Tatum - Recently refurbished historic wedding venue Wellington - Libby and Pani

Libby and Pani - high school sweethearts, cat parents (my kind of people), homeowners and now... husband and wife! 💍 Getting to know these two was such an honour in the lead up to their day and we are so grateful to have captured both photos and video for them!!

This was our my first time at Tatum since it was recently renovated, the accommodation is really nice and there were plenty of great spots. Their video is by my husband Karl, photos by me!
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Photos: @jaymee_photography
Video: @traveller.video
Second photographer: @jessdewsnap
Dress: @bridal_studio @alenahume_nz
Venue: @tatumevents1912
Flowers: @jane.flowergirl
Hair: @taylormadehair_ @duo_styling
Makeup: @makeupbyhayz_
DJ: @dj_swervos

The best wedding vendors in Wellington, Wairarapa and the Kapiti Coast!

I’m incredibly lucky to work alongside some of the most talented wedding creatives located here in Wellington! Your wedding day is a collective effort and each individual is an expert in their field. While I’m thinking of lighting, timing, backdrops and bringing joy to your photos, other vendors have their own set of knowledge and experience. There are so parts to a wedding day and I’m so grateful to be a big part of making couples dream wedding and ideas into a reality. Here are some of the vendors I have great experiences working with and I know you will love what they can do for your day. Most of these vendors will travel to the Wairarapa and the Kapiti Coast.

Wedding dresses Wellington

Paperswan Bride (this was where I purchased my wedding dress!)
Hello Romeo
Astra Bridal

Wedding CelebrantS Wellington

Miranda (Marry All The People)
Patricia Robbie
Wendy Morrison
Jill Southee
Rachel Clarke Celebrant
Fi Becker
Aingie Miller (was the celebrant for our own wedding so we highly rate her! She does weddings in Manawatu, Kapiti and Wairarapa regions, but is also happy to travel)

Wedding florists Wellington

Juliette Florist
Floriade (did our wedding flowers, specialises in dried and fresh florals)
Yvette Edwards
Bloomwood Flower Design (located directly in the Wairarapa)

Makeup artists WELLINGTOn

Jaymie Jarvis (Duo Styling) (Jaymie is co-owner of Duo Styling with her sister Dayna who specialises in hair styling. They have a team of amazing girls for hair and makeup on your wedding day. Jaymie has done my own glam for a number of events and she makes me feel like a queen every time)
Kelly Michelle (Kelly is so wonderful and did my makeup on my wedding day)
Antoinette & Laura (hair and makeup team)
You and I Artistry
The Makeup Artist

Wedding Hair Stylists Wellington

Dayna Maree Hair (co-owner of Duo Styling and part of an incredible hair and makeup team in Wellington)
Dollhouse Do
Wedding Hair by Rachel
Antoinette & Laura (hair and makeup team)

Wedding caterers Wellington & Wairarapa

Blue Carrot (100% recommended by us, they have catered all of our special events over the years and have flexible options for everyone)
Nosh
Trestle & Mortar

Wedding Cakes Wellington

Stiletto Studio (I order at least one cake from Becs every year, she makes the most beautiful cakes and they are so delicious)
Em & Skye Cake co
Cake Lab

Wedding marquees Wellington & Wairarapa

George + Co
Festival Hire Wairarapa

This list is current as of July 2024. I am always meeting new vendors and finding more recommendations for my couples. If you are a vendor who has worked with me and think we work well together please reach out as there is a chance I have missed you from this list!

Tarureka Estate - Wairarapa wedding venue review and wedding photos!

Mr & Mrs Becker-Stewart! A true love story that dating apps can work their magic and these beautiful humans found each other! A laid-back guy from the Naki and a stunning registered nurse, an absolute perfect match these two ♥️ They are now living the dream together in Melbourne and came back to NZ to celebrate with friends and family on their wedding day at Tarureka Estate in Featherson!

Review of Tarureka Estate - Rustic Barn Wedding Venue Wairarapa, NZ

I wanted to share this wedding day as an opportunity to showcase Tarureka as a New Zealand wedding venue and why we enjoy photographing and filming weddings here! It’s located in Featherson at the bottom of the Remutaka Range hill, only a short drive from Wellington and Lower/Upper Hutt, so if you’re exploring venues in the Wairarapa or Wellington region this would be a great choice.

Get ready on site in the Historical Homestead

The homestead sleeps 18 people and has a bridal suite on the second floor. As photographers, we appreciate that everyone can get ready on-site for their wedding day. This makes it easy for us to go between rooms and spaces, if we have a groom getting ready at the same time a bride is having her hair or makeup done for example. The historic homestead has been recently renovated but holds its original charm and character. Once you’re ready for your ceremony and wedding day, it is only a 30-second walk to greet your guests.

Your wedding ceremony

Tarureka Estate offers an indoor and outdoor area for ceremonies which is great for all weather conditions. This is the outdoor area situated in a grove of trees. After your ceremony, guests are invited to the main lawn near the homestead for cocktails, canapes and games.

Wedding photos

The gardens at Tarureka provide backdrops for all your wedding photos however if you would like to go off-site with your bridesmaids/groomsmen/wedding party crew there are optional locations nearby! Most of the photos below are on-site (aside from the photos taken in the Olive Grove which are at a private property).

The Loft Barn

Voted as one of the top barn venues the loft was built in 1868 and is one of the oldest and largest barns in New Zealand. Since 2001 it has been running as a wedding venue. The top floor can be used for your ceremony and or reception, which seats up to 120 guests. The ground floor is where the bar and dance floor are located.

Brac and Bow Catering

At the time of writing this blog post Brac and Bow is the caterer for Tarureka and their food is delicious! The venue also offers BYO alcohol for no extra cost.

I also wanted to make a special mention to the wonderful Sarah McEvoy who joined me for part of this wedding day, she took some of the cocktail hour photos that I’ve shared in this blog. Two of my wedding packages include a second photographer so while I’m photographing in one area with the wedding couple, I have another person capturing some of the candid moments that couples often didn’t see on the day.

Anam Cara Gardens Wedding - Amy and Liam

When your wedding day turns out to be a one-year wedding anniversary. SURPRISE! Amy and Liam thank you for asking us to capture your special day and for doing things authentic to how you wanted them to be! These two eloped on this exact day 1 year prior and managed to keep the secret until their wedding day at Anam Cara Gardens. We started off their day with preparations over in the main house before their first look together and then a first look with some of their immediate family members (loved this idea of including family). We then went around the gardens for photos with their wedding party friends!

To finish off the day we had cocktail hour with lots of catching up with their guests, the shoe game (is this what it's called?!), sunset photos down at Otaki beach, an epic reception entrance and a first dance.

As always thanks so much for having us at your beautiful venue Teresa and Tim at Anam Cara Gardens and to Olivia Melhop for your help on this day as my second photographer!

Preparing for family photos on your wedding day

Doing family photos on your wedding day after your ceremony doesn’t need to be an overwhelming experience! We have all been to a wedding where this part of the day took too long with many combinations of the same photos. Quite often on the day couples will ditch their original list or skip a few groups just to get it over and done with. It doesn’t need to be this way though, there are things we can do to prepare so it goes smoothly and quickly!

Quick Tips for your family and group photos on your wedding day

• We will need 2 guests to help with family photos - one person who can call out from the list and one person to be a runner/find people, while I'm photographing. You might like to have one helper from each side of your family. 

• I recommend including the individual names of the people in each group photo so no one gets missed (I can't photoshop people into photos if they are missed on the day) 

• You may like to take photos with grandparents or any children first so they can relax afterwards

• I recommend no more than 20 groups. 15 groups is an easy amount to get through, any more than this and it can become overwhelming for couples on the day.

WRITE A LIST OF GROUPS/BE SPECIFIC

It can help to write down the names of everyone in each group so they can be read out on the spot and we can check to make sure no one is missing (it’s never a great feeling as a photographer knowing that someone important was left out of a photo when we had no idea they were missing). If your venue allows for pets, add your doggo to the list! Keep your combinations to no more than 25 groups (this seems like a lot of photos but it can quickly add up when you start to look at your guest list and make decisions for this part of the day).

ASSIGN HELP, WE CAN MAKE THIS QUICK!

Prior to the day assign some help for this part of the day so we can efficiently take family photos. I recommend having one person read from your list of groups, calling out names (while your photographer is taking photos) and a second person who can be a runner to find people. This could be an MC or a family member so they are familiar with everyone on the list. It’s a good idea to ask people who are confident, if your venue has a microphone reading the names out loud can be a quick way to gather people and get their attention.

ONE LARGE GROUP PHOTO

If you would like one big group photo of everyone, do this first before guests spread out across your venue area. The bonus of having Karl with me for weddings (my husband who does videography) is he can sometimes take your large group photo using his drone which makes a great image where everyone can be seen. This bonus service isn’t included in every job we do, it is weather-dependent and only if you have videography booked. Here is an example of a drone photo versus a photo I have taken standing on a large ladder (supplied by a venue).

ORDER STRATEGICALLY

First do your big group photo with all the guests as mentioned in the previous paragraph, followed by any images with grandparents or children. Then work through one side of the family, then the other. Try to move people around as little as possible. 

KEEP IT SIMPLE

For our own wedding we made it really simple and had basic combinations with no double-ups. It was more important to spend time with our family than overdo it with multiple photos with the same people. I highly recommend approx 15 groups if you want to keep this easy and spend less time on these.

Something Blue - A wedding at The Boat Shed Wellington

Something old, something new, something borrowed and lots of Blue - shoes, hair and even blue boat sheds. It was a treat photographing Erin and Peter’s wedding at The Boat Shed in Wellington.

Wellington put on its best windy weather for us and we still headed outside for bridal photos after their ceremony. There’s something special about a city wedding and being all dressed up right in the middle of it all! Where is your preferred wedding location - mountains or city vibes?

Wellington wedding elopement - Plimmerton Beach

My very last wedding for 2021 was an intimate elopement with Theresa, Zack and baby Ezra! It felt like we were on a tropical island out in Plimmerton, you wouldn’t know that it had been raining earlier in the day. I loved these relaxed elopement style ceremonies! This was a simple 40 minute photo session without any guests, I was one of their witnesses so it was really small and intimate for them.

Thank you Patricia Robbie for joining us as the celebrant for their ceremony!

Intimate wedding elopement in Breaker Bay, Wellington

Alison and Nicola planned an elopement ceremony looking over Breaker Bay. We knew that the forecast was for rain but we still risked it and managed to get 20 minutes of photos in the exact spot they originally wanted for their ceremony before it really started to rain on us! We jumped in the car afterwards, all windswept but full of adrenaline and made our way back to their accommodation where we met @celebratewithjill for the ceremony. I shared a glass of bubbles with them as we got the space ready for their vows and then we hit record on their phone while I took photos. It was just 5 of us and it was so special to be a witness for them on their special day.

I’m telling you their story as a reminder that getting married can look any way you want it to. It can rain and plans may change but you WILL have the best day ever if you focus on whats most important… and that’s love!

How to choose your perfect wedding venue?

You’re engaged, congratulations! Now you get to plan the biggest party of your life - your wedding day. It can be overwhelming all of the decision makings but there are loads of resources and tips out there for free to get you started. I’ve put together some tips on how to choose the best wedding venue as this is usually the first big decision to make.

Ohariu Farm wedding venue Wellington

Ohariu Farm wedding reception Wellington

KNOW YOUR STYLE AND VISION

What is your decor style and aesthetic for your wedding? Are you leaning towards elegant and modern, traditional or relaxed, rustic and retro, outdoors or indoors etc? Perhaps start looking for inspiration on Pinterest and get a feel for the overall look you like. When you start to visit venues or look online you’ll begin to build a picture of whether or not your vision fits with the space.

Foxglove Wellington wedding venue

Foxglove Wellington reception venue

BUDGET

First things first, let’s talk budget! For our wedding we originally wanted to make it happen with 20k, we quickly realised for what we wanted that wasn’t realistic and it ended up being 30k. Start with categorising the ‘must haves’ first and then work your way down the list. The most expensive things for our wedding were the venue, food, alcohol, photographer and wedding dress. They weren’t things we were willing to compromise on. When it comes to budgeting for your venue there may be extra costs like rubbish removal and waitress staff so make sure you do your research.

Old Saint Pauls Wellington

GUEST LIST/NUMBERS CAPACITY

Before you start looking at venues you’ll need to write a draft guest list so you have a rough idea of how many people will attend. When we started writing our guest list for our own wedding we aimed for 60 people, this quickly escalated to 80 people and unfortunately our booked venue usually only catered for 60-70 max (it was a tight squeeze during the reception, whoops). I definitely recommend sticking to the guideline that your venue provides otherwise it makes it really hard for waitress staff and guests to move around during the reception.

Sudbury wedding ceremony

Sudbury wedding venue Kapiti Coast

AVAILABILITY

What time of year do you want to get married, do you want a summer wedding or do you prefer cooler months? We decided on May for our wedding because we wanted our ceremony to be as close to sunset time as possible for the nice light in our photos. It was nice not standing outside on a hot summer’s day (being a photographer and working in the sun for hours on end is really challenging and also those wearing suits find it way too hot in jackets and pants).

Give yourself lots of time and pick a date that is 12-18 months away so you can ensure all of your favourite vendors are available.

Ohariu Farm wedding reception

Ohariu Farm wedding Wellington

ACCOMMODATION

Do you need to provide on-site accommodation or make this available for your VIP guests? Some couples like to make it easier for their guests traveling from afar to have accommodation included at the venue. This means that guests don’t need to worry about transport and can party without planning a sober driver.

Brackenridge wedding reception Martinborough

Brackenridge Martinborough

TRANSPORT

Is your venue easy to get to and order taxi’s from, or do you need to pre-book a bus to make sure guests get home safely. If there is alcohol at your wedding this is an important thing to factor in. For our wedding, we prebooked a large bus which did one trip from the accommodation our guests booked and then one trip back in the evening for about $900 NZD. Make sure you add this into your budget so it’s not a surprise when you start to look at booking transport. We also booked some earlier taxis in the night for children and grandparents.

Brackenridge wedding ceremony

Brackenridge Wairarapa

WEEKEND HIRE

Find out when you have access to the venue. Some questions to ask before you book are: can you set up your decorations the day beforehand, or do you only have access the morning of the wedding (which means hiring a team to make this happen since you’ll be getting ready)? And when do you need to have the venue cleaned and cleared by the next day?

Poppies wedding venue Martinborough

Poppies wedding ceremony Martinborough

CATERING AND BYO ALCOHOL

Some venues will have specific caterers that they work with or allow into their kitchen only. Find out what the catering options are and if the kitchen is fully equipped for an offsite company to use. You’ll need to choose between plated meals or a buffet-style, we picked a buffet style because we wanted larger portions and simple options.

Not all venues allow BYO alcohol due to licensing reasons so you may need to budget more for your venue’s drink prices. Find out if you can purchase wine by the bottle for your tables which will help slow down the bar tab. Don’t be afraid to be specific about what spirits your guests can drink to keep costs down (some weddings will even do spirits for bridal parties only for example).

Martinborough Tree Church wedding venue

The Vue at Martinborough Tree Church

SOUND LIMIT AND LIVE MUSIC

Check with your venue if there are any restrictions on noise for your reception party. Live music is great but it can be louder. Most venues will have a bar cut-off time which is often when the music gets turned down.

Peppers Parehua Martinborough wedding ceremony

Peppers Parehua Martinborough Vineyard

COVID19 POLICY

It’s a strange time we are living in so make sure you find out what your venue’s policies are around covid19 and if you have the flexibility to reschedule without penalty fees if needed. There is always the possibility of an outbreak, talk about the options and have a backup plan.

We got married! Things we did differently when planning our own wedding!

OUR ENGAGEMENT STORY

Karl and I had only been together for 2 years when we got engaged, but we had been friends for a year before our dating relationship started and I quickly realised I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. The proposal was a surprise, I had a feeling it was coming and it had crossed my mind but he planned it so well and so sneakily. We had a photoshoot planned with our friend Yvonne Liew, I thought we were just meeting to get some cool pics together but during the shoot, Karl popped the question! It was such a cool moment caught on camera.

Soon after the proposal, NZ went into lockdown due to COVID. It was during this time we started talking a little bit about what we would do for our wedding and then once things started to open up again we just decided to jump straight into planning with very little money but knew that we wanted to make it happen for May the following year.

WE MADE OUR OWN WEDDING VIDEO!

When looking for a videographer we found it really tricky picking a style that we liked so we decided to approach it differently. With Karl working as a wedding videographer we knew that we could edit our own video to make it suit our personality and editing style. We couldn’t just ask any professional videographer for the RAW footage as it comes across as a bit of a disrespectful request, therefore we asked a fellow videographer friend who doesn’t usually shoot weddings to take footage for us and they were happy for us to edit ourselves.

Our approach to creating the video was we wanted more of a 'vlog’ style short film, so there are some parts with funny audio and authentic moments. It’s fast-paced, shows the full day but without being too static and repetitive. We hope that anyone can watch it and feel entertained right to the very end even if they don’t know us personally. We really wanted our personalities to come through and we didn’t want it to look too polished or serious because it’s not us!

p.s. If you’re ever worried about mucking up your own wedding vows just remember I swore during mine, so it's totally ok. Woops!

PREPARATIONS

We decided to get ready together, so all of the bridal party was hanging out the night before and the morning of the wedding. Originally we had an Airbnb booked for our preparations but it cancelled on us 1 week before the day!! Not a great situation to go through but it ended up being a blessing because we found this incredible accommodation which was much nicer and everyone loved the experience (despite it being more expensive). It even had heated floors which made us feel extra special.

Getting ready together felt more relaxed and we went into the day feeling so connected and supported by one another. I didn’t care about Karl seeing my hair and makeup. We did a first look at the accommodation before heading off for our bridal photos.

OUR $60 BRIDESMAID DRESSES!

Finding bridesmaid dresses wasn’t easy! We tried so many online stores that specialised in bridesmaid dresses. We ordered samples but had no luck with the styles or they were overpriced for the quality that they were. One of my girls suggested Pagani, at first I thought there is no way we would find something there but we found the perfect style that all 5 of my bridesmaids loved. We also saved so much money buying at Pagani which was a bonus! My advice is, don’t knock it until you try it. No one knew they were dresses from a chain store.

MY LOVERS SOCIETY WEDDING DRESS

I found it really hard picking the right wedding dress. I must of tried on about 50 gowns before this one and I knew straight away that this was ‘the one’. There definitely was an ‘aha’ moment when I saw it on. It was more expensive than I originally wanted to spend but it was worth every cent, I was 100% happy with how it looked. My best piece of advice is if it’s not feeling right then keep looking. I also found it easier going to fittings alone, that way I had less people around me and could think to myself without conflicting opinions.

I really wanted to wear white or cream boots, but they were really hard to find. I ended up finding a soft grey coloured pair at Mi Piaci. Again, more expensive than I originally planned but worth it. My feet didn’t get sore and they looked so cool.

BRIDAL PARTY PHOTOS

For our bridal shoot, we wanted a location that looked different from what we usually see in our industry. It also needed to be somewhere that had the option to photograph inside just in case of bad weather. We somehow came across this old building at Trentham Racecourse. It’s run down and not often used for this purpose but we fell in love with its old charm. One of the floors has been used as a cafe and bar scene on the set of King Kong and the other space we really liked was the pink ladies powder room.

PICKING OUR VENUE AT SHORT STRAW EVENTS

Short Straw in Whitemans Valley was the first and only venue we visited when planning our wedding. We knew as soon as we walked in the door that it was perfect for us! We loved the wooden furnishings and farm setting, which was fitting since we both grew up in rural towns.

Mckenzie the venue coordinator was so accomodating and helpful throughout the whole process. She gave us access to set up earlier than most venues provide and said yes to all of our requests. The only mishap on our end was inviting more guests than the number that was recommended to us. We squeezed in 72 guests, it was a tight seating plan but everyone had a good time and that’s the main thing.

Our vision for the reception room was rustic and laid back, with a minimal but eclectic look. It didn’t need to feel big and bold, or too matchy. I love that the space alone didn’t need a lot of decorations, that’s what caught our eye. My Mum did all of our table arrangements from the dried flowers that we collected prior. The pink vases are from our friend over at The Power Plant NZ plant and the name placements and our larger sign at the back of the room from Peg Creative.

With the help of family and our bridal party, we put this all together on our own! We felt so pleased with how it turned out.

A DIFFERENT CEREMONY ARCH

I fell in love with these geo stands from The Vintage Party. We wanted something different to the very popular wooden look archways, which don’t get me wrong always look good but we wanted an installation that no one would be expecting for a wedding ceremony. Floriade created these beautiful floral arrangements, as well as our bridal bouquets and the guy’s buttonholes.

LATE AFTERNOON CEREMONY

We timed our ceremony to be as late in the day as possible about 1.5 hours before sunset. This was intentional so we had the best possible light since we wanted to get married outside. Often ceremonies are planned for the middle of the day in Summer, which is usually when it’s very hot and sunny. Bright light isn’t always the best as it’s harsh on skin tones and casts uneven light/shadows. We have photographed so many weddings in these tricky lighting conditions and it was something we wanted to avoid which is partly why we choose to have a May wedding so the light would be soft and golden at 3:30pm.

UNPLUGGED CEREMONY

We made a big deal out of it being a strictly no cellphone event during the ceremony. We had a huge sign at the entrance and we asked our celebrant to announce it at the start which worked perfectly. Our ceremony was so short and we really wanted everyone to be in the moment with us.

QUICK AND EASY FAMILY PHOTOS

We made sure our family photo list wasn’t over complicated. On my side of the family, I had about 3 different family groups and 2 friend groups that I knew were really important to capture. It meant that not every person was photographed but our guests were able to relax more and not have to wait patiently for photos. We didn’t do a group photo, these are always the hardest shots to get as a photographer, especially when there is more than 50 people because you can’t clearly see everyone in the back rows.

MISSED OUT ON SUNSET BUT NO BIG DEAL

There wasn’t really much of a sunset out in Whiteman’s valley that day and honestly we didn’t even mind. We still got these beautiful photos that still have nice light and a bit of drama in the sky.

MY ONE REGRET…

We had the best day ever filled with lots of laughing and love. It was perfect! The only thing that was unfortunate was my Grandma wasn’t well enough to come to Wellington for the wedding. This meant setting up a Livestream video really last minute. We didn’t really discuss placement for the camera and guests accidentally stood in front of the camera so during the stream my Grandma couldn’t really see. If you have guests that can’t make it then I suggest investing in a proper Livestream and hire a cameraman to operate.

LIST OF VENDORS

Venue: Short Straw Events
Flowers: @floriade_wellington
Hair: @dollhousedo and @alana__muha
Makeup: @kellymichellemakeup and @jaymiejarvis.makeupartist
Photography: @yvonneliewphotography
Celebrant: @aingiemillercelebrant
Dress: @paperswanbride @loversxsociety
Signage: @daydream.nz
Geo frames: @thevintagepartynz

Old Saint Paul's Ceremony and Foxglove Reception - Mia and Phuong

Mia and Phuong originally had me booked for their wedding in 2020 but going into lockdown, unfortunately, meant rescheduling. I’m so grateful to have been a part of their planning and seeing it all come to life after the anticipation of waiting patiently for their new date. It really was an incredible day and the best way to end my busy season.

They had their ceremony at Old Saint Paul’s Wellington followed by bridal photos at Moa Point on the windy coastline. We then made our way to their second location for bridal photos along the waterfront which was the perfect way to go into their reception at Foxglove.
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Thanks so much Mia and Phuong! Here are a couple of my favourite moments from the day.

Ohariu Farm Wedding Ceremony and Reception - Leah and David

Beautiful people and a beautiful wedding! Leah and David’s wedding had us all in happy tears. The love they have for one another is truly something special and I feel so lucky to have captured it alongside Karl who did their videography. Thank you to Ohariu Farm for having us two weekends in a row!

D.I.Y. Bridesmaid Gift Boxes

I made my own bridesmaid gift boxes! We are starting to plan our own wedding for next year and I'm so excited to have three of my best friends as bridesmaids and my sister as my maid of honour!

The chocolates are from House of Chocolate NZ, sparking Rose from Spoil Me Gifts and personalised cookies made by Personalised Cookies NZ. I added in some lemon-scented bath salts as an extra to fill the boxes. The reason I made my own is that I couldn’t quite find the right already made box and I had specific item’s in mind. That being said there are some amazing businesses in NZ offering custom made boxes if you’re wanting it taken care of!

Reasons to hire a wedding planner - Interview with Kater Weddings Wellington

Your wedding day is one of the most important and memorable days of your life! Wedding planners can take a huge weight off your shoulders when it comes to organising a wedding and will be able to help you make your vision come true.

I caught up with my friend Kate from Kater Weddings & Events to find out more about her role as a Wellington based wedding planner!

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF A WEDDING PLANNER?

As a wedding planner and coordinator, it’s challenging to explain to a couple the extent of our role without sounding like a comprehensive devil’s advocate. The reality is, that is our job.

Like a duck to water, a wedding coordinator jumps in the pond the moment you sign them on. Whether it is three months out or a few weeks before, a wedding planner/coordinator loves and is experienced in all thing’s logistics. We meet, share a glass of wine and work through every element with you. After all those hours of perfectly selecting the most magical vendors, styling your tables, budgeting and saving like a squirrel to ensure you can include all your Pinterest dreams, we want you to enjoy the complete wedding experience. And on the day, simply be surrounded by those you love and be present in every moment. Because let’s be honest your wedding day is over in a flash, so why not enjoy the planning highs, the cake tastings, and often daunting dance lessons together as a couple.  

Wedding planners/coordinators offer proficient industry advice and cross any t’s or dot any i’s that you may have missed. We help with the tricky decisions, provide a tissue for happy tears and an emergency safety pin for any dress mishaps. We pre-plan and pre-empt for the worst (so that you don’t have to). We assist your Aunty with decorating the cake, provide an extra pair of hands for your florist and host your guests on your behalf.

WHY SHOULD YOU BOOK A WEDDING PLANNER?

When you book a wedding coordinator you can guarantee that if anything goes wrong, we will arrive on the day like a magical fairy godmother, in a pumpkin chariot pulled by magical unicorns.

Speaking as a past bride myself, to a ‘bride/groom to be’, I speak from personal experience when I say wedding planners/coordinators are worth their weight in gold.

Image of Kate at The Milk Station by Candy Capco

You can find out more about Kate and her services over on her website: https://www.kater.co.nz/
Go check out her Instagram account here: https://www.instagram.com/kater.weddings/