#AstraBride Sarah and her husband Alex said "I Do" on a rainy day at The Pines in Wellington. This elegant chapel wedding was filled with lots of love and happiness. Photos of the day perfectly capture the classy and timeless aesthetics of The Pines, flawlessly complimenting the grandiose of Sarah's chic gown.
She radiated elegance in her dream dress - Devon by Theia Bridal- a modern and timeless mermaid flare gown with an open back and flowing train, ideal for creating a statuesque silhouette.
Keep scrolling for a look and insight into Sarah and Alex's special day.
What was it that made this particular wedding dress catch your eye and fall in love?
I ended up picking the dress because I felt like it made me look good and I loved how it made me feel and it was just so pretty. It was perfect. I can't really describe it but it's like when you know, you know. I loved the shape of the dress and how it felt and how it fit to my body. The style is the typical style I usually buy dresses in (just not as long haha). It was honestly perfect.
Tell us about your search for the dress and the experience at Astra Bridal.
To be honest I really wasn't looking forward to going dress shopping. My body shape is literally up and down, no curves and it certainly doesn't look like the flattering bodies you see posted everywhere. I always have such a hard time finding dresses that fit me and my figure and I knew wedding dress shopping would be the same. I had some friends come with me and they all picked a dress for me to try on and the staff at Astra bridal did as well and I tried them on. I really didn't like most of the dresses I tried on and then I tried one on that my best friend picked and I was still a bit unsure about it but then the Astra bridal consultant worked her magic and made the dress look good on me. I ended up falling in love with the dress (Theia Couture Devon). It was perfect.
Tell us your story, how you both met, and the proposal.
We met at a mutual friends' BBQ before going to Homegrown. It was a miserable Wellington day and Homegrown was postponed to the next day, so we just hung out together at the mutual friends' BBQ and got breakfast the next day and went to Homegrown together. That was the 1st time we had met and it felt like we had known each other forever.
The proposal, this was on my birthday (which also happens to be Valentines Day) and Alex's original plan was to go out for dinner then go for an evening walk along the beach and propose. But another typical Wellington day, there was a bit of a storm and it was pouring rain and blowing a gale so he had to quickly come up with a plan B! This plan B was to light candles all through our lounge while I was in the shower and wait for me to come out. I didn't know this was his plan so I had a proper women shower, where I washed my hair, shaved and I also decided to clean the shower too. So he was waiting a bit longer than he expected for me to come into the lounge! When I got out he was there with all the candles on one knee waiting for me. And our fur baby Luna was there too (she had just got desexed and had a cone on her head and I was worried she was going to go and knock all the candles off the coffee table because she was so excited). It was very romantic and simple which was perfect. We then went out for dinner to celebrate!
What was your favourite part of the day?
All of it, truly. It was all amazing, being with friends and
family and everyone enjoying themselves and celebrating with Alex and I.
Tell us about your wedding day as a whole.
The wedding day was perfect. We got ready at the QT hotel in
Wellington and the staff there were so nice. The rooms were perfect size for
our bridal party and groomsmen party to get ready in. It was fun getting ready
with everyone but also the nerves started to kick in. It was a bit wet the
morning of the wedding but then it cleared up and was just cloudy and the rain
stayed away until party time at the reception and then it poured with rain. The
day was honestly perfect. Everything was perfect and I couldn't have asked for
anything better, truly.
Finally, what is your biggest piece of advice for brides to be?
My budget advice would be to shop around! I used the
Facebook wedding resale pages and got some good stuff from there for cheap. I
also got things from the $2 stores for decorations and online. There's no shame
in getting things second hand!
