Rebecca and Brendan said " I do" in front of their friends and family at the historic Abel Estate in Kumeu. Photos of the day show the couple full of love and smiles as they enjoyed their big day together.
Rebecca wowed in Timbrey by Maggie Sottero, a unique A-line with a sheer beaded lace bodice and tiered ruffle tulle skirt. The skirt also features a sparkle horsehair finish, giving this gown that extra dash of shimmer. She paired her gown with a two tiered horse hem veil, an accessory that perfectly matches her gown.
We hope you enjoy scrolling through their day and get some insight from Rebecca about her experience with us at Astra Bridal and the process of finding her wedding dress.
What was it that made this particular wedding dress catch your eye and fall in love?
I was definitely looking for more of a princess vibe with layers and sparkle. The minute I saw the dress on the hanger, it caught my eye. I was surprised as it wasn't on my wish list, but it was pulled, and I was keen to try it on. When I tried it on, I fell in love with the bead work on the bodice and the extra sparkle on the hem of each layer of the skirt. It was the only dress I tried on that made my mum cry. Everyone agreed it was such a 'me' dress.
Tell us about your search for the dress and the experience at Astra Bridal.
I had my mum, sister, and auntie up from Nelson for one weekend to look for a wedding dress, so the pressure was on to find a dress! Astra Bridal was actually the last store we visited, and I thought I had already found my dress at another store. However, the customer service at Astra Bridal was unmatched. I felt so taken care of and felt like my vision was heard. I really appreciated that I was shown dresses I said I didn't want e.g. spaghetti straps - because that ended up being my dream dress! The communication and help from Astra Bridal from buying the dress, up until the wedding day was amazing!
Tell us your story, how you both met, and the proposal.
We were both brought up in Nelson, but moved up to Auckland about 9 years ago for work. We met in Auckland due to our mutual friends being from Nelson and hit it off straight away. After 5 years of being together, we decided we wanted to travel, so we left our jobs and travelled to 22 countries. It was during this trip that Brendan proposed to me on the island of Santorini at a beautiful winery overlooking the ocean. It was truly magical! We have been on the greatest adventures together, but it's lovely to be back in NZ and settling down.
What was your favourite part of the day?
The ceremony was beautiful, I really loved all the different parts we incorporated into it like the time capsule and getting our families involved. I also loved the Scottish dancing we did at the end of the night! This got all the guest involved, up, and dancing! People raved about it and had such a good time.
Tell us about your wedding day as a whole.
We knew getting married in January could be a risk due to the heat. It actually rained the day before our wedding, but the day of our wedding, it was a beautiful day and 28 degrees! We were definitely melting in the heat, but it was all worth it. We got ready at a beautiful Airbnb in Kumeu called The Barn. It was big enough for all of us to get ready there - including the 5 bridesmaids and 5 groomsmen. Our venue, Abel Estate, was stunning. It had been recently renovated and used to be known as Gracehill. We actually booked the venue off the plans of what it was going to look like, and it turned out even better than we could have imagined. We used their package deal where they sorted everything like the styling and the vendors, so we didn't have to worry about a thing on the day! Sarah Bloxham, our celebrant, helped us to create such a magical ceremony. For the reception, we had a 3 course seated meal, which was delicious, and that was followed by lots of dancing, including getting everyone to join in with some Scottish dancing! The wedding day turned out even better than either of us could have imagined.
Finally, what is your biggest piece of advice for brides to be?
On the big day, just make sure you enjoy it! After all the planning and stress, remember you are surrounded by loved ones and to take it all in with the person you're marrying. I had a bridesmaid remind us every hour to just take a moment to take it all in. This was a great way to remind ourselves that it was our day to celebrate as we wanted and to appreciate the day.
