Lucy and Henry made a vow to spend their lives together at The Elms in Tauranga, and their wedding day was filled with so much love and joy. The photos from the day show the couple having an amazing time, completely in love and celebrating their special moment together.
Lucy looked gorgeous in the Tatiana by Maggie Sottero, a romantic sequined tulle ball gown with a ruched sweetheart bodice. The off-the-shoulder sleeves added a hint of dreamy, and the covered buttons gave it such a timeless, classic touch. She paired it with our lovely pearl drop earrings, which were the perfect finishing touch to her look.
We hope you enjoy scrolling through their beautiful day and hearing from Lucy about her experience with us at Astra Bridal and how she found the perfect wedding dress.
What was it that made this particular wedding dress catch your eye and fall in love?
As a swimmer, I have relatively broad shoulders, which I’m sometimes self-conscious about. So, I was surprised that an off-the-shoulder dress actually made my back and shoulders look amazing. The dress also had subtle sparkles and a slightly pinkish tone underneath, both of which I adored. When I tried it on in the store, I never wanted to take it off!
Tell us about your search for the dress and the experience at Astra Bridal.
A few years before I got married, I did some research online. I was a big fan of Maggie Sottero and ended up finding the exact gown I wanted. They had it in store at Astra Bridal North Shore, so I made an appointment. Lara was my consultant, and she pulled a bunch of dresses she thought I would like, including my 'dream dress.' I tried it on, and I loved it. I almost didn’t want to try any others on, but I thought, since I was there, I might as well. Then I put on one of the other dresses and instantly felt very torn. I absolutely loved it but felt loyal to the other dress. I put both dresses back on and was pretty certain – I didn't want to get out of the other dress! Chrissy actually shed a few tears when I was in it!
Tell us your story, how you both met, and the proposal.
We were both competitive swimmers: I lived in Tauranga, and he lived in Auckland. My family was on holiday in Auckland, and we both happened to be swimming at the Tepid Baths early in the morning. My mum went up to him after he’d finished and started chatting with him about where he swam and how long he’d been swimming – I was 17 and so embarrassed! A couple of days later, we were both swimming again, and this time I started chatting to him, and the rest is history. We dated for a year while I lived in Tauranga, then I moved up to Auckland for uni, and we’ve been inseparable ever since.
I went on a tour of the Elms in year 10 and instantly knew I wanted to get married there. Around Easter 2022, Henry and I had been together for 7 years, and the topic of marriage had come up a few times. So, one weekend when we were visiting my parents in Tauranga, we decided to go on a tour of the Elms. Henry insisted my whole family come along, which I thought was odd but didn’t think much more of it. At the end of the tour, he suggested we go stand in the spot where we’ll get married – again, I thought it was odd but went along with it. I hugged him and remarked that he was shaking. That was when he dropped to one knee and popped the question! After 7 years and so much talk about it, I can’t believe how much he still managed to surprise me. The cherry on top is that we actually managed to get our engagement photos done at the Tepid Baths where we met!
What was your favourite part of the day?
Without a doubt, my favourite part of the day was the vows. In front of our friends and family, we both poured our hearts out to each other (I cried – a lot), and my heart felt so full; it was one of the happiest moments of my life.
Tell us about your wedding day as a whole.
Both my husband and I got ready at my parents' house, which was really special. My bridesmaids and I had our hair and makeup done while Henry and his groomsmen got into their suits at the other end of the house. We did a first look in the hallway, which was so special; it helped me feel calmer and more centered before going into the ceremony with everyone's eyes on us. My mum surprised me with an amazing old-school green rental car that my dad and I rode in on our way to the ceremony. One of Henry's groomsmen is an incredible musician, and he played the violin as I walked down the aisle. The weather was absolutely beautiful and sunny – we were very lucky. We had a beautiful ceremony with a wonderful celebrant and ended up with the perfect first kiss photo. In the year leading up to the ceremony, my mum had collected and dried petals from her garden, and the guests threw them over us as confetti. We had our family photos taken outside the beautiful Elms Mission House, then had some champagne in the gardens and caught up with our guests. They then headed to our reception venue while we had our wedding party photos taken, and the weather started to get a bit overcast – apparently perfect for photos.
The wedding party headed off, and we got our couple photos, which were so special. Our photographer was incredible, and I can’t recommend him highly enough. Just as we were finishing up our photos, it started to rain! We ended up getting some cool shots in the rain (plus, they say rain on your wedding day is lucky!), so I’m glad we experienced the full spectrum of weather at the perfect times. We then headed to the reception, where we had amazing vegetarian food, plenty of drinks, and awesome speeches. My new husband played 'A Thousand Miles' by Vanessa Carlton on the piano, which was beautiful, and my sister hosted the shoe game, which was hilarious. We then headed back to my parents' house, where Henry and I jumped in their pool in our wedding clothes! It was a full-circle moment: we met at a pool and then finished our wedding off in a pool.
Finally, what is your biggest piece of advice for brides to be?
Make sure you stick by your new husband's side as much as you can on your wedding day. You'll be tempted to chat with as many people as possible, but this day is about the two of you, and taking the time to just be together and soak it all in is so important.
