Shaan and Brad said "I Do" surrounded by friends, famliy and the beautiful lush greenery at Mt Vernon Lodge. Photos of the day showcase the couple full of smiles and love while being accompanied by dreamy blue sky, sparkling harbour waters and magnificent landscapes.
Shaan stunned in Busan by Forget Me Knot, a stylish chiffon gown with a sheer illusion bodice covered in romantic floral lace that recurs at the edge of the train, an unforgettable and breath-taking detail. Dainty beaded spaghetti straps and sequins on the lace give the gown an element of subtle shimmer. She completed her look with our Long Drop Pearl earrings and cut edge veil, classic details that blend perfectly with our modern gown.
We hope you enjoy seeing their photos and reading about their wedding day just as much as we did! Congratulations to them both x
What was it that made this particular wedding dress catch your eye and fall in love?
Firstly, it was stunning, and secondly, it was so comfortable!!! I could walk easily and knew I would last all day. I loved the way it fit. I knew I wanted lace at the top but I loved that it also had subtle sparkles. I also loved that it was different to so many other dresses I had seen. And oh my goodness the train was stunning!
Tell us about your search for the dress and the experience at Astra Bridal.
I had such a great experience. My stylist was so kind but also good at helping me make a decision (I'm very indecisive) without it feeling like there was any pressure!! She also had great suggestions for what would suit me. My dress arrived unexpectedly early 2 days before a weekend I happened to be up in Auckland, and my stylist squeezed me to an already fully booked day to pick up my dress, as I wasn't then going to be back in Auckland for another 8 weeks which was so kind.
Tell us your story, how you both met, and the proposal.
Brad and I are both physios and we met at Otago Uni. I'm originally from Auckland and Brad is from Whangarei, but we both love the South Island, and have lived in Christchurch now for six years. We both love the outdoors, trail running, biking, tramping and camping. We climbed Mount Taranaki with one of Brad's oldest friends (who knew Brad's plans), and he proposed at the top with the most beautiful view. He asked my dad first which was very special.
What was your favourite part of the day?
All of it! Getting ready with my beautiful friends, mum, mother in law and sister in law. Taking photos was lots of fun. Walking down the aisle with dad, while Brad's sister was singing for me coming down the aisle. The ceremony was full of laughs, with some beautiful emotional parts too. During our reception the speeches were hilarious and so lovely. The dancing was SO much fun. Getting to marry my favourite person, with all of my other favourite people in one place together was so special.
Tell us about your wedding day as a whole.
Our venue allows 53 people to stay on site so it was so much fun having everyone around, and it saved time on the day getting ready on site. We got so lucky with the weather. The whole week before the forecast said it would rain on our wedding day, but that morning the sun came out, and it was a beautiful day. It was really muddy but it didn't ruin a single thing about the day. We had amazing makeup ladies, Caitlin and her lovely sister were so much fun and it was such a great vibe with my three beautiful bridesmaids, mum, mother in law and sister in law. The hair ladies were awesome too. Thomas our photographer arrived and he was so much fun, hilarious, so helpful and so professional.
Brad and I did a first look which was so special. We had so much fun doing bridal party and couple photos before the ceremony. We'd finished early, so I had time to eat some toast before the ceremony!! Walking down the aisle with my dad was very special, and Brad's 16 year old sister sung me down the aisle. The ceremony was heartfelt, but also hilarious and so much fun with our wonderful celebrant, with the most beautiful back drop. We had canapés which was great to talk to everyone and catch up, so I really felt like I saw everyone. I'm so glad we did most of our photos before the ceremony so I could spend time with all my friends and family.
Our reception was amazing, my aunty was the MC and she was brilliant. Our speeches were all short and sweet but hilarious and engaging. Dinner was yum, and we had Rollikin ice cream for dessert which everyone loved. Ice cream is my favourite thing ever so I'm so happy we had that!! Then dancing - we did dance lessons so our first dance was so much fun. We had a musician, Danny who we had seen play in Queenstown and he was such a great vibe and didn't take a single break!! The whole day was so wonderful, so special and just so much fun, so thanks to our wonderful vendors, and our amazing friends and family. I genuinely didn't find anything stressful. Things that didn't go to plan didn't matter. We just went with it, which made for such an enjoyable day.
Finally, what is your biggest piece of advice for brides to be?
Don't stress about the small details, no one else will know what was 'meant to happen' if things don't go to plan. I chose not to bother with so many fine details such as the colour of the napkins etc. because I'm not creative at all and everything still looked lovely. Also, find a florist that has some dried flower arrangements you can hire!!! Much cheaper, and still so beautiful :)
