Rebecca & Fraser’s Wedding
Longbeach Estate
Images by Sarah Clements Photography
‘We met in May 2015 at the Massey University Young Farmers Duck Shooters Ball when a communal leg of lamb was being passed around. We ended up chatting and soon learnt that we lived in the same flatting complex. My room was a fishbowl at the top of the driveway where many people would frequent for a chat by poking their head through my window. After the ball, this is something Fraser started doing too.
‘Fraser organised a surprise trip to Wellington with some close friends, and what would be my first All Blacks game. I now know there was plenty of bluffing and cancelling plans with my school friends behind my back to make it work. Fraser chose the ring after some sneaky trips to Auckland. Everything was falling into place until Covid lockdown cancelled the trip, so Fraser’s Plan B was activated – a quiet night to Raglan, one of our favourite spots. Fish and chips were consumed at the beach, mainly by me, which is highly unusual. Still none the wiser, with the ring stuffed in a pair of socks in Fraser’s shorts, he took me for a walk down the beach at sunset. He spent most of the time awkwardly looking around for the right opportunity to get on one knee, but people kept appearing on the beach. Eventually the right spot was found and plenty of tears followed.
‘Dress and clothes shopping isn’t a favourite of mine, therefore I hadn’t spent much time dreaming up my dress, however I did love the pearl veils. The first shop I booked into was Brides of Merivale. We heard amazing reviews about the team and the variety of dresses and it did not disappoint. The plan was just to do an initial look with Mum but after a browse and trying on numerous different styles, the last dress I tried on fitted perfectly. Once I realised it matched with the veil, I knew it was the one.
‘Our wedding date came down to when our photographer Sarah was available. Sarah and I grew up as neighbours and shared many memories with our ponies and her coming to look after us after school. Not only is she a friend but we loved her work, style and vibe. It was our biggest non-negotiable to have Sarah as our photographer and were so excited when she said yes!
‘The ceremony was in the gardens at Longbeach Estate outside the chapel under a large oak tree. It was really special to have our wedding at Longbeach as this is where I got to spend a lot of time as a child. Despite not dreaming up much of the wedding, I had always wanted it at Longbeach. The weather on the day was perfect, allowing our guests to enjoy being transported to a little slice of paradise, surrounded by the amazing gardens and heritage buildings. We both wrote our own vows which meant tears were shed during the ceremony. We both made time to sit down and do them at the same time, but not share them.
We don’t particularly like being the centre of attention so decided not to have a head table. Instead we had a couch up the front for us to sit on when the speeches were being said. We got to snuggle up, laugh and cry at all the speeches, and see everyone’s reactions. Then we ate and mingled with our bridal party and their partners in between. We love a good dance and the band Mirrors totally delivered. The dance floor was never empty. The day was truly the best.’
Q&A
Did you have a budget?
We made sure to spend money on the vendors and services we really wanted, but balanced it out by reusing the flowers from the ceremony at the reception and the day after. We also made some of our own stationery.
Your tips for other couples?
Have a meal taster before the wedding. It was recommended by White Tie Catering and is genius, as we were too excited on the day of the wedding to really eat a lot! Don’t be afraid to get married on the 1st of April. Despite the many raised eyebrows and smirks, the weather was perfect, nothing went wrong and no pranks were played. Also have someone designated to pick up the cake from the venue the next day so you can all enjoy it again. It’s easy to forget.
Standout vendor?
It has to be George and the team at White Tie Catering. We had so many compliments the day after about the outstanding food, the service and the friendly waiters. Honestly, everything about the team is five-star. From before we even booked them, George and Jess were fantastic with their communication, suggestions and even joining us at meetings with other vendors to make sure what we wanted was happening. We cannot thank them enough!
