WEDDING BLOG

Vintage Rustic Wedding at Wilderness Lodge Arthur’s Pass

February 1, 2016 | Junebug Weddings

Katie and Ben celebrated their wedding by treating friends and family to a New Zealand wilderness wedding experience, including a weekend of nature walks and even sheep herding! The culmination of it all was a romantic and intimate wedding ceremony at Wilderness Lodge Arthur’s Pass, where Jim Pollard We Are captured the couple exchanging their vows in a faint snowfall in front of their loved ones. Katie and Ben are dedicated to being eco-friendly, and we love that their thoughtful choices throughout the day like vintage fashion and sustainable ink made the celebration even more personal.

The Couple:

Katie and Ben

The Wedding:

Wilderness Lodge Arthur’s Pass, Arthur’s Pass, New Zealand

The wedding took place at Wilderness Lodge Arthur’s Pass in the wild heart of the New Zealand’s Southern Alp. The venue really defined the type of wedding we had. Katie‘s family owns the lodge, she grew up there and now her brother manages the lodge. It was the obvious choice for the wedding – and it’s a luxury ecotourism venue in a pretty magical setting. It was a lot of DYI and work for the family but it was totally worth it!

We were so worried about the weather. Snow was forecast and we were warned that the road might be closed, so it was a bit stressful. Luckily in the end the weather held off, but just as the ceremony started, tiny little snow flakes started to gently fall. We both stood there and held hands and looked up at the sky and it was pretty magical.

We tried to make everything as eco-friendly as possible (I work for an environmental agency and was part way through a challenge to buy no new clothes for a year which was rather challenging!). I wore a 1950’s vintage Cahill of Beverly Hills and the she and the bridesmaids all wore vintage fur stoles. Everything was printed using recycled paper and sustainable inks etc.

The Wedding Team:

Photography – Jim Pollard We Are
Venue – Wilderness Lodge Arthur’s Pass
Catering – Moveable Feasts
Cake – Canterbury Cheesemongers
Officiant – Helen Nugteren
Live Music – Lindon Puffin
Hair & Makeup Artist – Mariessa Waddington
Wedding Dress – Forever Vintage
Rings – Raphael Jewellers

A big thanks to Katie and Ben for sharing their vintage rustic New Zealand wedding with Junebug! For more from Jim Pollard We Are, be sure to check out Jaimie and William’s vintage-inspired Queenstown wedding at Jacks Point.

Italian Inspired New Zealand Wedding at Sileni Estates

January 31, 2016 | Junebug Weddings

sage green white yellow

After a proposal in Capri, Italy, James and Ella wanted to somehow incorporate Italian culture into their New Zealand wedding. They landed on “a long Italian lunch in a beautiful New Zealand vineyard setting.” Consistent with their theme, they chose warm-green, white, and taupe for their color palette, which perfectly accentuated the natural setting of Sileni Estates. Chasewild beautifully captured the couple enjoying their special day!

The Couple:

James and Ella

The Wedding:

Sileni Estates, Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand

From the bride: I grew up in the beautiful Hawke’s Bay region of New Zealand – a region renowned for its vineyards and beautiful summer weather. Deciding to get married in the Bay was therefore an easy decision, and Sileni Estates offered us the perfect setting. The team at Sileni, led by Sam Orton, are the ‘go to’ people for weddings in the Hawke’s Bay and we knew that we could not be in better hands!

Processional: Singing in my Soul by Fly My Pretties
Recessional: Your Love Gets Sweeter Every Day by Finley Quaye
First Dance: Hey Ho by The Lumineers

From the couple: In keeping with our Italian theme, we gave each of our guests a potted olive tree (which formed part of our table setting).

From the couple: We loved working with James Broadbent (and his assistant, Natalie McNally) on the day of our wedding. From the moment we came across James’ work (and particularly the photographs from his travels), we knew that he was who we wanted to capture our day. James had scouted some great locations for us and made the whole experience relaxing and fun. We couldn’t be happier with the memories James captured and have passed on his details to plenty of friends who are in the wedding planning phase!

The Wedding Team:
Photography – Chasewild
Ceremony Venue – Christ Church, Pukehou
Reception Venue – Sileni Estates
Floral Design – Madisons (bouquets)
Catering – Orton Catering
Officiant – Melanie Stuart
Live Music – The Relatives
Videography – Freddie Leckie
Wedding Dress – Rue De Sein e

A special thanks to Chasewild for giving us a glimpse into James and Ella’s wonderful wedding at Sileni Estates in New Zealand. Searching for a fresh and bright wedding design? You have to check out this colorful handmade backyard Surrey wedding!

Glamorous Countryside Wedding in Verona

January 31, 2016 | Junebug Weddings

ivory light pink white

Lisa and Charlie always wanted their wedding to have amazing food that people would remember, and that is exactly what happened. They chose Casa Degli Spiriti in Verona, Italy primarily because it is a Michelin star restaurant. By adding in some light florals, a gorgeous wedding arch, and gold décor, Distinctive Italy Weddings perfectly brought the couple’s vision to life: a simple, elegant wedding with delicious food. Talented photographer Alessandro Ghedina captured the breathtaking moments at this wedding in Verona.

The Couple:

Lisa and Charlie

The Wedding:

Casa Degli Spiriti, Costermano, Verona, Italy

From the bride: My style inspiration came from BHLDN. When I started looking at wedding dresses I was so enchanted by the look of their dresses and accessories, they were very light and ethereal. The dress I chose, Penelope, encapsulated just that. I loved the illusion neck and the low back. I added a simple tulle sash with some sequins to highlight my waist a little bit more. My favorite accessories were my shoes, glittery ballet flats from my favorite designer, Bottega Veneta, and my headpiece from Twigs and Honey. My ethereal dress was so well balanced out by having a bit of sparkle on my head and my toes. The matron of honor wore a J Crew dress with Stuart Weitzman shoes. The groom wore a beautifully tailored suit from Suit Supply, his favorite suit supplier.

From the couple: The bride’s brother in law (husband of her sister) was the officiant. The bride and groom wrote the ceremony and their vows together in the months leading up to the wedding. With the help of Google we were able to customize the ceremony and find inspiration from the many examples that exist online. We also asked the bride’s cousin to read Khalil Gibran’s poem on marriage from “The Prophet.” He read the poem in Italian, which sounded so beautiful and was a lovely addition to the English ceremony. We also purchased a leather journal for the officiant to use during the ceremony – so glad we did because it looks beautiful in photos!

From the couple: The sunset overlooking Lago di Garda was undoubtedly the most memorable part of the day. It seemed like it lasted forever, and it kept on changing and evolving and becoming more and more beautiful. Our photographers kept running inside during dinner to tell us the sunset had gotten more beautiful and we had to go back outside to take more pictures! We spent so much time looking at the incredible sunset while holding each other, it was very special. The view from Casa Degli Spiriti is already really spectacular, and the sky that evening amplified the beautiful view. Several guests said it was the most beautiful place they’d ever been.

The Wedding Team:
Photography – Alessandro Ghedina
Event Planning – Distinctive Italy Weddings
Venue – Casa Degli Spiriti
Floral Design – Il Fiore All’occhiello
Catering – Casa Degli Spiriti
Live Music – Musica Per Matrimonio
Guest Book – Blue Sky Papers
Makeup Artist – Yasmin Sanchez
Hair Styling – Yasmin Sanchez
Wedding Dress – BHLDN
Bridal Accessories – Twigs and Honey
Bridesmaids’ Apparel – J.Crew
Groom’s Apparel – Suit Supply
Groomsmen’s Apparel – Saks Fifth Avenue
Favors – Nogara Bomboniere

A huge thank you to Distinctive Italy Weddings for sharing Lisa and Charlie’s beautiful wedding in Verona. Love this gorgeous landscape? Head over to this free-spirited grandfather mountain wedding!

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WEDDING BLOG

Vintage Rustic Wedding at Wilderness Lodge Arthur’s Pass

Italian Inspired New Zealand Wedding at Sileni Estates

Glamorous Countryside Wedding in Verona

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