Wes & Phoebe

“We met through mutual friends that we’d both known for years—but somehow, our paths never crossed. Once we finally met, we quickly realised how much we enjoyed each other’s company and things just flowed from there."

"Wes proposed at Muriwai Beach. He’d just picked up his new ute and used that as an excuse to head out west. We took our German Shepherd, Jax, and my sister came along too so she could film the moment. It was perfect.”

What was one non-negotiable for your wedding?
“We didn’t really have strict non-negotiables, but two things were important to us: making sure I had my dream dress, no matter the price and being 100% confident in our photographer. After seeing the shots, we know we made the right call working with Ethan. He captured everything so beautifully.”

What do you consider the best investment you made, and why?
“Choosing The Boat House at Riverhead as our venue. The setting, the food, the layout—it was everything we wanted. Even our friends and guests commented afterwards on how incredible the venue was. We couldn’t have dreamed of a better place to get married.”

Did you include anything non-traditional in your wedding?
“Yes—we couldn’t decide who should go first with our vows, so we settled it with a game of rock, paper, scissors at the end of the aisle. It was such a fun, spontaneous moment that got everyone smiling.”

What’s one thing that surprised you about the day?
“How far in advance you need to book everything! Also, we were both surprised by how relaxed Phoebe was on the day. We thought she’d be super stressed—but she was calm all the way up to walking down the aisle.”

What advice would you share with other couples just starting their wedding planning journey?
“Don’t sweat the small stuff. Things might not go exactly to plan, but it will still turn out perfectly—and your guests won’t even notice the little things if they go off track.”