Lucy & Caleb’s Wedding
Larcomb Vineyard
Images by Tracey Allsopp
‘We both grew up in Westport and met at our local high school. I was close with Caleb’s cousins Kyle and Jordon (whom years later would be his groomsmen!) and we would all hang out on the weekends roaming the streets of our small hometown. After months of harmless flirting, I finally convinced Caleb to ask me out.
‘We started talking about getting married soon after being together for nine years and I managed to drag Caleb along to go ring shopping! I tried a few on before we both chose one and as soon as I put it on I knew it was the one.
‘Caleb spent 2022 away working, coming home every second weekend. And then one weekend he told me he was staying to work but he actually came home and surprised me. I arrived home from work to him in the lounge of our first new home that we built together ready to pop the question!
‘When it came time for choosing my dress I had absolutely no idea what I wanted. I booked a weekend to visit Brides of Merivale. I tried a huge variety of styles and loved the process. The ladies were incredible and so lovely. I liked a few but knew they weren’t it. I did however decide on a style and after a short scroll on their website I came across their Rosey Crepe with the Rosey veil and instantly fell in love. Now, when they say “when you know, you know”, they ain’t lying! I put the Rosey dress on and I was flooded with emotion. It was the one.
‘Caleb and I both knew we didn’t want a long engagement. It had already been nine years and I wasn’t waiting any longer! I love planning and to be very organised so straight away I was contacting venues. Larcomb Vineyard was the first to visit and we locked it in. They had everything we wanted all in one spot. A beautiful venue with a fantastic management team.
‘Our ceremony was held in the vines. The most beautiful setting, it was peaceful, like a dream. Our celebrant was incredible and made the process so easy and simple. We originally didn’t want to say our own vows but she provided us with some simple templates and after some brainstorming, we turned them into beautiful personal vows.
‘We held our reception in the Barn. We didn’t really have a theme set but went for a simple, elegant, black-and-white style. A family friend created the table settings and made up the flower arrangements. We had 13 tables to the sides (yes, 13, Caleb has a large family!) and our head table was set in the middle with the dance floor in front of us. The setting was perfect.
Our DJ was fantastic! He made the night so much fun. Everyone enjoyed a boogie. He created the best vibe with the best selection of music. It was one big party which we loved!
Q&A
Did you have a budget?
Not exactly. We had enough saved up to book in all our 'must-have' vendors right away, and after adding up the other wants and needs we quickly came to about $30,000. We were pretty set on not going over this but you only have one wedding and so when Caleb approved my dream dress we landed slightly over this ... Oops! It was also important to both of us that our guests have the best time, and they sure did!
Any advice for other couples?
Three things I found were the keys to a perfect day: 1. Be well organised. You need to book vendors well in advance to secure who you want (I'm talking 18 months in advance). 2. If you have a large guest count, don't stress on speaking to everyone! We felt bad we didn't get to spend much time with some of our guests, but trust me, they are so understanding and are happy to just be there in your company. I love a good boogie, and guests would come up and join me which made seeing them more memorable. And 3. Have a 'Day after Drinks'. This was the perfect way to see family we didn't get to speak to. We held nibbles and drinks at our local pub The Rock in Rolleston on Sunday. It also gave our families more time to meet and continue celebrating!
Anything you would have done differently?
I loved our day. It was perfect but there is one thing I would do differently and that was our first look. I felt this was rushed and it wasn’t as intimate as I would have liked. It was one thing we didn’t really discuss/plan with our photographer and videographer.
