Wendy and Mark said "I Do" surrounded by their loved ones at the stunning Castaways Resort. The photos from the day capture the couple radiating joy, with smiles and love as they celebrated their unforgettable day with friends and family.
Wendy looked absolutely beautiful in Audrina by Maggie Sottero – a halter-style crepe fit and flare with a sheer beaded lace bodice and illusion back. The delicate covered buttons trailing down the back add a timeless touch, while the illusion lace train provides a breathtaking finishing detail. She completed her bridal look with our elegant Natalia earrings, the perfect accessory to complement her look.
We hope you enjoy scrolling through their beautiful day and hearing Wendy’s thoughts on her experience with us at Astra Bridal, along with her journey to finding the perfect wedding dress.
What was it that made this particular wedding dress catch your eye and fall in love?
I knew deep down the Audrina was the only dress for me. It was the first one I came across that had the neckline I wanted, the first one I tried on, and the one I kept going back to. I love its style — I wanted something that wasn’t low cut or open back, a fit and flare style, and a dress with some detail but not all over. It really did tick all my boxes. I was recommended Zeebo Creations for alterations, and Anthea did an amazing job making it fit me perfectly. I got so many compliments on how lovely I looked, which made me feel super confident on my wedding day.
Tell us about your search for the dress and the experience at Astra Bridal.
I had very specific wants for a dress. I wanted something with a higher neckline and more coverage over my back, so I began searching for dresses in this style. Although my search didn’t bring up many options, I came across the Audrina gown by Maggie Sottero on the Astra website and immediately knew it was the dress for me. I booked an appointment at Astra North Shore and had a Zoom consultation with Lara prior to my visit to talk about my preferences and the dresses I had added to my wishlist. When I went to try on dresses, Lara was super helpful and supportive, as I found it quite overwhelming! But, as I suspected, it was the Audrina dress I really wanted. I did try on others to get an idea, but none made me feel how that one did. There was no pressure to make a decision right away, so I went home to think it over. I went back for a second try on of Audrina, which confirmed it was the dress for me. I also went to Astra another time to get shoes and earrings, as accessorising a beautiful dress is important! Lara was super helpful every time.
Tell us your story, how you both met, and the proposal.
Mark and I met on our OE to NZ in 2010. We are both from the UK and were part of a group of Brits coming to NZ to travel for a year. We instantly had a connection and spent our year traveling together before returning home and setting up a life together. We then made the decision to emigrate to NZ permanently in 2015. After all this time, I decided I wanted to finally get married, so I started planning our wedding (before even having an engagement ring!). Mark proposed to me at Castaways, right before a planned visit to meet the wedding coordinator! We had already penciled in a date, lol.
What was your favourite part of the day?
I really enjoyed our ceremony, standing on top of a spectacular cliff edge looking out over the ocean. It was a lovely, personal ceremony written for us by Yvette, and it captured everything about us as a couple so well. It felt so special to share our personal vows and exchange rings in such an amazing location in front of all our closest friends and family.
Tell us about your wedding day as a whole.
The day was so good. It was a sunny but windy day, which made it a little more interesting being located at the top of a cliff! Our guests had very windy hair! Getting ready went smoothly as we both got ready at the resort; having accommodation there was very handy. The ceremony was so special, and we were lucky enough to have some friends and family make it over from the UK to join us. Everyone enjoyed canapés, cake, and live music after the ceremony. I loved having our family and bridal portraits taken in such a beautiful NZ location. Our reception was so much fun. We started with a very short thank you speech from us, followed by buffet food, a wedding themed quiz, and lots of dancing and celebratory drinks. We really did have the best day.
Finally, what is your biggest piece of advice for brides to be?
Do what you want to do. If there is something 'traditional' but it doesn’t work for you, then don’t do it or change it to suit. We cut our cake straight after the ceremony so it could be enjoyed with canapés and bubbles. We did a quiz instead of more traditional speeches. It’s your day—make it your own, make it fun, and make use of and enjoy every minute because it really does go so fast!
