Katie and Scott

Our Love Story

Scott and I met four years ago. A special mutual friend suggested that we should meet, so Scott asked me out. A Sunday lunch turned into a five-hour date and the rest is history as they say. Scott is a natural talker and I am a born listener, it’s a winning combination.

When Scott proposed, he surprised me with a weekend away where we ended up at Braemar Lodge. The following day, we headed out for a bike ride and stopped off for a picnic lunch. Reluctantly I accepted a beer, which thankfully I did as Scott had got it relabelled to say ‘Katie, will you marry me.’ Such a special moment was followed up with celebrations with family and friends the following evening when we returned home.

Our Wedding Planning

For us, it was all about our guests. We wanted to have as many of our closest family and friends there that we could. This resulted in quite a large guest list which proved quite the challenge when trying to find a venue. Luckily, Riccarton House catered for the number and provided the most perfect inner-city venue. The food, drinks and the band were our next priorities, and all absolutely exceeded our expectations.

The planning process was so much fun, but it also flew by with there only being seven months between our engagement and our wedding day. My Mum was an incredible source of support. The day after we got engaged, she informed us that she had already booked us in to view a venue the following weekend - There was no mucking around! We were also very fortunate to have some special people guiding us through the process; Toni from Silk Estate, who facilitated the marquee and furniture hire and Hannah and Amanda from Riccarton House were both so knowledgeable and effortless to work with. I can honestly say that there were very little stress and no tears throughout the whole planning process.

Our Wedding Day

After a dinner with those closest to us the night before, I woke up with my bridal party at my parents’ house over in Charteris Bay. Scott and the Groomsmen stayed in another house around the corner. We spent the morning getting pampered, singing, dancing and drinking champagne while the boys played some tennis and had a big lunch.

We then met Scott and the groomsmen briefly for a pre photoshoot. Despite the wind and the rain, I am so grateful we did this as some of those photos are my absolute favourite.

The sun came out just as it was time for our ceremony amongst the beautiful trees at Riccarton House which was one of the most special parts of our day. We asked one of our good friends, Hamish Stace, to be our celebrant and despite it being his first time, he set the tone perfectly. We both felt like we laughed, cried and smiled throughout the whole ceremony. I walked down the aisle with my Dad to Halo by Beyonce and was met by Scott who straight away leant in for a kiss. Our guests were in fits of laughter as our celebrant reminded Scott that we hadn’t quite made it to that part yet! We both love music so during our ceremony we had all of our guests sing along to Ronan Keatings’ ‘When you say nothing at all’, while we signed the registry. The guests got right into it and then later on, towards the end of the night, Scott and I found ourselves, on stage singing that same song with the band. That memory still makes me smile.

After the ceremony, canapes and drinks (Pals were the crowd favourite) were served on the lawn before heading into the marquee for dinner. My brother did an exceptional job as MC leading us through the evening, and after speeches and cake (cheese) cutting the evening turned into the best party that we had ever attended. Our band ‘The Fillets’ were perfect in every way and ensured the dance floor was cranking throughout the whole evening. Such fun.

Our Advice

Invest in a photographer and videographer if you can. It is true what they say, the day goes past so quickly and so so much happens in such a short time. Our wedding photos, taken by the incredible Emily Hugo (highly recommend) bought our day back to life for us. I also cannot wait to watch our wedding video, to see the day from another perspective and especially to rewatch our ceremony and the speeches.

And finally, it is so easy to get swept up in so many minor details and extras that you can add on and become more tempted to do so as the time gets closer. I tried to organise, book and buy as much as I could as soon as possible which helped to stop the temptation to keep spending. It is so important to try and remain focused on what is important to you, your partner and your guests. Believe me, they won’t remember what colour the napkins were.

How we used Christchurch Weddings

We used the directory to find out who was out there and who did what. Having a local directory is such an asset when planning a wedding! Combining the directory with our Together Journal x An Organised Life Wedding Planner, we felt well informed and organised throughout the whole process.

Our Dream Team

We used friends where we could, Philippa Shipley for our design work and Fi’s Flowers ‘n’ Art for our bouquets, both were incredible to work with.

Otherwise, we tried to use as few vendors as possible, choosing ones that could cover more than one role. Riccarton House and Silk Estate both fit this brief perfectly - Both exceptional, professional and each ticked off multiple roles. Silk Estate came through with the marquee and furniture and Riccarton House providing the location and the catering.

Our Vendors

Venue + Catering | Riccarton House

Photographer | Emily Hugo

Videographer | Midge Edine

Marquee | Silk Estate

Florals | Fi's Flowers ‘n’ Art

Celebrant | Hamish Stace

Hair | Vicki at Blush Makeovers

Makeup | Anna Turnbull

Dress | Juliette Hogan

Brides Accessories | Naveya and Sloane

Bridesmaids Outfits | Bec and Bridge