New Zealand Weddings

Prepare to embark on a visual journey, because Louise and Lars’ wedding? It’s beyond. From the hint of Tuscan details, the Bride’s beautifully boho gown, this celebration had got chic written all over it, but the best part? They had their ceremony poolside and the results were nothing short of spectacular. The incredible Katie Grant Photography was on hand to capture it all and we’ve got it waiting in The Vault!

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From Katie Grant Photography…Refined bohemian is a hard style to pull off…but that’s just what Louise and Lars successfully did in their extremely elegant, slightly bohemian, relaxed (yet formal) destination wedding on Waiheke Island. With a hint of Tuscan and a touch of Boho-Chic, this wedding was a visual feast. Lengths of lush olive branches lined the tables and walls of the venue, as well as starring in the dainty floral bouquet, boutonnieres and sweet floral crowns by Leaf & Honey. Louise was stunning in her Rue De Seine boho wedding gown and was complimented perfectly by a formally clad Lars in his dashing tux. The ceremony stole the show as the couple said their vows in front of a stunning backdrop of wild New Zealand islands and bays. It was a glorious, sunshine filled day that reflected the natural beauty and wonder of Waiheke Island…from it’s crystal blue bays to its wild, rolling hills- it is one of the most picturesque places in the world.

Photography: Katie Grant Photography | Coordination: Waiheke Island Wedding and Events | Floral Design: Leaf & Honey | Wedding Dress: Rue De Seine | Bride's Shoes: Louboutin | Venue: Waikopou

This wedding is so many things; a beautiful display of greenery and garden blooms by Leaf & Honey, a bevy of simple, elegant details set against the beauty of Waiheke Island and not only imagery captured by Coralee Estelle but a film from Bubblerock that showcases one sweet as can be toast from the Bride’s 97 year old Grandfather. Get out the tissues and click here for more.

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From Bubblerock Cinematography… Jackie and Michael created one amazing, tasteful, and warm celebration for their wedding set on Waiheke Island off the coast of Auckland, New Zealand.
But something we weren’t quite prepared for is the intensity and the goosebumps we felt as her 97-yo grand father said a few words on behalf of her dad who couldn’t attend the wedding due to illness. And it is his closing toast that got us teary and this is why it was what started it all for us when putting their trailer together.

Their day was one of friendship, laughs, love and incredible details. It all just fell into place seamlessly to create an event they sure will never forget (and neither will we).

This is their day in a little film and a few gorgeous photographs by Coralee Estelle.

Photography: Coralee Estelle | Cinematography: bubblerock | Floral Design: Leaf & Honey | Wedding Dress: Rue De Seine | Cake: The Cake Parlour | Stationery: The Groom / Letterpress Magpie Press | Reception Venue: Mudbrick Vineyard | Rings: Tiffany & Co. | Bridesmaids Dresses: Dessy Collection By Vivian Diamond | Make Up: Grayson Coutts | Hair: Amelia Motuliki | Celebrant: Rochelle Fleming | Kombi Van: Kiwi Kombis | Photobooth: The Amazing Travelling Photobooth | Pimms Trolley: PS I Love You Events

New Zealand is a little magical, isn’t it? Maybe it’s because I’m almost always seeing it through the eyes of a couple in love, but I’m convinced it’s got that special something. And when a wedding film comes our way from bubblerock, filled to bursting with so much love, joy, laughter, and that magical something, it’s a good day indeed.

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From the beautiful bride … We had been together for nine years when Jase proposed to me via a message nestled in a giant fortune cookie. He had organised a pre-30th birthday back home in NZ, a week shy of my real birthday, and presented the cookie to me in front of a restaurant room full of friends.

We decided to celebrate our marriage just over a year later at Waiheke, mainly because we love the low-key and get-away vibe of the Island, and being foodies that we are, Mudbrick with its delightful menu and fabulous views was definitely the venue that ticked all the boxes. We only felt slightly disconnected with planning and coordinating the wedding from afar, as the wonders of the internet, several blogs, and the help of our bridal party, made narrowing down great options, much easier.

I had so many favourite moments of the day, everything from the excitement of waking up early to see a glorious sunrise, to getting ready with the girls amongst the buzz of the Waiheke house, and hearing the excitement of the girls playing bridal games with the boys. I loved tip-toeing on the sand to see Jase for the first time in my dream dress, travelling in a tiny blue convertible with my bridesmaids with piles of tulle squished in the front seat, and finally seeing everyone’s smiling faces as I made my way down the beautifully petalled cobble stone aisle.

The day was also full of surprises with Jase gifting me a “mrs” necklace in return for a song and dance from the bridesmaids and myself. Jase was also brave enough to get down on one knee during our vow exchange. At the reception, our MC rapped his welcoming speech and later on, after we performed our surprise first dance, we got surprised right back with a flash mob dance performed by our bridal party and guests!

The advice I would give to future brides is to just go for what you love and like the look of. Seek the opinions of your friends and family if you need, but also stay true to what you believe would genuinely fit your wedding day vision. For those that don’t feel the need to have your wedding day filmed, we really do recommend it. bubblerock were not only a joy to have with us, but really captured and prolonged the living memories of our wonderful day.

I am so thankful for all the help from family and friends, especially with our DIY arrangements and many thanks to the fabulous suppliers, with some, whom we’ve befriended in the planning process! To us, the wedding day & night was meant for celebration, laughter and love. With perfect sunny weather, our wedding was exactly that.

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Photographers: Coralee & Alex | Videographers: bubblerock | Grooms Tux: Ted Baker | Shirt: Politix | Bowtie: Spurling | Groomsmen’s attire: Hallensteins | Bride’s Chinese Dress:  “Cheong Sam” | Bride’s Gown: Pronovias from Brides by Francesca | Bride’s veil: Marisol Aparicio | Bride’s shoes: Aldo | Bride’s Bracelet: DIY with materials from Tessuti | Earrings & headpiece: Jenny Packham | Bridesmaids’ dresses: Sheike | Hair: Terry Chan from BC Hair & Spa | Makeup: Sox Teng from Sox Teng Makeup & Wardrobe | Flowergirl’s outfit: Cotton On Kids | Bouquets & buttonholes: Vicki from Wildflowers in Waiheke | Photobooth & Photobooth props: DIY + Etsy | Table adornments, flowers & aisle petals: DIY with flowers sourced from Pip at Bloom Brokers | Wedding invitation & stationery: DIY | Wedding croquembouche: Ma Cherie | Wedding venue: Mudbrick Vineyard & Restaurant | Celebrant: Rosemareyn van der Sluis | DJ: Adam Antonevic organised by DJ Marrs

Every time I see a New Zealand wedding, I consider moving.  Every single time. I suspect it has something to do with the breathtaking backdrops, the seriously stylish couples and the crazy cool accents. (Sure, I can’t hear them, but I know they are there.) It’s a combo that makes me oh-so-happy and this intimate Waiheke Island affair by Kate Robinson Photography is ranking high among my faves. A beautiful bride and groom, their dedication to each other and a celebration of love with their closest family and friends.  Does it get any better? See so much more right here.

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From the Bride… Our wedding was inspired by love. Our love for each other as well as our love for our beautiful friends and family, a love for beautiful beaches, landscapes, good food and great times! Our love of all these things inspired every decision we made. Our first step was finding a location. I grew up on Waiheke and lived there for over 16 years. It is such a beautiful place and was an amazing place to grow up –truly the idyllic childhood. James and I have spent lots of time there together and we still have friends living there so it seemed like the perfect choice. Originally we wanted to get married on the beach but after we found Chardy Ridge it made sense to us to have everything all in the one place – the ceremony, the dinner and the party! We did however decide to have our wedding photos before the ceremony on the beach! We decided to do this as we didn’t want to leave our guests for a few hours while we went off and had them after the ceremony. This was one of the best decisions we made and I would highly recommend it to everyone. We felt like we got to have two ‘first looks’ and it meant that the majority of the photos were done by the time we got to the ceremony. One of the locations was Onetangi Beach under the tree that many family picnics were had underneath many years ago and my mums ashes were also scattered on this beach so it was extra special in that respect.

In terms of the theme for the day – I made a mood board of all the things I was drawn to and loved in bridal magazines and a theme emerged of black & white, glass vessels, white flowers and lots of light – whether it was the landscape or lots of candles or the lights at night or floating lanterns. All of which we incorporated! My grandfather who is 91 was able to be at our wedding which was very special. We had friends and family fly in from all around the world – from London, Japan, Spain & Australia as well as from all over New Zealand. For a bit of fun the place names were on little envelopes that had a ‘Fortune Scratchie’ inside predicting their ‘fortune’. We also gave all the guests a ‘Midnight Snack’ bag at the end of the night for those late night munchies! There was a mini bacon and egg pie and a slice of lemon yoghurt cake as well as a berrocca to give them back their b-b-bounce for the next day! There is nowhere open on Waiheke after 9pm so we thought it would go down a treat! A friend of ours baked all these for us too which was extra special and meant they were filled with love too.

Our wedding sign was made by my brother and me. Him and his girlfriends found the wood washed up on the beach; he made the sign up and I painted it. The napkin rings were DIY. The lovely girls at Cocoa Berry designed a stamp to tie in with our dandelion themed invites which we then used on the envelopes of the invites as well as the place names and lollie bags. We continued this on the thank you cards afterwards as well. The table numbers were adhesive blackboard stickers that I cut into circles and stuck onto little bottles that were found at a recycle shop on Waiheke, also continuing the lace from the napkin rings onto these as well. We had a confetti cannon which my brother let off after the ceremony which was fun! We sourced this online. We truly felt like we had the most magical day surrounded by all those that we love. It was a day infused with love, laughter, friendship and joy. Truly the best day of our lives and we are so grateful to everyone that helped make it the amazing day that it was. We will treasure it always.

Wedding Photography: Kate Robinson Photography / Wedding Venue: Chardy Ridge in Omiha, Waiheke Island, New Zealand / Wedding Design: Heidi Altmann Interior Design / Floral Design: Waiheke Flower Company / Officiant: Sandra Biskind / Wedding Catering: Island Indulgence / Wedding Cake: SweetCakes / Stationery: Cocoa Berry / Wedding Dress, Hair Slide + Bracelet: Corina Snow Bridal Couture / Bride’s Shoes: Wild Pair / Bride’s Clutch: Gift from Bride’s Friend / Hair: Tessa Coote of ghd / Makeup Artist: Tatum Dunster + Serenity Anderson (MAC Cosmetics Freelance Artists)

Auckland has the kind of landscape that needs very little decoration. With an infusion of elegant design and styling by Erin Lovich, herbs and all white florals by Wildflower Waiheke plus a a gorgeous Bride and Groom, the natural beauty of these surroundings are enhanced ten fold. And the images by Samm Blake do it all so much justice. See them here.

From the Bride… Scotty proposed at Lavender Hill. It’s an idyllic spot on Waiheke Island in Auckland, New Zealand. We had stayed there before, and I had declared it one of my favorite places on earth. After that, there was no question it was the perfect venue for us to get married at. We had a few must-haves on our list. An amazing photographer, great music, great food and a neutral cream color scheme that let the beauty of the venue do the talking. Also hugely important was an atmosphere where all our guests could relax and have fun. We wanted to create a beautiful day that didn’t feel too contrived where everyone would fall in love with the location like we had.

As a wedding stylist and planner, I had to make a conscious effort to have everything organized and ready to hand over to my wonderful friend who ran the day for us, so I could relax and be a bride not a planner. Lavender Hill is a venue where you need to bring everything on site, so there were a lot of logistics I had to pretend not to notice during the setup of the day. But it was amazing because we had the freedom to style the day just as we wanted. We had a late afternoon ceremony at the front of the property, overlooking the olive groves and out across the ocean to Auckland. We wrote a snippet each about why we fell in love with each other, which the celebrant read out on our behalf. We opted for traditional vows.

After the ceremony, the guests moved through to the lawn for drinks and canapes while Tom Rodwell & Storehouse played acoustic gospel blues and we disappeared for photos. Dinner was in a long marquee with cream fabric and fairy lights draped from the ceiling. We had six, large, rectangular tables, each set for 20, which created a really intimate atmosphere. The tables were littered with tealight votives and wire baskets filled with different types of vases, jars and zinc planter pots. The theme was a long Italian lunch, and our menu reflected just that. Delicious, easy food. We screenprinted cloth napkins with a cute verse designed in line with our wedding stationery. Cream pashminas were draped over the back of each female guest’s chair for later in the evening when the temperature got chilly.

The evening concluded with dancing — a combination of the live band from earlier in the day and DJ’s the Sweet Mix Kids. We had festoon lights and large tin S & E lights to create an outdoor dance floor. Our first dance was to “Obla di obla da” by The Beatles, which got everyone up dancing before the song had even finished. Looking back on the photos, we feel so lucky we were able to have Samm Blake there to capture the day. Our photos are amazing, and it is so hard to choose which ones we want to frame. I look at them and want to travel back in time and repeat the day! It was the happiest day of our lives, and everyone there looks like they are having a great time too, which is exactly what we wished for. 

Wedding Photography: Samm Blake / Wedding Venue: Lavender Hill in Waiheke, New Zealand / Event Design + Planning: Erin Lovich / Floral Design: Wildflower Waiheke / Officiant: Luana Crompton / Catering: John Oyagawa / Wedding Cake: Jo of Delivision / Wedding Invitations: Kate of Cottonwood Studio (A Friend of the Bride) / Letterpress Printing: Magpie Press / Band: Tom Rodwell & Storehouse / DJ: Sweet Mix Kids / Lighting: La Lumiere / Tent: Platinum Hire / Tabletop + Rentals: Figment Event Outfitters / Wedding Dress: Vera Wang / Hair: Danny Pato of D&M Hair Design / Makeup: Aimie Fiebig / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Custom by Anne Barlow / Men’s Attire: Crane Brothers

Brandon Kidd Photography sent us our next gem of a wedding and it is about as naturally gorgeous as you can get. You know those people that roll out of bed without a stitch of makeup and look positively radiant? Ya, I’m definitely not one of those lucky ducks but this wedding sooo is. It is paired down to gorgeous views, perfectly edited details and of course, one extremely happy and oh so in love couple. See it all here.

Click here to see the FULL wedding gallery!

From the Bride… We wanted to showcase New Zealand (after all, we were lucky enough to have people traveling from all over the world!), so a quintessentially New Zealand location that had gorgeous scenery and excellent food and wine was key – Mudbrick Vineyard was perfect! Our families and many of the guests hired holiday houses (called a “bach” in NZ) on Waiheke for the time surrounding the wedding, so there was plenty of pre- and post-wedding celebrating. Our travel theme was an easy choice, considering the thousands of miles we’ve traveled to see each other over the years, the many guests traveling from all corners of the globe, and the fact that now with families in two different countries there will be plenty of travel ahead! We both love maps and old letters and parcels wrapped up with string, so we had great fun bringing it all together. Jenny fell in love with the bridesmaids’ dresses at first sight, so styled things around them as well, keeping things romantic and soft with an old-fashioned feel. The trickiest part was finding the guys’ ties!

Photographer: Brandon Kidd of Brandon Kidd Photography / Florist: Waiheke Flower Gallery / Invitations and Stationery: by the Bride and Groom / Cake: Cupcake / Favors: Makana Confections / Entertainment: Jabsco Sounds / Gown Designer: La Sposa / Bridal Salon: Fashions by Farina / Hairpiece and Veil: Flowers pins from Etsy, veil borrowed from a friend / Hair and Makeup: Lexia Dyer Hair and Makeup / Formal Wear (Men’s): Frank Casey Formal Suit Hire / Bridesmaid Dresses: Anthropologie / Mother’s Dresses: Nicole Miller / Wedding Rings: Tiffany and Co., Boston Ring and Gem

Be prepared to have some serious wedding venue envy!  Sutherland Kovach Studio sent us this gem all the way from New Zealand with stunning views of Auckland and the Hauraki Gulf.  The whole affair has a casual, backyard feel to it but still shines with elegance.  I love the wild, garden party arrangements and handcrafted details made out of vintage paper.  Stay a little longer in wedding paradise by visiting the full gallery!

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From Sutherland Kovach Studio… Amy and Matt got married on New Year’s Eve on Waiheke Island in New Zealand.  Matt is from the UK and Amy is a New Zealander, and they met while crewing yachts in Europe.  Most of their wedding was organised over e-mail as the yacht they were on sailed around the world.  They chose Waiheke Island as it’s a short boat ride from Auckland and would make a great holiday destination for their guests, many of whom were also travelling great distances to celebrate with them.

Their ceremony and reception were held at Mudbrick Vineyard, a truly beautiful venue overlooking Auckland and the Hauraki Gulf.  The bridal party got ready and had some of their pictures taken at the stunning Delamore Lodge.

The flowers were done by Waiheke florist Wildflower, following Amy’s (very brief) brief of ‘just picked’. Amy and her stepmother folded over a hundred paper cranes to hold each placecard at the tables, and the orders of service were printed onto vintage papers.  Family wedding pictures spanning the generations were displayed throughout the dining room.

Guests toasted the bride & groom and partied into 2011 with the aid of the local Chocolate Fish Band.

Wedding Photography: Sutherland Kovach Studio / Wedding Ceremony & Reception Venue: Mudbrick Vineyard / Pre-Ceremony Preparations & Photos: Delamore Lodge / Flowers: Wildflower / Bride’s Dress: Macy’s / Bride’s Shoes: Sergio Rossi / Groom’s Suit: Dolce & Gabbana / Wedding Band: Chocolate Fish

We have had an absolutely absurd amount of posts go up today! The wedding was just so pretty and the bride was sweet enough to share so many details, I wanted to make sure that we got it all in. Here is a last look at the beautifully photographed, by the wonderfully talented Lauri Levenfeld, New Zealand wedding…

From the bride…

At the reception and dinner, we wanted to showcase the very best NZ and Waiheke Island ingredients and highlight produce from the winery’s vegetable garden.  We served the Mudbrick’s own award winning Rose, Chardonnay and Syrah, as well as a special wine from Anna’s family vineyard in honor of Anna’s late brother Kiet who planted the grapes as a boy.

Okay, I thought that for this next set, I should just let the pictures and the bride speak for themselves!

The Mudbrick Restaurant and main dining room, where we hosted our reception, has a wonderful ambience, and has been described as “one of the most romantic places on earth”.  The main dining room offers the most spectacular sea views throughout the wedding dinner overlooks Waiheke’s rolling vineyards and Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf. The restaurant has French doors that completely peel back and a roof that opens to the stars.  We added only candlelight, white lillies, and white covered chairs to compliment the natural traditional beauty of the Mudbrick venue.

More to come from the FABULOUS Lauri Levenfeld of Zoom Photography.

We are going a little late today for a couple of reasons…one, Lauri Levenfeld is a San Francisco based photographer so I wanted to give all of you West Coasters something new to read later in the day than usual and two, there were SO many gorgeous photographs, I simply couldn’t edit them down!

Here is a look at the stunning reception that Anna and James threw….

It’s simple, it’s effortless, it’s completely chic. Here are a few more bits of eye candy…

More to come!

Before we get to the stunning reception, I wanted to share these images that Lauri shot that I fell head over heels in love with for their simplicity, their beauty, their perfection really!

A few more little tidbits and details from the bride…

The wedding took place at a winery on Waiheke Island (a 30-min ferry ride from downtown Auckland in NZ). The property has the most spectaculars views and extensive gardens, a beautiful cellar and restaurant.

Our guests all rented houses for the entire week around the gorgeous Oneroa Bay and Beach. Many friends stayed in an eight bedroom home with wrap around decks that we rented for several friends which quickly became “party central” (it actually resembled a ravaged bar most mornings!)

We had events each night at different homes, and served lots of fabulous local NZ food and wine such as NZ “Fish ‘n Chips” (local Red Snapper), Waiheke grass fed beef (provided by the Waiheke Butcher), and so on.  Fortunately, there were a lot of cooks, luckily as we were cooking for 50+ guests most nights.  We had the most wonderful rehearsal luncheon at Cable Bay vineyards a contrast design wise to Mudbrick, Cable Bay is uber-modern and feature spectacular modern art and sculpture by some very well know NZ artists. The lunch was a wonderful way for everyone to get to know each other and took pressure off us to see everyone on the wedding day.

Anna and James wanted a ceremony that was not only a celebration of their love but also a celebration of the friends and family that have grown to mean so much to them. I love the casual, but completely intimate feel of the ceremony and the pure love that is radiating out of this gorgeous bride and groom…

From the gorgeous bride…At our ceremony, a reading was performed by 13-year-old Eliza Wheeler, the daughter of our dear friends Halstead and Faith Wheeler of San Francisco, who read excerpts of “Gifts From The Sea” by Anne Morrow Lindbergh.  In addition, our  friend and talented musician Michael Tate (a tenor for the SF Gay Men’s Choir) serenaded the guests with “My Funny Valentine” (by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart) as we signed our marriage license and raced indoors for cocktails and canapés to escape a brief Waiheke rain shower at the completion of the ceremony!  As the short tropical shower passed, we moved outside to the patio to enjoy the stunning views, take photos, and continue the celebration.

Laurie Levenfeld of Zoom Photography shot this wedding and I have to say, it’s simply gorgeous. Her photographs are so vibrant, so unbelievably vivid and alive. As if you are standing right beside the beautiful bride. So, so, so much more to come!

My favorite weddings are the ones where you can actually see the joy. You can feel it when you look at the pictures, you can imagine it within every corner of the affair. This one is just that. Pure and utter joy…filled with so much style and grace I can hardly contain myself.

Here is what the bride had to say about our own Little Black Book photography, Lauri Levenfeld…

“As well as being one of our closest friends, Lauri is a fantastic photographer of people and human emotion.  Her natural eye for capturing the most important moments in peoples’ lives is remarkable.  Since Lauri was the ONLY photographer we wanted to shoot our wedding, we bribed her to flying more than 12 hours by taking both Lauri and her lovely husband Greg to New Zealand with us for the wedding!  While it’s fair to say I was never a “Bridezilla-type” bride, we were super relaxed about every other vendor EXCEPT our photographer.  We wouldn’t settle for anyone other than Lauri.  We wanted Lauri’s unique eye because Lauri elevates everything she shoots!  Looking back at Lauri’s incredible pictures, we get to re-live the greatest week of our lives over and over again”.

So much more to come!!

A few more bits of eye candy from the hugely wonderful Lauri Levenfeld…

From Anna, the amazingly lovely bride…

Waiheke Island is a magical place, only a 30-minute ferry ride from Auckland, populated with just fewer than 8,000 permanent residents, and the home to more than 30 vineyards – Truly Wine Island!  Anna always knew she wanted to marry on Waiheke Island and it was important to both of us that all of our friends and loved ones got the opportunity to experience this paradise over the course of an entire week (as opposed to one day!). 

Our ceremony took place on a cellar roof lawn at The Mudbrick Winery.  The Mudbrick Winery is one of those places you read about but never seem to actually visit in real life (think Wizard of Oz!).  The Mudbrick has it’s own heartbeat – and has the most warm and lovely fell surrounding it when you visit. The Mudbrick overlooks the Hauraki Gulf and Rangitoto (an active volcano), along with the Auckland city skyline in the distance.

So much more to come!

Love, love, love when a bride and groom see each other for the first time. I am and always will be a hopeless romantic so this moment completely tugs at the heart strings…

all of the amazing photographs were shot by the fabulous Lauri Levenfeld of Zoom Photography

Here is a little background on their amazing engagement story…

We got engaged in the garden at the Louvre in Paris in September 2007, our first trip to Paris together. Paris  It was magical and overwhelming.  James surprised me with a few days in Paris before taking me to Provence to meet myfamily (who had traveled from New Zealand) to watch the NZ All-Blacks Rugby team play in the 2007 World Cup of Rugby in France.  After I stopped screaming and staring at my over the top diamond, we strolled across La Seine to Restaurant “Les Deux Magots” at 6 place Saint-Germain-des-Présmargot and to drink Billicart Salmon rose champagne (my favorite!) and devour Foie Gras and oysters.  The trip only got more perfect when on the train to Provence we were seated next to my idol, Gourmet Magazine’s Editor in Chief Ruth Reichl, who gave us fabulous advice on the best restaurants and cafes in Provence!

Is this right out of a fairytale? I feel like these two are the epitome of all things chic, all things absolutely, positively lovely. A little jealous, but a lot completely smitten. More to come!

If you are just now popping in for a visit, we are featuring the most beautiful New Zealand wedding shot by the amazingly talented Lauri Levenfeld. And speaking of, Lauri is doing a pretty cool “social media experiment” over on her blog, where the winner gets a free portrait shoot! Definitely worth checking out.

Okay, back to the wedding…

From Anna…

My aesthetic has always been “fresh, clean, and green” so there was no need to fight with the spectacular scenery offered by Waiheke.  I chose colors consistent with the very 60’s combination of Kelly green and bright white to compliment the special glacial turquoise NZ oceans of the Hauraki Gulf.

Overall, we wanted our wedding day to feel intimate and relaxed.  As a couple who has lived all over the world (James in Malawi, Jordan, New York City, London, and San Francisco) and Anna (New Zealand, New York City, and San Francisco), our wedding was about bringing all the people we love together to spend meaningful time together on the little island where Anna was raised as a child, Waiheke Island.

Ahhh. Swoon.

Don’t you kind of love and hate this bride for being so drop dead gorgeous? Her flawless look, her gorgeous shoes, her beautiful, effortless style all came together in complete loveliness. And the fabulous Lauri Levenfeld of Zoom Photography captured her to perfection.

From the lovely Anna…

My dress was as I had always envisioned it – bright white, silk chiffon, 60’s goddess style with intricate draping at the bust and an empire line  – it was designed by Amy Kuschel in SF and I added my own design touches like the straps and the deeper sweetheart neckline to it.  I could not find the perfect accessories for love or money, so at my last fitting my photographer and dear friend Lauri Levenfeld brought along some Bing Bang earrings that were absolutely perfect, a little bohemian and a lot fabulous! My makeup was pretty and natural. It was done by my oldest friend in New Zealand– Television make-up artist Vicky Morgan.  She knows me well and I think it showed. I felt comfortable and the prettiest version of myself.

Some of my favorite shots from a wedding are those when the bride is getting ready. The anticipation, the smiles, the total luxury of having someone else do your hair and make-up. Love it all. Here are a few great shots by Lauri Levenfeld of Zoom Photography, of Anna getting all dolled up for her gorgeous wedding…

SO beautiful. We have TONS of great details from the bride to share with you throughout the day, but here is a bit of background about the couple…

Anna Weinberg, 32, born and raised in New Zealand.  Anna grew up on Waiheke Island as a child, and then on her family’s vineyard in the Hawkes Bay on the North Island of New Zealand.  James Nicholas, 35, was born and raised in Northern California.  James is a fifth generation San Franciscan who grew up in Atherton, California. 

Anna and James met in New York City in the summer of 2004.  Within three months of meeting, James recruited Anna to move west to live with him in San Francisco.  After devoting two years to opening and running other people’s restaurants, Anna opened South, the first US restaurant dedicated to the culinary culture and wines of New Zealand and Australia.  After building a successful enterprise software company focused on providing solutions to the US Military and Public Safety agencies, James went on to work in Venture Capital in Menlo Park.

I am kind of in love with this couple already! So much more to come.

We are FINALLY back to work, after spending two days in the Charlotte airport because of a cancelled flight. But, the wedding in Charleston more than made up for the hassle, as my sister-in-law put together a pretty incredible, almost completely handmade affair. Can’t wait to show it off when the pics come in!

We have the most spectacular wedding to share with you today. Lauri Levenfeld of Zoom Photography in San Francisco, always sends us the coolest affairs, but this one just might top the cake. Shot in New Zealand, the couple infused their day with such beauty, such unbelievably lovely touches, with romance and pure love around every corner.

Before we get to the wedding though, I wanted to show you some of these amazing shots that Lauri captured just before…

I mean, how beautiful are these? A sheep farm. They actually got to take pictures on a New Zealand sheep farm. Pretty incredible! Stay tuned to see how gorgeous the actual wedding turned out to be!