On a charming spring day Rebecca and Josh vowed to spend the rest of their lives together in front of their loved ones at Kauri Bay Boomrock. The day was filled with lots of love and joy. Photos of the day showcase the lovely couple shining with happiness surrounded by family and friends in a variety of aesthetically stunning backdrops.
Rebecca dazzled in Judy by Forget Me Knot, an elegant and timeless figure fitting off the shoulder crepe dress with a flowing train and delicate buttons trailing down the back of the gown. She paired the dress with our Leaf drop pearl earrings and other pearl jewellery, adding an extra touch of shimmer.
Keep scrolling for a look into their special day and some insight from Rebecca about her dress shopping journey.
What was it that made this particular wedding dress catch your eye and fall in love?
I thought I always wanted a vintage style lace dress with long sleeves, but by the time I had tried dresses on I started to realise I didn’t like that look on me. And I suppose looking back on it now, having a baby did change me a lot in the sense I wanted to find something a little more simple, romantic and elegant and most of all timeless. For me what really stood out from the Judy dress, was two things, the neckline and the way the dress hugged my curves (especially my booty).
I felt confident and sexy, even after having a baby. I loved the feeling of confidence, sexy and beautiful in all in one, and I remember telling myself, even if I didn’t lose the baby weight, I would still feel amazing.
Tell us about your search for the dress and the experience at Astra Bridal.
Finding and trying on dresses was a very overwhelming experience. Especially since I had recently had a baby and didn’t completely feel like myself. I had previously visited the Astra bridal team before having my son at one of their Sip & See events. I always remembered how attentive, kind, friendly and reassuring the team were. I loved the hospitality I received every time I was there.
It’s fair to say when it came to finding my dress, what I thought I wanted ended up being completely different to what I got. I think it’s easy to look at dresses on models and think that it’s going to look the same on you but sometimes what you think you’ll like, ends up being completely different. You just have to be open and trust the process, and the Astra girls made sure you felt like you were in the perfect place to help you start filtering out the dresses and styles you do and don’t like.
I remember going to the store when I was 4 months postpartum and I walked in with a completely different style that what I wanted a year prior. And once we tried a few on and I pointed out the things I liked and didn’t, I was told by the amazing Ilyese to come back in a week as a new dress was arriving and she said it was the dress for me. And sure enough the moment I tried on the Judy dress, I knew it was my dress.
Tell us your story, how you both met, and the proposal.
Josh and I met back in March 2011 at a dubstep gig in Auckland, we dated for a couple of months and made it official by the end of May and life has been a wonderful and an adventurous time ever since.
It wasn’t until we had hit 9 years together that we knew that getting married was in our future and Josh ended up proposing in London, on a cold rainy winter’s night, in January 2020 (right before the pandemic put us into lockdown). I knew he had the ring for sometime, but it turns out his attempts while traveling Europe hadn’t gone to plan and in the end he was over waiting to ask me. So he rushed home on a Monday night from work and popped the question. And of course it was yes from me. Our time since then has been a wild one. We ended up coming back to NZ in April 2020, settling back home and then planning a wedding only to find out I was pregnant with our first baby. Lachlan was born August 2021 and we were so in love and focused on being parents that the wedding was on hold for another year. We decided to push out our original date from April 2022 to November 2022 so we could enjoy our time as parents. It’s fair to say that lockdowns had deterred us from feeling the need to rush to get married, and we’re glad we did.
What was your favourite part of the day?
For myself, it was having the chance to tell my now husband just how much he meant to me as my best friend, soulmate and father to my son in front of all of our favourite people. There is another moment that stands out, but you’ll have to read on for that.
Josh said, "It was when we said our vows," he enjoyed the emotion and intensity to say the way he felt about our life together.
Tell us about your wedding day as a whole.
We had decided to have the whole bridal party stay out in the one house all together. We loved waking up and having breakfast as a group and of course our son was with us too. The feeling was overall relaxed and just pure excitement for the day ahead. We thought we had missed the rain, but just as Josh and I saw one another for our first look, the rain started to fall. However, we had prepared and got umbrellas for this exact reason.
Our friends and family arrived at Kauri Bay, welcomed with a glass of bubbles, and the beautiful setting of a lit fireplace with a beautiful archway accompanied by the incredible flower arrangement. Joining me walking down the aisle was my 3 bridesmaids and bridesman. The very talented David Haslett was playing guitar whilst singing one of my all time favourite songs, ‘The Promise’ by Tracy Chapman. I walked down to Josh, who was also holding our son. It was a very emotional and moving moment. We managed to get through our vows, with a few tears from both bride and groom. Yet nothing had prepared me for the moment we finally said “I do”. It was so intense and special and my best friend was now officially my husband. And it was time to party!
Our reception was exactly how we always envisioned it, inviting, warm, romantic and intimate. The food was sensational and the wine was even better. After speeches, we went to cut the cake, and as we had just accepted that the rain was there to stay, we had the photographer and videographer run up to us and tell us to get up the hill for sunset photos as the rain had just stopped. We got up the hill and all I can say is wow. We both fondly remember the moment of staring out over hills with the most magical sunset and telling one another, how much we loved each other and for that moment it felt like just us two. It was perfect.
We had our first dance to “Baby I love your way” by Big Mountain. This was the part of the night, where the dress got hooked up to the back and we could just dance the night away.
Finally, what is your biggest piece of advice for brides to be?
Remember you’re getting married, not just for the wedding, but to say “I do” with your person. Some things won’t go to plan, but don’t let the things you can’t control take away the magic of your day.
