni break. Jonty moved down to Wellington in 2019, and we have lived together ever since. We always knew a wedding was on the cards; it's something we talked about. I was always trying to drag Jonty into the jewelers to try on all the sparkly rings. Jonty had a plan to propose on our 4 year anniversary, but being impatient, I prompted him to do it a week earlier after finding the 'hidden' ring in a toolbox in the garage.
What was your favourite part of the day?
Our favourite part of the day was celebrating with all our friends and family. We took time throughout the evening to talk to all of our guests, and that really made the day super special.
Tell us about your wedding day as a whole.
We couldn't have asked for a better day! The sun was shining (in true Hawke's Bay fashion), and there was also a slight breeze, so it wasn't too uncomfortable in a full suit and dress. There were a few very minor hiccups in the lead up to the wedding, but they were all easily fixed, and I managed to stay calm through it all, which helped a lot. Our crew were very helpful and supportive during the getting ready stages, but the whole day just went by so fast! The ceremony felt like a dream, and the reception was so much fun. I wish we could have danced all night!
Finally, what is your biggest piece of advice for brides to be?
My biggest piece of advice would be to relax and just go with the flow. Your day will be perfect no matter what happens, so just cruise! Listen to your photographer because they know what will look best. The sunset photos are our favourite, and they happened just as we were about to sit down to eat. I hadn't eaten in hours and was starving, but I got up and smiled for the camera, and I'm so glad I did.
