Hannah and Baden’s Wedding
Darjon Vineyard
Images by Claudia Pyke
‘For around half a year or so, Baden constantly “firereacted” my Instagram stories ... I finally caved and responded, asking him who he was and what his intentions were. Soon after, the chats “sparked” my interest and at the end of the last lockdown, we finally met!
‘The proposal took me by complete surprise. It was my birthday and he took me to New Brighton Pier after getting my favourite breakfast and a coffee. I was extremely hungover from my party the night before and he tried to get me out of the car (before I’d finished my breakfast) to which I responded, in typical me fashion, “Let me eat my McMuffin first!”
I wasn’t suspicious at all as I love a sunrise at the beach. Unfortunately it was overcast and no sunrise eventuated, but instead he proposed at the end of the pier. A sunrise of my own!
‘I had the perfect vision of the dress I wanted, but I also didn’t want to spend too much (the dress wasn’t a huge thing for me personally).
Somehow To Cherish Bridal Boutique had “The Dress”… but I really wanted my dream sleeves! This is where Sarah Stoute Bespoke came to play; my final fitting made me cry with the happiest tears. It was everything I envisioned and more.
‘Darjon Vineyard was one of the first venues we saw. We wanted somewhere a little “different” as it’s hard in Christchurch with limited and very popular places. In terms of the wedding date, we just knew it had to be in summer and sooner than later so that Baden’s grandad could come.
‘In typical Christchurch fashion it was a hot, windy summer’s day but we embraced every moment. We both wrote our own vows which had so many similar characteristics. A real testament to our values and love we hold for each other.
‘The reception was beautiful, hilarious and emotional all in one. Both of us have super cruisy families which made it so enjoyable to be free to do or say what we wanted without having to worry. We had a mixture of friends and family do speeches, including my aunty and cousins singing a waiata and surprising me with my pepeha, telling the story of where I came from and who I’m connected to.
‘The best part of the day was sharing our vows. I will never forget the words we spoke to each other, how we said the same jokes and included our sweet little sayings to each other. We both laughed, we both cried, and in that moment I never thought I could love my husband any more, but here I was, falling in love with him all over again.’
Q&A
Any advice for other couples?
Delegate! And consider what’s important to you when spending money. Not everything has to cost a bomb!
Anything you would have done differently?
We had my brother-in-law MC for us at the reception which was honestly great, but of course as the night goes on it gets a little relaxed. We didn’t get a prompt for the first dance and it ended up being a little bit late. Elderly guests and people with kids at home were beginning to leave so it was a bit rushed and I got a bit flustered!
Any cool stories to tell?
Baden’s ring is made from his great-great-grandfather’s war medals melted down. It was worn first by his grandfather on his wedding day and passed to Baden when we visited them in 2023. It was an incredibly special moment! The boutonnières were custom-made by Ash at Rogue Florals using bullet casings from Baden’s friends and family adventures (avid hunters).
