Angela and Grant’s Beautiful New Zealand Wedding

Showcasing a wedding  from a wedding professional is always something pretty special – you know they have seen countless weddings before and how they turn their wedding day into something so uniquely ‘them’ is almost magical. So with that, I am out of my skin excited to share the beautiful wedding of Perth photographer Angela Higgins with you today. Angela and her husband Grant escaped with their family and friends to New Zealand for an intimate, beautiful celebration.

Making his (long overdue really!) Polka Dot Bride debut is photographer Leo Patrone. I am always in awe of Leo’s beautiful photography. The grace and softness of Leo’s work is utterly stunning and the grain and feeling that the film brings across just highlights the talented eye Leo has.

Angela wore a strapless gown from Bridal Obsessions which she paired with copper Kenneth Cole ballet flats.

Blanchett Florist created Angela’s red and white bouquet and Dizzy Wizzy Designs created the stationery suite. Angela says “I wanted to incorporate things from our family history where possible. I had a cameo my mother was given by her parents on her wedding day pinned to my bouquet. My grandmother was unwell in England at the time of the wedding and this was just a little way I could have her there.”

Angela and Grant married at The River Room, Havelock North. Angela remarks “When we began planning, Grant mentioned that the only thing he really wanted was to have our wedding was overseas. After a little research on locations that weren’t too far or too financially crippling for our guests, we chose a secluded venue overlooking the Tuki Tuki River and Te Mata Peak in Havelock North, New Zealand. Neither of us had been to this particular part of New Zealand before but I had come across one of the properties rental homes in a magazine about 5 years before and fell in love with the location. I mentioned the location to Grant and after we set the date we flew to Havelock North to have a look in person. It was exactly what we were looking for, for our small, intimate wedding.”

Grant wore a Trenery suit with shoes from Florsheim.

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On choosing to fly Leo Patrone out to photograph their wedding, Angela explains, “After we had locked in the location I felt a freedom to choose any photographer in the world. I knew that our style of wedding and location would suit a photographer I had admired for some time so I inquired and was so pleased he was not only available but also within our budget. Photography was not something I was willing to compromise on. We wanted someone who not only took great photographs but knew how to tell a story and Leo does exactly that. We met in person for the first time the day before the wedding and had a quick engagement session. Even though I am confident behind the camera, being in front of it is another matter but Leo was fabulous and made us feel so comfortable and relaxed. I cannot recommend him enough.”

Angela and Grant saw each other before the ceremony. Angela remarks, “Grant and I decided to see each other before the wedding. It is something I recommend to my brides to allow more time after the wedding to spend with your guests and as our guests had travelled so far we wanted to spend as much time as possible with them. It was an incredibly intimate moment that neither Grant nor I will ever forget.”

Angela and Grant were conscious of their international wedding and the environmental impact it could have. Angela says “A focus of ours was to not waste too much and be as environmentally friendly where we could. We were mindful that we were in the area for a short time and couldn’t bring much back with us home. We did things like buying a few herb plants from a supermarket and potted them for around the venue with garden markers from Monkeys Always Look. Afterwards we gave the pots to a few of our New Zealand guests to take home and enjoy which was lovely.”

Angela and Grant’s bridesmaid and ring bearer wore a dress from Forever New and a suit from Marks & Spencer.

Angela says “We chose to DIY boutonnieres that we made a few days before the wedding from feathers and buttons. It became a keepsake our guests could have and for those that flew from overseas something they could take home with them, where as flowers couldn’t have been.”

Angela walked down the aisle to “If this is it” by Newton Faulkner.

The venue was a bit of an ‘all in one’ location for Angela, Grant and their guests. Angela explains “The Blackbarn Vineyard rented us the River Room where our ceremony and reception where held as well as catered the event and we stayed in one of their retreat accommodations in the week leading up to the wedding. The venue was perfect for our small wedding of 25 people. They entire experience of dealing with them was delightful and they made everything so easy. The catering was out of this world and our guests still mention the incredible meal we had.”

Angela and Grant hired planner Andrea Brigden of Hawkes Bay Events to assist them in pulling together their wedding. Angela remarks “We could not have had the wedding we dreamed of and ended up having with out the help of our event coordinator, Andrea. She took my sketchy descriptions of what we wanted and when we arrived to the wedding we were so pleased to see she had executed it all above and beyond our expectations.  I can’t recommend having a wedding coordinator but for a destination wedding I think it is essential.”

The reception was filled with heartfelt touches. “We also had a little display on the mantle above the fireplace of photographs of my parents and Grant’s parents on their respective wedding days and other treasured portraits of family members. Being a destination wedding the best thing we could do was plan, plan and plan up until the point when we arrived at the location. As soon as we hit the ground we began sourcing the things we needed for the reception such as vases and a cake stand and other bits and pieces to make the day ours.” The two tier wedding cake was made by Blackbarn Vineyard Bistro.

Angela explains, “We visited a local second-hand store and rented all of the small elements for the wedding; vases, candlesticks, a bar service, details for vignettes. We were hoping to buy them and then sell them back to the store but they told us we could rent everything for almost 1/3 of what we would have bought them at.”

One of Angela’s favourite parts of the wedding was “Having family and friends who took the time to come to our wedding, some traveling a great distance, meant the world to us. It would not have been the memorable day it was without them and we cannot thank them enough.”

Congratulations Angela and Grant! Thank you for allowing us to share your wedding day on Polka Dot Bride! thank you also to Leo Patrone. for sharing today’s images.