HOW WE MET
Brandon and I are a modern day love story – we met on Tinder. It was 2018, Brandon was living in Auckland at the time and me in Tauranga. After matching on Tinder we exchanged numbers. It took 2 months of chatting over FaceTime before we finally met in person. Brandon came to Tauranga and picked me up from a friend’s house where I had been having a few glasses of wine to calm both my nerves and excitement to finally meet him in person. We spent the entire weekend together and it was like we had known each other our whole lives! We both knew that we loved each other before we even met face to face and admitted it was difficult to not say ‘I love you’ when we would hang up the phone at night. As a result, ‘I love you’ came very quickly after our first meeting. A couple of months later, Brandon made the move to Tauranga and we have been inseparable ever since!
THE PROPOSAL
Monday April 17th 2023, my 29th birthday. We had been in Wanaka attending one of my best friend’s wedding the week earlier and we had decided to stay on a few extra days. Brandon had suggested that for my birthday we walk up Roy’s Peak to watch the sunrise. This was a little suspicious to me as Brandon isn’t one to voluntarily go for hikes and I wondered if there might be a diamond waiting for me at the top. My suspicions were right. After 2.5 hours of hiking in the dark, we reached the summit, the sun was coming up over the lake and Brandon got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. While I was suspicious, nothing could have prepared me for the feeling of that moment. It was so special and the perfect start to the next chapter of our relationship.
THE DAY
We got married just under a year after getting engaged, 08 March 2024. We planned a small backyard wedding at Brandon’s parents' property in the Waikato. From the moment I first visited Brandon’s family home, I had dreamt about having a wedding there. Brandon’s brother's fiancée and I would sit in the garden and chat about how we would set everything up from the ceremony to the marquee to the dance floor. The amount of hours and effort that his parents put into the property to get it ready for the big day was insane and we can’t thank them enough. We held our ceremony in the front courtyard of the house and had the reception in the back garden. What made our day so special is that both of our families came together to make the day happen, everyone was a part of the set up from hanging fairy lights, arranging furniture, the flower arrangements for the tables and my bouquet was made from flowers picked out of the garden and put together by my fabulous Aunts. To top it off my Great-Aunt was our celebrant which made the day extra special. After a beautiful ceremony we joined our guests for cocktail hour and after dinner and speeches the night shifted to the dancefloor, some of our guests even ended up in the pool! Best day ever, how does anything ever top a wedding day?
PAPERSWAN
I visited a number of boutiques when searching for my dress. Paperswan was the first boutique I went to and the staff were nothing short of amazing. Part of my motivation for going to Paperswan was specifically to try on the Elevate gown by Oui The Label. The staff gave me really good advice for helping me choose a gown that was right for me. They put no pressure on me to say ‘yes to the dress’ then and there which I really appreciated as choosing a gown is such a big decision! I really enjoyed my experience with Paperswan and I would highly recommend them to any future brides!
THE OUTFIT AND ACCESSORIES
I knew before buying a dress that I wanted something timeless, elegant and sophisticated. I also had one non-negotiable and that was that I wanted something with a statement sleeve. During the shopping process for my dress, I ended up trying on over 30 dresses but there was just something about the Elevate gown that made me feel a way that no other dress did. Some of my friends have even said to me that if they could describe me as a dress, that is the dress they would choose. When it came to accessories, I really wanted to keep things simple as I wanted the dress to be the moment. I have truly never felt more beautiful and I am so grateful to the Oui team for creating such an incredible gown!
Dear Brandon,
When I used to think about my ideal partner, the person I hoped for was someone who was driven, hardworking and could push me to be the best version of myself. Someone who knew how to make light of a situation when my stress levels are through the roof. Someone kind, caring, patient and respectful. Someone who I am proud to share with my family and friends. And someone who through the good times, make the moments more memorable and through the bad times, make the moments more bearable. I knew I had found all of these things in you from the moment we met which has led me to dreaming of this moment ever since.
Dear Kimberley,
Today I pledge in front of all of our family and friends to honour, encourage, and support you through our life together. Whether it be good times or hard times, I promise to work at our love and always make you a priority in my life. There are times in everyone’s lives that there is a pivotal moment, mine was the 13th of May at 11pm. That was the day that my life changed. I didn’t used to believe in love at first sight but from the moment I laid eyes on you, a gorgeous, semi-intoxicated woman, getting into the front seat of my car, I knew I was definitely a believer. I haven’t stopped loving you from that day and I know that I will love you forever more.
Bridal Designer: Oui The Label via Paperswan Bride
Photographer/Videographer: Esme & Logan
Hair and Makeup: Kathryn Laverock Hair & Hannah Vassallo Makeup
Event Stylist and/or Florist: Love Club Hire
Jewellery/Rings: Michael Hill Jewellers
Groom's Outfit: Bond & Co Tauranga