Lea and Alex said "I Do" surrounded by their nearest and dearest at the scenic Castaways Resort. The photos from their big day capture their joyful love and all the fun they had celebrating together!
Lea captivated in Winter by Maggie Sottero, a whimsical A-line gown with a sheer organza lace bodice and a V neckline. This all over floral lace dress strikes the perfect balance between delicate sweetness and dramatic elegance.
Keep scrolling for beautiful images, insights into Lea's wedding dress shopping adventure, and her advice for brides planning their own big day. Enjoy!
What was it that made this particular wedding dress catch your eye and fall in love?
I chose Winter by Maggie Sottero. I actually saw this dress online once and knew it was the one I wanted. I loved the floral lace and the fact that it wasn’t tight fitting or a ball gown; it looked very elegant and flowy. It was also the first dress I tried on during my first fitting at Astra Bridal. When I was younger, I picked the first dress I tried on for my school ball, so when it came time to choose my wedding dress, my mum made sure I tried on a few more to be 100% sure. After trying on a good selection, though, I still wanted “Winter,” so it was a no brainer.
Tell us about your search for the dress and the experience at Astra Bridal.
My best friend got married in April 2022, so I had the opportunity to go with her to Astra Bridal when she was choosing her dress. It was such a cool experience, and there was a huge selection, so I knew that when it was my turn, I’d definitely go there. When it was my turn, I went with my mum, auntie, and best friend. My sister, who was my maid of honour, was in Europe at the time, so we video called her during the appointment. I had such a great experience; the staff were lovely and incredibly helpful throughout the whole process. It was also nice to receive regular updates on how far along my dress was.
Tell us your story, how you both met, and the proposal.
Alex and I met at Mardi Gras in Ohakune a number of years ago. My sister and I were on our way out of the crowd to get a drink. As we reached the back, there was a guy with four drinks stacked in his hands, and he offered us two. That guy ended up being Alex. We hit it off pretty much straight away and spent the rest of the night singing and dancing with my sister, which was so much fun. The next day, I woke up and texted my mum, saying I had met my soulmate. He was living in Palmerston North as he was in the Army, and I was living in Auckland, so we spent the first three years of our relationship flying back and forth to see each other until he moved up to Auckland to live with me after COVID.
The proposal was really sweet. We went to Waiheke with our friends and my brother for the weekend at my friend's bach. Unfortunately, my sister was away that weekend, so she couldn’t make it. We spent Saturday at the beach playing beach cricket, swimming, and enjoying lots of food and drinks. I'm such a water baby, so a day at the beach is my perfect day. In the evening, we went out for dinner and then decided to take some sunset photos on the beach. When Alex and I were getting our photos taken, that’s when he proposed. It was really nice because the whole restaurant saw it happen on the beach (which was unplanned), and everyone cheered for us afterwards!
What was your favourite part of the day?
It’s hard to choose just one moment. I loved getting ready with my bridesmaids, my mum, and my auntie in the morning. It was super special to have all my favourite ladies together. I also loved the ceremony; it was very relaxed, and we wrote our own vows. We spent months choreographing our wedding dance, which was a lot of fun, and such a relief when it was done, haha. We aren’t slow dancers at all, so we did a funky 80s dance, and it made everyone laugh and clap while we were doing it.
Tell us about your wedding day as a whole.
The weather leading up to the wedding day was very windy and rainy. We had rehearsals the day before, and it was so windy that we were worried we would have to move the wedding indoors. We were so lucky that on the day of the wedding, we had sunshine and very little wind. We chose to get married at Castaways because it is on the cliff top of Kariotahi Beach, and we are both outdoorsy, beachy people. We had roughly 55 people at our wedding, which I think was a good number, as we got to have good conversations with everyone there. It also meant we had our nearest and dearest with us, minus a few very special people who are no longer with us. The day was very relaxed; our photographer and videographers were amazing and kept everything running smoothly for us. They also captured some incredible footage that we will treasure forever.
Finally, what is your biggest piece of advice for brides to be?
I had been told by many people that the day goes by so fast, but I was not prepared for just how quickly it actually went. Alex and I tried so hard to take moments for just the two of us, but we got so caught up chatting with everyone that we only managed to do this once. We also ended up running out of time during the formalities to cut the cake, and we completely forgot about it, haha! So, we ended up doing it while everyone was dancing, with my mum and other family watching.
My advice would be to try not to stress about how the day runs. Nobody else knows the schedule apart from you and a few others, and the day will feel perfect no matter what. Another piece of advice is to avoid setting any expectations for yourself and your partner on the day. It’s such a busy day, and if you don’t get the chance to take a minute for just the two of you, that’s okay. If you miss something, that’s okay too. It’s your big day, and you want to enjoy it and do what feels right for you.
For practical advice, it’s helpful to have someone at the wedding whom you trust (ours was my mum) as the designated go to person for any questions or concerns from the staff, so you aren’t worrying about that stuff on your big day. :)
