Anna & Mark

"Mark and I met at work. We had both worked for the same company for several years but never encountered one another. He worked in the IT department and arrived to move some equipment from my office one afternoon. We got to chatting and continued getting to know each other at a colleague's leaving drinks that same night. We were the last to go home! We messaged back and forwards after that, and then he plucked up the courage to ask me out a couple of weeks later."

What do you consider the best wedding investment you made?

"Definitely our venue. Tui Hills was the first venue we visited, but we knew straight away it was the one for us. It gave us the intimate feel we were after and had a lush bush setting and an elegant reception venue. They made planning so easy, which was an essential requirement for two busy working parents of three. All our guests raved about the venue and the food on the day; we couldn't have been happier."

What was the proposal like?

"The proposal itself was very sweet and unexpected. It was just the two of us relaxing at home after a date to the pop-up globe in town for my birthday, and he had organised champagne and some beautiful food. It turns out he had bought the ring months ago while I had been on holiday in the UK. I was very impressed he had managed to keep it a secret for so long!"

What is your favourite memory from the big day?

"Without a doubt, having our three children there and involved in different ways on the day was so special for us both. When Mark and I got together, we each had one child already and then four years before the wedding, we had our "blended baby", so we knew we wanted the kids to play a big part in the day. We had Matthew as the Best Man, Izzy as a Bridesmaid and Paige, our youngest, as a flower girl. Matthew and Izzy (the older two) made amazing, heartfelt speeches at the reception, and everyone cried and laughed at different times. It was magic!"

Did everything go to plan?

"Almost. The lead-up to the wedding had been quite stressful due to the environment at the time: Covid cases were increasing, the rules were changing around us, and we were constantly on edge and worried about one of us or our wedding party getting Covid before the wedding. By the time we got to the day itself, I was just so relaxed and happy to have made it! I didn't think anything could stress me out. When I got ready to walk down the aisle, it turned out that some of our guests were running late and had yet to arrive. We did one more circle around the block and left it a few minutes longer, and as I got to the end of the aisle, the last ones snuck in the back! It didn't put a damper on the day at all and, in fact, became a bit of a joke in the office afterwards with my colleagues (who were the late arrivals!)."

Who was your outstanding wedding vendor?

"Our photographer, Kiri Marsters, was just a joy to deal with. She and her husband, Sunny, just made everyone feel so relaxed on the day. Kiri was very supportive in the lead-up to the wedding, helping us to navigate all the constantly changing rules around Covid. On the day, she just fit in so easily and made everyone feel at ease and captured some beautiful shots which we will treasure forever."

What is one thing you wish you had known before planning and having your wedding?

"If I could change one thing, it would be to include videography, even if it was just for the speeches. At the time, we discounted it as being out of budget, but if I could do it over, I would make the budget stretch that little bit further."