Real Weddings

Charlotte and Mitchell

Photography by Katrina Cooke Photography

Charlotte and Mitchell’s love story is one of trial and triumph.  From a missing engagement ring and the loss of their home in Cyclone Gabriel to cancelled flights and travel delays on their rescheduled wedding date. All while Charlotte was pregnant. With big smiles, hopeful hearts, and help from their incredible vendors - they finally got to have their Little White Chapel wedding. Surrounded by 25 of their nearest and dearest, Charlotte and Mitchell celebrated their love on Valentine's Day in 2023, and my goodness, it was lovely. We chatted with the bride, Charlotte: —Can you tell us about your engagement?  “The original proposal was on the beautiful lakefront in Queenstown. Unfortunately, the original engagement ring was lost.  A year later, on our engagement anniversary, Mitchell organised a secret getaway to Ruapehu.  Complete with skiing, snowboarding, a volcanic flight and an amazing dinner at The Chateau - he presented me with my current engagement ring. It was basically a second proposal and such a special day!” —Did you include anything non-traditional in your wedding? “We chose to have a mini wedding with Kimberly from Lucky in Love. We had a small guest list of 25 people, our wedding was 4 hours total, and we didn’t have a formal reception.  Kimberly planned nearly everything, including the celebrant, photography, catering, cake, florals and location!  It took the stress and pressure out of it. Mitchell also hired his suit, which was super cost-effective.” —Who was your outstanding wedding vendor? “Everyone was absolutely amazing!  In particular, Kimberly. She organised all the vendors through her mini-wedding service, so we wouldn’t have found them if it wasn’t for her.  She’s also super genuine and friendly, caring, fun and organised. We felt at ease in her presence, especially on the big day! She ensured we were happy with everything and kept us on track with our wedding timeline.  We lost our home and a lot of belongings in the flood two weeks before the wedding, and Kimberly was supportive and offered a change of date.  Then on our rescheduled date, the cyclone hit!  Kimberly still ensured everything went ahead (while following safety precautions), so it was such a relief to have our day after all of that!” —What is one thing you wish you had known before planning your wedding? “If you are planning to get married while pregnant - don’t underestimate how much you grow while choosing a dress! Every week the dress felt different on me.  Luckily, Fritz & Sarah were incredible and provided a clever solution, and I received my dress three days before the wedding. They even offered the alterations free of charge due to everything we went through in the floods.”

Thanks to all the contributing vendors:

Planner and Celebrant: Kimberly, Lucky in Love Weddings
Photographer: Katrina Cooke Photography
Cake and Catering: Sweet Bites
Florals: The Florist NZ
Dress: Astrabridal
Alterations: Fritz & Sarah
Venue: Hobsonville Church