Hawkes Bay wedding by Coralee & Alex

Well we were treated to almost a full weekend of sun... which made for some very happy people I can tell you! It was utterly delightful to sit outside in the sun, coffee in hand, reading a magazine and feel the warmth of the sun, hear the birds going crazy in the trees, and have some time out. More please Mr. Sun!! I also managed to fit in some gardening, and a bit of house DIY - not something I do often at all - but I whitewashed furniture which has pretty much transformed a room. Great way to get a new look without spending a lot!

I love it when brides send in their weddings... especially when I discover it's by some of my favourite photographers! Coralee & Alex must be such fun to have along as your wedding photographers... I can imagine wanting to ask them to join you to party at the end of the night!! The lovely bride shares some details of their day with us and proves that weather bombs are so barrier to a fabulous celebration!!

Joe and I were married at my family home in the Hawkes Bay on the 3rd of March. After becoming engaged, I knew I couldn't see myself being married anywhere else. The house itself is a grand old lady and Mum has always kept an immaculately beautiful garden - the perfect setting for an intimate affair. Having our wedding at home also meant that we could set-up everything how we would like, but it also meant a lot of hard work, which we were most definitely up for! Our wedding style was very much homemade/vintage and we spend months collecting and creating decorative pieces.

In the days leading up to the wedding, it was wonderful to see our families come together to help us in any way possible. We simply could not have achieved what we did without them. A very large component of our wedding was DIY, and together we spent hours hanging paper lanterns, setting tables, preparing food, cleaning and decorating. My mum was especially amazing, spending a full day out from her busy schedule to assemble the bridal bouquets and fill the marquee and house with the most beautiful flower arrangements. We truly felt that so much love went into the creation of our wedding day!

The morning of the wedding was pretty hectic. We had so much left to do - even hubby-to-be was pitching in! Last minute changes had to be made as a 'weather bomb' was coming our way, and our garden ceremony setting had to be quickly shifted to inside the reception marquee, which was luckily still standing. Joe and I both agree that we found the ceremony surprisingly overwhelming. It was a very special moment for us both to finally stop, take everything in, and realise that we were finally becoming husband and wife. I also think it's important to mention how amazing our photographers, Coralee and Alex, were! Despite the torrential rain, we still headed out for photo time post the ceremony. This was such a fun part of our day! Coralee and Alex kept us laughing and smiling, and once the relief and excitement of being finally married kicked in, we'd completely forgotten about the terrible weather!

Photography | Coralee & Alex, Wedding dress | Rowan McLennan, Flowers - Mother of the Bride, Invitations | Bride & Groom, Make Up | Cushla Bower, Hair | Abbey Schofield, Catering | Friends and Family, Celebrant | Pippa Chambers