This wedding was super special to me and stands out for a couple reasons. Anna and Fraser got married at Old Forest School on my five year anniversary with my husband Nick. They were even married with the same celebrant as Nick and I, Debbie Hunt! It was so special to be back at my own wedding venue celebrating Anna and Fraser. The week leading up to the wedding was filled with suspense! Anna and Fraser live in Auckland, and Covid cases were on the rise. They were able to get to Tauranga, but just before a lockdown was announced. I was so relieved for them and excited to be creative for their special day. Anna and Fraser actually decided to leave the lockdowns behind and moved to Wellington right after their wedding day! This couple were such a joy to work with and gave me lots of creative freedom with the florals. I was able to meet with Anna and Fraser a year before their wedding, this gave us plenty of time to collaborate and get to know each other. Anna is a naturopath so we made sure to include lots of herbs in the arrangements. Rosemary, mint, and oregano were some of our favourites, they smelled divine as well.
This was a super eco-conscious couple, with some requests I was more than happy to oblige. The first thing I did was eliminate all floral foam, this can add some extra challenges with stabilizing floral pieces. Instead of foam I used recycled chicken wire balled up in the bottom of vases, this created some structure I could use to keep the arrangements in place. I also foraged for eucalyptus and olive branches, where pruning helps the tree and we get some awesome foliage to work with! Where we were not able to forage I only used our amazing local growers. Supporting local and reducing the weddings carbon footprint, two of my favourite things.
Anna and Fraser were incredibly generous and decided to donate their wedding florals to the Waipuna Hospice. This meant the day after their wedding I headed over to Old Forest School for a pack down. Nick came with me for a trip down memory lane, Couples put a lock on the gate and we found ours from 5 years prior! We put all the florals in water and were able to deliver mini-aragements to the patients and families at the hospice, a unique heartfelt way to spend our anniversary. It is so special to see the joy from Anna and Fraser’s wedding extend into our community.
This wedding gave me all the warm fuzzy feelings, such a joy to help this couple celebrate their love.
Vendors:
Bride: @abeetee
Groom: @reevesfras
Photographer: @ericajanephotographer
Florals: @handpicked3110
Venue: @oldforestschool
Celebrant: @debbiehuntcelebrant
Dress: i bought it second hand from a store that closed down
Hair: @annarosemaney
Makeup: @littlepugsmakeup
Hire: @royallaboratorie
Caterer: @elmonoloconz + grazing table was @byschraderandnew
Music: @dj4you