Real Weddings

Prue and Warwick

Photography by Jake Pears-Scown

"We met through some mutual friends. It was a rainy Tuesday night in Ponsonby, and we hit it off straight away. Within a month, we were head-over-heels in love, and we knew we were going to spend the rest of our lives together. During the first Covid lockdown in Auckland, I stayed with Warwick - and never left! The proposal was perfect - so "us". We were at our family bach in the Coromandel and had just come back from a morning of fishing with plenty of fish. We were sitting on the deck in the gorgeous sunshine, having a well-deserved cold beer. At that moment, I said, "this day can't get any better." Warwick then disappeared, came back, got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife. It turned out the day could get so much better! It wasn't the big proposal Warwick had planned, but the timing was just right. Due to lockdown, it was all a bit touch and go concerning the wedding and whether there would be one at all. We ended up being so lucky that restrictions were eased just days before our big day. We didn't want the big, traditional wedding, but a relaxed day of celebration with our close friends and family. It all went according to plan - apart from a bit of hiccup with the photography (it never occurred to me doing the shoot on Bethell's Beach black sand in 26 degrees heat might not have been the best idea!). Nevertheless, we still got some fantastic shots; you can really see the joy in our photos and everyone enjoying themselves. That's all we wanted. Our day was filled with beautiful, personal touches that meant the world to us. Our good friend Sarah made our cakes; the table setting flowers were grown in my aunt's and dad's gardens; our invites, menus and place names were designed by Tricia, my work colleague. It made everything feel extra special and added to that relaxed and fun feeling of our big day."

Thanks to all the contributing vendors:

Photography: Jake Pears-Scown
Dress: Alter Me
Venue: Flaxmere House
Florals: Where Rosemary Grows
Celebrant: Sarah Ward
Hair: Sherie at Messy Bun
Makeup: Beauty by Blair Gamblin