Modern Taupo Wedding // Emily and Mark

Tell us about your special day, was there a specific theme or style? Tell us a little about the setting, the styling, and some of your favourite details:

We were lucky enough to be able to get married in Taupo at Mark’s family’s property. Mark’s grandmother’s home is at the top of the property and his Aunt & Uncle live at the bottom, so we used the beautiful gardens and old tennis court in between the two houses for both our ceremony and reception. Taupo is such a stunning location for a wedding no matter where you hold it, but to be able to do it at a family home, where Mark’s dad grew up, and where we’ll continue to make wonderful memories was so special. Mark’s grandmother has a stunning garden and so we tried to keep everything fairly simple to really allow that beautiful setting to sing. It really was a classic garden party with Aperol spritz, lawn games, and amazing canapes from No Biggie. Then our amazing marquee from Flagship Events was the most epic setting for everyone to party into the night (I don’t think we stopped until 2 am!) We both really wanted to work with people we know and trust to bring the day to life – both working in a creative industry we know the power of finding the best creative partners and just letting them work their magic. All of our suppliers were amazing and quite of few of them were friends or have now become friends through the planning process. We got engaged during the first lockdown in NZ in April 2020, so we did all of the planning through COVID. It was pretty hectic and there were lockdowns on either side of our wedding which definitely added a lot of stress. But working with such amazing people and our incredible friends & family kept it fun and they did wonders at keeping us positive and calm. 

Tell us about your main outfits:

Emily: My taste is quite simple and classic but leans a bit modern so I wanted my dress to reflect this while keeping a little bit of wow. Alice at Hayes Bridal was amazing. She totally understood what I was after from the start and was such a perfectionist. Even when I was happy with the dress she was still suggesting little tweaks and improvements make sure it was perfect. I’m also so glad she talked me into a veil, it was the icing on the cake that really made me feel like a bride. My shoes, accessories, and flowers were where I wanted to add some texture and colour. I had an amazing pair of Loeffler Randall gold bow heels. My earrings were custom made by Jems of Remuera and were gifted to me by my mum as a wedding present which was so special. I also carried a beaded bag of my mums that she’s had since she was my age. Then my mum carried a bag of her mother’s as well so she was there in spirit. The flowers we had on the day were INCREDIBLE. Isabel from Isadia is an old school friend of mine and I knew she would know it out of the park. The bouquets she created were so fresh, modern yet whimsical. 

Mark: Mark’s suit was from Working Style – the team there are amazing, so thoughtful and attentive. He went with a tan colour for his suit and the groomsmen as it felt really modern and summery. It was also a beautiful cotton which meant it was nice and light for the hot summers day. He paired it with RM Williams boots which he’d been wanting for ages and I got him as a Christmas present prior to the wedding. His wedding ring was a gorgeous brushed gold from Zoe & Morgan, simple and classic but with a modern feel.   

What were some of the most memorable/unique moments from the day:

One of the most incredible things about our day was the number of people who made the effort to travel from overseas and go through quarantine to be at our wedding. Two of my bridesmaids and a number of guests all did this and it made us so grateful to have such incredible, generous friends and family. But unfortunately for some of our overseas guests traveling and isolating wasn’t an option, particularly all of my family in the USA. So one of Mark’s groomsmen, who also couldn’t make it back from the UK, secretly organized for all of our absent friends & family to record messages for us and edited them into a video for us. Mark knew about the video too and they surprised me with it right after we did our speech. I totally broke down in tears watching it and it was so special.