Molly and Nathan hosted a bright and colorful wedding at Marquee from March Hare in Martinborough, New Zealand. We absolutely adore their chic and effortless style, and their love of color…which has such a great affect against the soft backdrop of the scenery and wardrobe. Very special thanks to Benjamin and Elise for sharing their gorgeous images with us!
What made the wedding special and unique?
Making our wedding unique was our main goal when we began planning our big day. We searched for a venue for months and were on the verge of giving up for a year or so when one of our best friends suggested we have a look at a property her parent’s owned in regional New Zealand. Luckily, it was perfect! Surrounded by rolling hills, and encased in vineyards, they owned a teeny tiny reconsecrated church perched on the top of a hill. We think the location of the wedding was what made it especially unique!
Tell us about your gown and where/how you found it!
I found my dress by absolute fate! I knew exactly what I wanted but couldn’t find it anywhere. One of my beautiful friends was studying design at university in Dunedin and was helping me find something. Perchance one of her fellow students designed and made the dress of my dreams for her own personal final collection at Fashion School. The dress was perfect and just what I was looking for!
What were some touches added to make it personal?
Every single detail represented Nathan and I perfectly. That was the fun part; organizing a day that was all about us, as individuals as well as a couple. Styling and decorating our venue was one of our favourite parts of organizing our wedding. Nathan and I have very similar style and tastes so it was lots of fun putting our ideas together and making them a reality. We decided we would try our hardest to make every one of our ideas a reality, which meant a lot of planning as well as a number of logistical nightmares, but we did it! We bought most of our decorations while we were in South East Asia and had them shipped to NZ including the lightshades over the trestle tables, metres and metres of plain coloured bunting and 4 kilometres (2.5 miles!) of ribbon that we used to make the ribbon wall behind the head table. Nathan’s 94 year old grandmother sewed 250 metres of bunting from old material she had collected, the bunting is something that will stay in our family forever and means so much to us. She and Nathan’s mum also grew all of the flowers that lined the trestle tables and decorated the church. Before we moved from New Zealand we spent every weekend for months going to garage sales and op shops collecting old bottles, and we were lucky enough to find a couple who were selling their 500 piece collection of antique pharmaceutical and milk bottles. All of the love and work that was put into every aspect of the wedding made it personal!
What was the most memorable part of the day?
Wow, there were so many memorable moments! Little memories are still popping into our heads as the days go by. We stayed at our wedding with some of our closest friends and family until just before the sun came up, and had to walk the 3 kilometres home (just under 2 miles), and during our walk reality hit us; we realized that we had just pulled off a wedding in a paddock that had no electricity, running water or toilets. That was a very special and rewarding moment.
Tell us how you met/proposed!
We met through mutual friends while we were both studying at Victoria University, in Wellington, in 2008. Nathan proposed while we were sailing down the coast of Thailand with Molly’s parents. He proposed on a small beach on the island Ko Phayam. It was casual and sweet, we do don’t romantics very well!
Vendors: Photography: Benjamin and Elise // Ceremony Venue: Private property in Martinborough // Reception Venue: Marquee from March Hare // Florist: Moonflower // Caterer: Nosh // Wedding Invitations: iDear // Bride’s Dress: Lydia Jane Bridal // Bride’s Shoes: Jellybean Jellies // Bridesmaid Dresses: Asos // Groom’s Suit and Shoes: Hugo Boss // Groom’s Tie: Three Wise Men // Wedding Cake: Go Cake Yourself “>Wedding Rings: MDT Design // Band: The Dufraines // Makeup: Hannah Wile from Made Up // Hair: Erin Tijsen from Glory // Celebrant: Bill Logan