Emily & Geoff

Real Wedding
Emily & Geoff

How did you two meet?

"We met in early 2015. I sat next to Geoff at the design pod on the creative floor of an advertising agency. But within a few months, Geoff had resigned from his job to move to London. In June 2015, we embarked on a two-year long-distance relationship, with 18,325km between us. In 2017, we were reunited back in New Zealand."

What was the proposal like?

"In 2019, we took an entire year off work to travel the world. In Tanzania, on a safari in Tarangire National Park, Geoff proposed. It was on a stone balcony perched up on a cliff that overlooked the national park, and the savannah stretched in all directions as far as we could see."

Did you include anything non-traditional in your wedding?

"When we made choices for our wedding, we weren’t trying to be non-traditional. We were just trying to make choices that reflected us as a couple. Flowers, cake, vows and speeches? Yes, yes, yes and yes. An off-white dress, no bridal party, couches on the lawn instead of a dance floor? Also, yes, yes and yes."

What is your favourite memory from the big day?

"One of Emily’s best friends got her licence as a celebrant, specifically to marry us. This was an incredible gift, and having her officiate our wedding is such a precious memory."

What do you consider the best wedding investment you made?

"Photography. On the day, we only saw one version of our wedding, but our photographer (Zahn) saw so much more. The photos give us a chance to revisit the day again and again.

"It was hard for us to choose a photographer. We actually met with quite a few in the lead-up to our wedding (though sometimes it felt like they were interviewing us) before we settled on Zahn. And I know we undoubtedly made the right choice.

Our photographer's style needed to be authentic, natural and timeless - we certainly wanted to avoid having to justify our photos in fifteen years by saying, 'Well, that was the style in 2022.' And Zahn's work delivered against all those things.

But what really makes him shine is his way with people. His calm, easy-going personality made our guests (as well as us) feel so comfortable that he was able to capture so much more than I could have expected. Nobody felt like they had to pose in front of Zahn, which is reflected so clearly in the photos. If you can lock him in for your wedding date, do it."

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

"If you have a BYO venue, you need to have a recycling plan. It’s easy to remember that you have to drop off the booze the day before, but equally important is having a plan to pick up all the empties afterwards. Otherwise, you’ll be like us on the morning after our wedding, cramming half-full wine bottles and flat cardboard boxes into the back of our Suzuki."

Did everything go to plan?

"Not entirely. On our wedding day, there were just under 15,000 new COVID cases in New Zealand. This, and the frenzy of headlines and public concern that led up to it, caused us an incredible amount of anxiety. Geoff's brother was unable to attend the wedding from Australia, and another local guest was unable to attend - which, in the scheme of things, was lucky. The hairdresser and makeup artist Emily initially booked both tested positive within 48 hours of the wedding. The prospect of anybody and everybody - from family members to photographers - testing positive at any time certainly made for some sleepless nights."