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Our Place, Your Event Just 45 minutes south of Auckland you will find a little piece of the Mediterranean. Nestled in the northern slopes of the Bombay hills on more than 86 hectares and surrounded by 40,000 olive trees is the tranquil and beautiful Bracu. Your wedding is a personal and intimate Occasion. The decision on your venue is often the first and most important one you will make as it becomes the heart of the celebration. Simunovich Olive Estate provides privacy and seclusion which makes the property exceptional. The options for delivering your perfect day are endless and we will work with you to ensure all your dreams are fulfilled. There are a number of locations on the estate for you to choose from when it comes to having your ceremony and exchanging your vows. Bracu Restaurant is a dining destination that ignites the senses and captivates the palate. This excellence is carried through in every aspect of our food delivery. Our Head Chef and Restaurant Manager lead a talented team who deliver culinary delights that will leave your guests talking about the experience long after your big day. Modern, European cuisine with a hint of New Zealand influence uses the best of fresh, seasonal, local produce and products from the estate. We invite you to join in our relaxing atmosphere of casual sophistication.
WEDDINGS ON THE ESTATE 49 Main Road, R D 1 B ombay, Auckland 2675, New Zealand Telephone +6 4 9 236 10 30, reservations@bracu.co.nz
Notes from the Editors...
I Cover Credits: Photography: Amanda Wignell Photography Couple: Matt & Kylie www.awp.co.nz
Advertising Enquiries: Email: info@engaged.co.nz Phone: 09 8455925 Post: PO Box 137101, Parnell Auckland 1151 Hamilton Media Limited accepts no responsibility for material provided by readers or advertisers. All material supplied is assumed to have been provided with the consent of the appropriate copyright holders Engaged is subject to copyright in its entirety. All rights reserved in material accepted for publication unless initially specified otherwise.
t seems that this last month has just flown by. For those with summer weddings coming up, you should definitely be getting to the stage of finalising the big ticket items such as photographer, venue and celebrant as we’ve heard that a lot of the top selections are getting booked out. This month, we have some real treats for you. Not only do we have a massive photo spread from award-winning photographer Amanda Wignell, but we all have two real wedding stories for you to feast your eyes on. One of them even shows you how easy it can be to have a Pacific Island wedding! We also have an interview with Mathew Metcalfe, owner of Icing on the Cake, as well as a couple of features with tips on how to save a few pennies on your weddings and things to consider when having your wedding at a historic venue. Enjoy!
Tim & Gabrielle
table of ICING ON THE CAKE
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We talk with Mathew Metcalfe from Icing on the Cake to find out all about the latest trends in wedding cakes.
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REAL WEDDING World renowned FMX rider Mary Perkins shares her fantastic wedding day with us.
IT’S IN THE DETAIL
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We have a massive photo spread of real weddings from award-winning photographer, Amanda Wignell
NON-ESSENTIALS
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We give some tips on things that you can fore-go or tone down to save a few pennies when planning your wedding.
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REAL WEDDING
Helene and Carl had a beautiful wedding on Plantation Island in Fiji. Find out all about it and how easy it was to plan.
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PHOTOGRAPHERS’ SHOWCASE
Find the perfect photographer for your wedding - we have a great selection for you to look at.
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HISTORIC VENUES
Why not have your wedding at a historic venue? We have some great tips and suggestions.
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... making your wedding dreams come true Just 50 minutes from Auckland’s CBD you’ll find magical Castaways. Castaways provides the ultimate wedding experience you and your guests will rave about for years to come. • Coastal cliff top ceremonies • Stunning sunset wedding receptions • Fabulous food • Award winning service • Guest accommodation • Honeymoon packages • Onsite activities Click here to download our new >online weddings pack<
Our team are available to meet with you onsite at Castaways. So contact us now and let’s start making your wedding dreams come true.
Castaways Karioitahi Beach, Waiuku Ph 09 236 5161 Email marie@castaways.co.nz Web www.castaways.co.nz * New & Exclusive to Castaways * Castaways is the only wedding venue in NZ to have its own “Little Black Photobooth”. Huge overseas, this is a great addition to your wedding, making it even more memorable.
“We’ve had such great feedback about our wedding at Castaways – amazing food, spectacular setting and outstanding service” (Castaways Bride, 2009)
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~ unique ~
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~ affordable ~
Wedding Shows Wairarapa Wedding Expo
The Grand Wedding Show - Auckland Sunday 12 September 2010 - Sky City Convention Centre, Auckland
Friday 20th August from 5.30 – 9.30pm & Saturday 21st August 10am – 2pm Copthorne Hotel & Resort Solway Park, Wairarapa
www.weddingshow.co.nz
Admission: FREE
Wedding Wonderland Expo - Auckland
http://www.millenniumhotels.co.nz/ copthornewairarapa/news/news_0006. html
Sunday 26 September 2010 - ASB Showgrounds, Greenlane www.bridalshows.co.nz
- Made to Measure - From $500 - Free delivery - Wide Selection - High Quality Click below to visit us now!
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Beautiful skin, from within! RADIANCE: AGELESS BEAUTY This unique NZ formula is a truly holistic answer to skin care that comes from within. It provides the collagen our skin needs with all the nutrients needed for skin health, with the bonus of highly potent plant antioxidants that not only protect the skin but the whole body. Around 90% of skin damage is sun related. In New Zealand we are exposed to much more UV light than people in other countries. Ageless Beauty really addresses this by supplying the body with plant extracts that provide antioxidants to help the body protect itself from the sun. The formula includes Vinanza® Skin Performance Plus- a unique extract of naturally occurring antioxidants from NZ kiwi fruit skins and NZ grape seeds. Vinanza® has been shown to help improve skin elasticity and cell membrane integrity while helping reduce skin redness. It also includes Enzogenol® - pine bark extract- another home grown antioxidant that protects collagen and reduces skin cell damage.
WIN!
Be in the draw to win one of three boxes of Radiance Ageless Beauty! All you need to do is enter your details in the competition page here and answer the simple question! T’s & C’s: Draw closes midnight 30 August and is only open to New Zealand residents. One entry per email address allowed. Prize cannot be exchanged for cash. Judges’ decision is final.
&
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COMPETITION Wedding Photography: A Guide To Posing Congratulations to Cathryn Wallace who as the winner of last month’s competition has won herself a copy of Wedding Photography: A Guide to Posing. For those who didn’t win, you can buy this fabulous book online at www.oliver-cameron.com
WEDDING FAVOURS & TABLE DECORATIONS For those wedding favours, table decorations and other weddingrelated bits and pieces that can be tricky to find, you can now find a wide selection at www.mycelebration.co.nz. This online shop sources product for you so, even if they don’t have it on their site, chances are that they’ll be able to find it for you. Visit them at www.mycelebration.co.nz
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Images courtesy of Icing on the Cake
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Icing
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edding cakes are changing. No longer is everyone going for the traditional fruit cake style cakes. Loads of couples are now personalising their cakes through flavour, colour and design. We talk with Mathew Metcalfe, the owner of Icing on the Cake, a funky cake and cupcake store located in Auckland, to find out from him what the current trends in wedding cakes are. Mathew is renowned for his amazing bespoke cakes and cupcakes and has even featured as a guest on the first season of New Zealand Master Chef. 11
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First of all, are you able to give us a little bit about your background and why you decided to open Icing on the Cake?
MM: For the the last decade I have worked privately overseas for various families as a personal chef, travelling with them and basically running their dietary lifestyle, overseeing other chefs catering for them in various houses, yachts and planes scattered all over the world. I reached the pinnacle of my industry working for a very influencial Russian family and, after months of twenty hour days seven days a week managing multiple facets of their life, I realized that I was not getting satisfaction from the job any more. It was then that I resigned and came home to rediscover myself and my passion for food again. After a few months of work on my bush property I decided to create a modern take on a bakery, a cross between funk and practical, and that was the birth of Icing on the Cake. E:
What sort of cakes does Icing on the Cake specialise in?
MM: We do everything from the best cupcakes in town to Corporate Grab cakes and also custom-sculpted cakes for special occasions as well as custom-designed cupcakes. Outside of cakes and cupcakes, instore we also do amazing pancakes and serve the best milkshakes and thickshakes around, as well as delicious herbal teas. E:
What do you see as the current trends in wedding cakes?
MM: People are a lot more interested in value for money and are aware that not everyone eats the cake on their special day,. Gone are the days with nine-tier showstoppers and crazy
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handmade sugar flowers. People seem to be preferring smaller, more minimalistic cakes that truely reflect their personality, with matching colour schemes and the like. E:
Cupcakes or a more traditional tier cake? advantages/disadvantages to either?
Are there any
MM: Cupcakes are huge. They are more cost effective and enjoyable and we also find that everyone eats the cupcakes, as opposed to fruitcake that still is around till their first wedding anniversary. In addition, we find that people want new-school cakes under their dressed fondant appearance; gone are the days of marzipan and fruitcake. Now people are going with flavours that they truly love such as strawberry rhubarb and orange coconut. E: What options are there for decorating my cake to match my theme? MM: The options are endless, from simple edible ribbons to handmade sugar flowers, fully sculpted cakes and royal icing work, multiple-tier cakes with the theme and colours of the wedding subtly or strongly through it. We do bespoke cakes, so the options are endless. It just comes down to how important your cake is to you on the day. E: You mentioned that fruitcakes
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are a thing of the past. So what flavours are the most popular for wedding cakes at the moment? MM: Yes, fruitcakes are definitely a thing of the past. We sell a lot of chocolate, gingernut, strawberry & rhubarb, carrot, banana caramel and jaffa cakes. E:
If I want to follow the tradition and keep my cake for my one year anniversary, do I need to have a fruit cake?
MM: You can, however, we suggest again something more enjoyable to eat on your second special day: carrot, walnut and raisin is very popular and freezes very well indeed. In fact, we havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sold a single fruit cake since we have opened by customer choice. E:
How early do people need to order their cake for their wedding? What is the process for ordering and deciding on a cake?
MM: The sooner the better, usually we see people 8 - 10 months out organizing their cakes. We book up quickly so we always suggest to people to confirm as soon as they are happy with our product and what we have to offer.
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Are you able to give a ball-park figure for what people can expect to pay for a traditional wedding cake, or a cupcake tower?
MM: How long is a piece of string is what I always say to people who ask me that as it is extremely dependant on variables such as the level of customisation you want and the size/quantity. I always ask people to give me as much information at the outset so that we can be accurate with a quote. Also we are proud to say that we don’t inflate our prices just because it has “wedding” attached to it; we are fair with everyone and that is the ethos that the business has been created around. E:
What differentiates your product from the other cakes on the market?
MM: We bake fresh to order, use the best ethically produced products and bake with love! E:
Finally, what’s your favourite flavour of cake or cupcake?
MM: My favorite at the moment is orange coconut with raspberry filling and plum frosting.
Icing on the Cake is a newly established Funky Urban Cake and Cupcake store that is the brainchild of Chef De Cuisine and global traveler, Mathew Metcalfe. It is located at 188 Jervois Road, Herne Bay in Auckland and now also has an online shop: www.icingonthecake.co.nz
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Photographs by Rachel & Duncan Jeffery ph 07 573 7704
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The Great
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ary Perkins, world-famous FMX rider, and her fiancé Joel wanted a wedding that they would remember as ‘their day’ and it certainly seems like they did. Mary tells us all about it below: We had the wedding outdoors at the Fountain Gardens near Tauranga. Joel is an outdoors man, enjoying hunting in the bush and working in the horticultural industry so it was the perfect venue (especially as I am an outdoors person also). The venue is set in bush-like trees with bamboo and trickling streams running through into a pond that is surrounded by gardens. It was the first one I looked at on the Internet after our engagement and, after taking Joel out to view it, we decided that this was the perfect location.
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All this wedding planning started from Joel getting down on one knee after a well-planned evening picnic on the sand dunes in Papamoa. He had the most beautiful ring which he had purchased months prior and was just waiting for the perfect moment , that night, which of course he took! It was just amazing: as the sun set he asked me to be his wife, to which I replied “I would love to”. Something I had decided during the planning stages was that, once the wedding day arrived, it was all over, well the planning side of things anyhow. It was now time to sit back and relax, taking in all the enjoyment of the hard work. If something went wrong, I was going to choose to ignore it and still enjoy my day. Having a business in event management made this a hard task but I think I stuck to it pretty well and had a wonderful day without many hitches. Joel got ready at his mum’s house and I at mine, which is now where we both live. I hadn’t any activities planned except for the usual
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getting ready stuff for us girls. But with some motor bikes in my garage and a world class rider Levi Sherwood around, we were treated to a FMX demo on my track out the back. Also some pit bike racing was added into the mix to make it a very relaxing morning for me. The boys went to the driving range to hit some balls and chill out before the busy afternoon. I was lucky enough to have my good friend Alice, join us to help with our hair, with which she did a wonderful job. Her husband Keenan was roped into making some clip on earrings out of non clip on ones. One of my lovely bridesmaids, Aimee, being a beauty therapist and makeup artist from Simply Beautiful in Papamoa also helped everyone look stunning.
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Thanks to some great advice leading up to the big day from another friend, Sarah, we had snacks and lunch delivered. Our food delivery friends Wendy and Janice got the food sorted, making it a stress free morning that I thoroughly enjoyed (despite a few last minute alterations to one of the bridesmaid’s dress straps - I had sewn them myself but when you have a newborn baby in the mix, alterations were needed!). One thing I didn’t organise was any drivers for the wedding vehicles which were our mate’s Hilux 4x4’s. They had even loaded them with dirt bikes, adding to the theme of making it ‘our’ day. My thoughts were that my bridesmaids could drive just as well as the boys but when brothers, Simon and Mike rang to ask if there was anything
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they could do to help I gave them the job of getting us to the venue on time. All worked out perfectly - even though it was not on the run sheet - and we arrived at the venue early thanks to our speedy drivers! We had group and family photos after the ceremony followed by a lovely afternoon tea prepared by our mums as they wanted to add their input into the day. We had some photos in the gardens and headed up the road for a little more variety. Our reception was self-catered by a good friend Ruth and my Aunty Joy who both did a fantastic job together with others who stepped in to help on the day. There was a band to follow and we had an amazing time celebrating with our close friends and family. One thing that was helpful was preparing a sheet for my bridesmaids to keep an accurate record of the presents when opening them during the evening. I was then able to take the list on our honeymoon and write personal thank yous to all the guests. The cards were all hand made by Janice McConnell, she also made the
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invites, ceremony sheets and reception name tags which was a huge help. Janice did an amazing job with them all, keeping to the theme of gold, black and white. As for what I would change, there isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t much at all. The best piece of advice that I can give to future brides-to-be is to not have too many expectations but just enjoy it. A huge thanks to all the people involved who helped make our day so special!
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R O M A N T I C A L B E RTO N A lovely centrally-located historic Auckland venue for weddings, civil unions, wedding photos and functions. Indoor and outdoor options available. web: www.alberton.co.nz email: alberton@historic.org.nz phone: +64 9 846 7367
Are you looking for a professional hairdresser and makeup artist who can come to you on your wedding day? With over 10 years in the industry, Natalie is working extensively in Fashion, Advertising and Film, as well as creating stunning results for bridal parties. Natalie's work is both versatile and innovative, offering her customers the complete package without compromise. Please go to my website www.natalieshields.com to view my work and prices.
www.natalieshields.com
Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all in the
Detail This month we are lucky to have a massive photo spread from the extremely talented Amanda Wignell from Amanda Wignell Photography. Amanda has won loads of Kodak Awards and it is easy to see why! Enjoy! www.awp.co.nz
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Real Wedding Photos
Jonathan & Natalie Married 20 February 2010 at Kumeu Valley Estate
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Matt & Kylie Married 7 November 2009 at Fables
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Matt & Kim Married on 12 March 2010 at The Estate Waiheke Island
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Opeti & Nikki Married on 12 December 2009 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church Herne bay and reception at Hopetoun Alpha
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nadia couture Redefining bridesmaids. nadia couture is Aucklandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premier bridesmaid shop. Timeless design, quality fabrics and meticulous craftsmanship for the bride and your bridesmaids needs. nadiacouture garments range from soft silk chiffon to elegant formal satin, available in a wide range of colours and sizes. To compliment the dresses, nadia couture has exquisite jewellery and beautiful evening bags, guaranteeing nadia remains a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;must-seeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; destination for your entire bridal party and every evening occasion.
271a Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby, Auckland customerservices@nadiacouture.co.nz
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Phone: 09 361 1205 www.nadiacouture.co.nz
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FEATURE
The Non-Essentials: engaged
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Tips for cutting down the cost of your wedding 85
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nce you start planning your wedding, you will find that the list of things you need to pay for grows rapidly. Unless you have a bottomless wallet, you will need to prioritise the things that you want versus the things that you need. But everything seems important! So how do you work out what you can do without? A common piece of advice that you often get for planning a wedding is to make a budget and stick to it. But perhaps, before you even get to that stage, you should try to work out whether there is anything that you could cut off your list and not add to the budget at all? Or are there things that you can tone down without guests even noticing. To help you out, we sat down and thought of six wedding non-essentials for people on tight budgets that are trying to make the money stretch as far as it can.
Wedding Non-Essential 1: Save-the-date Cards Right, you definitely need to let people know when your wedding is so that they can keep the date free (and organise travel etc if they are coming from afar). However, do you really to pay for a professionally printed save the date card? Consider making your own and keeping it simple, such as using a postcard. This will save the cost of an envelope. These days most people RSVP via phone, email or text so there is no need to have a reply card for them to send. In fact, do you even need to send a physical card at all? Why not use an email to do this - it is pretty easy to attach a lovely Save
the Date PDF to your email. It will cost you nothing extra but your time...and save on paper!
Wedding Non-Essential 2: Invitations What!?!? we hear you say, invitations are pretty essential. Yes, we know that. However, perhaps you can be a bit resourceful about what needs to be included with the invitation. Do you really need to send a map, a reply card and envelope, a gift registry card and an accommodation list with your invitation? Instead, you could set up a wedding webpage with all that information (there are a bunch of free or low-cost wedding websites that let you do just this). This can save a bit on the cost of the invitations. Also, don’t forget that, for most of your guests, your invitation will be on the fridge until the wedding and then be put out with the recycling, so maybe the very expensive paper could be changed for something a bit more reasonable.
Wedding Non-Essential 3: Wedding stationary Some of you will want to have everything matching and want to have all the bits and bobs. There is nothing wrong with that and, if it is in your budget, it is lovely to do. However, if you do want to try and save a little, maybe consider doing it yourself (although of course you need to be the sort of person who likes doing that sort of thing). Do you think people are going to notice if the order of service doesn’t match the invitations or that there isn’t one at all? Perhaps, you might want to look at getting the invitations professionally printed and then doing the order of service or place-names yourself. It always pays to shop around as you may be able to get a good deal on getting all the stationary printed at the same time or by having generic invitations that you add the names manually and do your own envelopes. You could also try to find out other people who are getting married around the same time (the discussion forums are a great place to do this) and see if you can get a group discount if you all order from the same supplier.
Wedding Non-Essential 4: The Venue You obviously want to get married in a lovely place with the right look and feel. But, rather than spending time and money decorating the ceremony venue (decorating the pews, buying a large flower display for the entrance or putting flowers in the toilets) could you instead just rely on your venueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own charm? Perhaps you just concentrate your efforts on the places where it will be noticed like the tables and not worry about the bathrooms! Also if you are getting married in a church often there is more than one wedding a day so you may be able to share flowers with the other couples - consider whether it really matters that the flowers are carnations when you have roses in your bouquet?
Wedding Non-Essential 5: Chair Covers How many times have you heard a bride complaining about the extra cost of having chair covers? For some weddings, chair covers will make the look of the venue. But, before you go out and order them, consider whether the chairs really need that fancy cover or are they really fine as they are and no one will notice the difference? Or is there something else you could do instead such as buying a length of tafeta or ribbon in your wedding colour to tie around the seats.
Wedding Non-Essential 6: Wedding Favours How many weddings have you been to where you have seen the carefully prepared candle or personalised sweets left behind on the table? Wedding favours can be quite expensive, especially if you have to buy a hundred of them and it is an easy thing to save some money on! There is no doubt that favours can be very meaningful. However, sometimes people just buy them because they think that they should, favours for favours sake and, if the favours donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t
have a special meaning for you, perhaps you could flag them altogether. Otherwise, you could make your own favours perhaps a cookie in a wedding theme shape or homemade chocolates. If you do decide to have favours, shop around and look on the Internet for deals.
Wedding Non-Essential 7: The Food and Wine Yes, if you are a foodie and the meal is an important aspect of the day for you, go ahead and go crazy. However, if you are trying to feed a large number of people with a little money, think how you can do that without compromising on taste. If you want a seated meal, then limit the menu options; serve one entree that you think most will like (remembering vegetarians and other special menu needs will need to be catered for), only offer limited choices, forget dessert and have the cake, or forget the cake and have dessert. With a buffet, again you can limit the variety of dishes. On the alcohol side, there is no need to offer spirits as they will blow out your costs. Do you really need to offer several wine options and a variety of beers? Having a limited selection lets you buy in bulk which should make it cheaper. You could also have a cash bar - just put some wine on the tables at the beginning of the evening (or for the speeches) and then make it a cash bar after that has run out. Remember that this is your day and your guests are there to share it with you, not for a Michelin Star dining experience so donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel you have to make it one!! So here are a few money-saving suggestions. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure that there are plenty more things that people are doing to save a penny and we would love to hear about them so make sure that you email us (info@engaged.co.nz) with your favourite money saving tips!
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Island
Dreams Helene and Carl decided on an island wedding on the beautiful Plantation Island in Fiji as they wanted a day that was easy to organise, not too much stress on the wallet and, most of all, relaxing and enjoyable and, from their story, it seems that they achieved it. It certainly goes to show that a destination wedding need not be stressful! Helene tell us about her day... Well, Carl and I have been seeing each other for four and a half years. We came together through our love of the water so it was only natural that we chose to get married on a tropical island like Fiji, of course for us to enjoy ourselves there had to be surf near by! Carl got to surf the famous Cloud Break and Restaurants while we were in Fiji.
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We decided on Fiji last year after travelling to Samoa and deciding that it was a little too expensive and it didn’t have the accommodation options that we wanted. We had gone on a holiday to Plantation Island in January and just loved it so we decided that we would get married there. The thing I loved was that the planning all seemed to be easy and so relaxed and I didn’t have to think about anything. People kept asking us how the planning was going and I kept saying: “I haven’t really planned anything, only the date!” Two weeks before flying out to Fiji we sent a copy of our passport and birth certificates to the registry office and that was about all the hard work that we had to do. I wanted to make sure though that I had my dream dress and, after starting my search at Jane Yeh, and I did not go anywhere else. The staff were fantastic and it truly was my dream dress, I loved it sooo much.
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We arrived on the Tuesday before the wedding which was scheduled for the Friday. On Wednesday we went to see the wedding co-ordinator and organised hair, make up, flowers, cake, food and alcohol in about 20 minutes then we were all done. That is my type of wedding planning! The day before the wedding one of the girls said to me “do you have your vowels?” I said “No, I was hoping I could get some from the celebrant.” They all thought that we were crazy as we had not organised anything. But when the celebrant came on the day he had two different ones for us to choose from so it all worked out fine. The day itself was so easy. We each got up on the morning of the wedding and went and had breakfast, although being a little bit traditional we did not see each other at breakfast as we had decided not to until the wedding ceremony. Then the girls and I headed off to the hairdresser, where we all got put in rollers and spent the day in them just sitting around waiting for the time to roll on.
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I felt as though it was the easiest day of getting ready ever. Once the hair was done, we did the makeup and it was off back to the room for more waiting. The celebrant came and spoke to us each individually. At about 2.30pm the photographer came and got some pictures of us and then we walked off down the beach for a stroll. It took about 3 minutes to get to the ceremony location which was just a wee way down the beach. Everyone was on Fiji time and had only just arrived at the venue before us! It was all so easy; the wedding went well and then we went off for photos with the photographer down the beach and had a few shots at the neighbouring resort, Lomani, in their beautiful gardens. While everyone else was waiting for us, finger food and champagne was served.
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We came back and had a few more photos with different groups of people and then we all strolled down the beach for dinner which was also on the beach. It was a gorgeous setting with flowers on the tables and set up in a Tike-like setting. For dinner we had Lovo which is like a Fijian Hangi, there was roast pork, chicken, beef and fish with lots of salads. There was so much food a lot of it did not get eaten. One very special and memorable moment was when the Fijian musicians came in and sung a song for Carlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grandmother as we shared our wedding anniversary with her. Then Carl got up and danced with her. This was a teary moment for us all especially as he is very shy. If I was asked to recommend anywhere for people to get married, it would be Fiji! For me, everything was perfect (although I am very easy going). I think if you arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t easy going then it may not be the
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place to get married as there are things that will just be out of your control. They did sometimes take a few weeks to get back to you via email which stressed me out a little before leaving NZ but I think it was because they were all on Fiji time and everything fell into place on the day! The best part of getting married in Fiji was that everyone on both sides of the family and friends all got to know each other much better as it was not just the wedding day but they also spent the days either side of the wedding together. We all got to do activities together and spend more time with family and friends at such a happy occasion and it made the wedding last much longer. It was so easy to plan everything from NZ. I emailed the resort and said what date I wanted, hair, makeup, how many people and told them I wanted a photographer and that was that. Everything else was organised once I got there. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think I would change anything at all. For me it was perfect and I loved every minute!
Stunning freeze dried Rose and Hydrangea petals in 25 colours and blends
Exquisite bouquets for brides and bridesmaids
Personalized petal cones
Beautiful table centerpieces
Gorgeous flower girl petal pails
Complimentary consultation and design
www.foreverpetals.co.nz
Leonie Fisher Mobile Make-up Artist
Coco a Berry invitation by design p
fishyleo@orcon.net.nz 021 389423
WEDDING STATIONERY
Save the date Invitations RSVP Menus Order of service Thank You cards and more www.cocoaberry.co.nz 021 2636 147 info@cocoaberry.co.nz
Create your own unique jewellery. Custom designs with delight. Beads for embellishment. www.beadsgloriousbeads.com 6 Kingsland Tce, Kingsland, Auckland - Phone: 09 815 1177
BEADS
JEWELLERY
CLASSES
Mob: 021 458 687 diana@outside-the-square.co.nz
Through the Lens
Showcasing Photographic Excellence
Photograph by VisionWorks Photography
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Amy Schulz Photography
Website: www.amyschulz.co.nz Email: AmySchulzPhotography@gmail.com Mobile: 0211556071 Wellington and Nationwide
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Emma Hughes Photography Website: www.emmahughes.co.nz www.weddingsonwaiheke.co.nz Email: emma@emmahughes.co.nz Phone: 09 372 8729 Mobile: 021 051 3292 Waiheke and Auckland Master NZ Institute of Professional Photography
Amanda Wignell Photography Website: www.awp.co.nz Email: amanda@awp.co.nz Phone: 09 426 2647 Mobile: 027 615 3078 Associate Member NZ Institute of Professional Photography Auckland and Northland
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Photography by Marijke Website: www.photographybym.co.nz Email: mail@photographybym.co.nz Phone: 07 572 4085 Mobile: 021 560 509 Bay of Plenty and Nationwide
Victoria Vincent Photography Website: www.victoriavincent.com Mobile: 021 213 5759 Wellington, Nelson, Nationwide
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Email: victoria@victoriavincent.com
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Website: www.velaimages.com
Vela Images
Email: greta@velaimages.com Phone: 021 376 663 Auckland and Nationwide
VisionWorks Photography
Website: www.visionworks.co.nz Email: tim@visionworks.co.nz Phone: 09 845 5925 Mobile: 021 44 88 17 Auckland
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Brett Lees, Unique Visions Photography Website: www.uniquevisions.co.nz Email: brett@uniquevisions.co.nz Phone: 09 817 7014 Mobile: 0274 913 061 Qualified Member NZ Institute of Professional Photography Auckland
Jan Maree Vodanovich Photography and Art Website: www.janmareeart.co.nz Email: jan@janmareeart.co.nz Phone: 09 236 8553 Mobile: 027 281 5921 Auckland, Franklin, Hamilton
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Where The Heart Is Photography
Website: www.wheretheheartis.co.nz Email: info@wheretheheartis.co.nz Phone: 07 8547933 Mobile: 021 235 7976 Auckland, Waikato, King Country & Bay of Plenty
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Parker Swannell Photography Email: parkerswannell@gmail.com Phone: 09 817 2678 Mobile: 021 257 5355 Auckland
New Regent Studios Website: www.photos.co.nz Email: info@photos.co.nz Phone: 03 355 4448 Mobile: 027 229 2329 Christchurch
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Jeremy Hill Photography Website: www.jeremyhill.co.nz Email: enquiries@jeremyhill.co.nz Phone: (09) 8263394 Mobile: 021 2279196 Auckland
Vicky Broadbent VisionWorks Photography
Website:Website: www.vickybroadbent.co.nz broadbent@xtra.co.nz www.studioname.co.nzEmail: Email: info@studioname.co.nz Phone: 09 123 4567 Phone: Mobile:021 021633 123404 4567 Qualified Member NZ Institute of Professional Photography Coromandel and Auckland Auckland
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FEATURE
A Little
HIST
Heritage venue engaged
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e Bit of
TORY
es for your wedding 113
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W
hile New Zealand might not be able to boast having buildings that are hundreds of years old, there are still loads of gorgeous heritage buildings which you can use for your wedding. The beauty of having your wedding at a heritage venue is that the venue helps to set the theme for your wedding without you having to do anything. In most cases, no decoration is required and the classic charm and elegance of the building and surround setting are perfect for hosting a classic wedding. There are additional advantages to having your wedding at a historic building. Cost: Often only a donation is required to secure the use of the venue which can be considerably less than other wedding venues or restaurants. Locations: Depending on the building, there is usually both an indoor and outdoor location that you can use for your ceremony. This gives you some peace of mind in case the weather is looking a bit grim. Photos: Historic houses are filled with character - perfect for creating classic wedding photos. The are also normally surrounded by well-kept gardens in which you can get some gorgeous outdoor photos. Entertainment: While you are having your photos taken, your guests will be happy exploring the historic house. Often
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there will be guides who will be able to relay some of the history of the venue to you guests. There are however a few things that you need to check before booking such a venue: Reception: If you are planning to have your ceremony and reception at the same place, you will need to check whether there is space for a seated meal or whether you are able to set up a marquee. If you are going the marquee route, you will need to figure this into your costs and find out if there are any limitations on marquees that you can use. You will also need to see whether you will be able to use your own caterers and what facilities there are for them. Some of the historic houses are perfectly set up for having a cocktail function style reception where others will work for a full seated meal and some where neither is permitted. Alcohol: You should double check whether it is permissible to serve alcohol in the grounds and whether you need to get a licence (or licenced manager) to serve drinks. The venue should be able to advise you of this. Time Restrictions: Some historic venues require you to leave a little earlier than the more traditional wedding venues or restaurants.
To get you started, here are a few of the more well-known historic places in which you can have your wedding.
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Alberton 100 Mount Albert Road, Auckland One of Auckland’s most popular heritage venues ofr garden weddings and wedding photography. www.alberton.co.nz
Highwic 40 Gillies Avenue, Auckland One of New Zealand’s finest timber Gothic houses, Highwic has the option for erecting a marquee for your wedding reception. www.highwic.co.nz
Old St Paul’s 34 Mulgrave Street, Wellington A gorgeous historic church, perfect for your wedding ceremony. Right in the heart of Wellington. www.oldstpauls.co.nz 116
Pompallier The Strand, Russell The sole surviving building of the French Catholic Mission headquarters to the Western Pacific. www.historicplaces.org.nz
Totara Estate State Highway 1, Oamaru An historic farm that is a beautiful backdrop for an outdoor ceremony and your wedding photos. www.totaraestate.co.nz
The Rose Historic Chapel 866 Colombo Street, Christchurch A beautiful gothic-style church, recently restored to cater for intimate weddings. www.rosehistoricchapel.co.nz
The Checklist Engaged to 9 months before Task
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Announce your engagement, including notices in the newspaper Organise for your families to meet, if they haven’t done so already Choose your bridesmaids, groomsmen, MC, flower girls, page boys Discuss the type of wedding you want, including budget Compile a draft guest list (this will help determine venue size) Choose venues for the ceremony and reception Set the date and time for the wedding Choose and book the following: • Photographer • Videographer • Entertainment • Caterer • Florist • Transport • Wedding Co-ordinator • Celebrant Start thinking about your dress (you may need to book a dressmaker) Consider purchasing wedding insurance to cover those things that are out of your control which may result in the wedding being postponed or cancelled Have an engagement party
9 months before Task
Order your wedding dress Choose your accessories: veil, jewellery, underwear, shoes and so on Choose the attire for the rest of the wedding party as applicable: • Groom • Bridesmaids • Groomsmen • Flower girls • Page boys Select stationery including: • Invitations
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Task
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• Thank you cards/notes • Place name cards • RSVP cards • Seating plan • Envelopes Book a calligrapher Send out save-the-date cards Contact rental companies to hire equipment, marquees, tables, etc Organise gift registry Start thinking about your honeymoon
6 months before Task
Order bridesmaids’ dresses Order/book the groom’s and groomsmen’s suits Help your mother and mother-in-law with their outfits Discuss your beauty regime with your beauty therapist Book in for marriage preparation course if needed Decide on and order your wedding cake Book your accommodation for the wedding night Investigate accommodation options for out of town guests Choose and purchase your wedding rings Make any honeymoon reservations
4 months before Task
Book hairdresser and make-up artist Order favours Discuss menu options with caterer/venue, including wine selection Organise entertainment if you are having children at the reception Speak with the celebrant or minister and decide on an order of service, responsibilities, speech making, readings, etc. Set your rehearsal date Let people know if they will be making a speech, doing a reading, etc Purchase wedding gifts for each other and the wedding party Organise time off work for your honeymoon Renew passports if necessary!
2 months before Task
Post invitations Write your vows Have your hair and makeup trials (remember to take your veil etc)
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Organise dancing lessons for the first dance Organise your hen’s and buck’s nights with the wedding party Confirm: • Flowers with florist – do they fit with the theme, colours, dresses • Menu with caterer • Accommodation for yourselves and your guests Organise any legal work, for example, pre-nuptial agreements, wills
1 month before Task
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Apply for your marriage licence Confirm and finalise final guest numbers Make a seating plan (allow time for disagreements!) Have your dress fittings Organise bridal party’s final fittings (including accessories) Confirm groom’s and groomsmen’s outfits are ready Write your speech Confirm honeymoon accommodation and flight bookings Organise a house-sitter for while you are on honeymoon
2 weeks before Task
Confirm with everyone that you have booked for your wedding, advise final numbers and provide a emergency contact number to: • Venue • Caterer • Celebrant/Minister • Photographer • Videographer • Entertainment • Florist • Cake maker • Stationery • Car hire company • Hairdresser • Makeup artist • Favours • Hire company Make a list of everything that needs to be set up and/or taken to the ceremony and reception Have your final dress fitting including accessories. Take your chief bridesmaid so she knows how to how to attach your train etc.
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Make sure the bridesmaids have their dresses, footwear and accessories Have your final haircut and colour before the wedding Make sure the groom has his hair cut Finalise seating plan for reception Write place cards Practise walking around in your wedding shoes Have hen’s night and buck’s night
1 week before Task
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Pick up your wedding dress and hang it in a safe place Wedding rehearsal (you may like to give the bridal party their gifts then) Pick up hire items, including groom’s and groomsmen’s attire Confirm honeymoon arrangements Pack for honeymoon Have your engagement ring professionally cleaned Pack an emergency kit for the day Final check on arrangements and plan for the day: • Who has the rings? • Have you paid entertainers etc ahead of time or do you need to take money? • Who is taking the gifts home after the wedding? • Who is dry-cleaning your dress the next day? • Who is returning the suits? • Make sure the bridal party are aware of their roles • Give a list of important contacts to a trusted family member or friend (can be the chief bridesmaid or the mother of the bride)
The day before Task
Relax and spend some quality time on your own! Present each other with gifts and remind each other why you love the other Give wedding bands to the best man and/or chief bridesmaid to hold during the ceremony
The big day Enjoy yourself!
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Next Issue out 1 September
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