Natalie & Meketu

Incorporating tradition and culture, this luxe Canberra Maori wedding has captured our heart and soul! From the gorgeous detailing to the tears and emotional Haka, every moment is divine! All captured beautifully by Anthea and Lyndon.

Despite both playing it very cool the first time they met, the bride and groom fell for each other after Mex sought Natalie out. Natalie tells of Mex’s proposal, ”It was a Christmas Day proposal. He was up at 5am asking me to open my presents but I stalled all day. It was probably 4pm and who knows how many nervous beers later for Mex by the time I finally sat down with him. Firstly a beautiful bottle of champagne, followed by glasses engraved with ‘will you marry me?’ and finally the stunning ring! There were tears all round.” Christmas doesn’t get much better than that!

Deciding to go with the best of both worlds, Natalie shares, ”I tried on a beaded, feathery dress. It felt like a fun party dress but I wasn’t sure it would suit the church ceremony. I also tried on a number of princess gowns and loved the feel. Not wanting to miss out on either I went for a big skirt to go over the dress, creating two different looks. I felt like a real princess in the big skirt and loved taking it off and feeling free to move and dance the night away at the reception.” Telling also of the groom’s outfit, she shares, ”Mex loves blue so we went with a classic navy suit. He wanted a little something fun so we found him some floral suspenders that he could show off at the reception. We actually got a set for all the boys but they caused some serious wedgies and had to be ditched for the belts!”

Choosing a venue held special importance to the bride and groom, with Natalie telling, ”We were both keen to get married in a church due to our faith (and so Mex wouldn’t sweat so much outside). We checked out a number of traditional churches in Canberra and fell in love with the building and history of All Saints Anglican Church, Ainslie. We wanted to incorporate our faith, family and culture.” The readings during the ceremony included a passage from the Bible of Romans 12:9-18, and He Korero Aroha (a Maori poem). The bride was walked down the aisle by her father to John Legend’s ‘So High’, sung by Mex’s sister Hamo.

Natalie and Meketu found their dream reception venue at EQ Cafe Lounge. The bride recalls, ”When it came to the reception we were after a fun, intimate venue with great food EQ Cafe Lounge came to mind straight away. Their food is delicious, I love all the timber and greenery as well as their indoor/outdoor options. I approached them and managed to convince them that holding a wedding for the first time was a great idea. It turned out to be absolutely perfect!” The flowers by both Laurel and Lace and Pia & Jade were neutral, white and coffee coloured, with loads of foliage. Natalie shares of their reception decor, ”I let the professionals work their magic and they sure did! I wanted to include the scripture from Song of Solomon 3:4, ‘I have found the one whom my soul loves’. The sign was one of my favourite details. She captured my vision and brought it to life bigger and better than I imagined.”

Culture played an essential role in Natalie and Meketu’s wedding, with Meketu’s family singing after every speech at the reception, as well as at the ceremony earlier in the day. Natalie tells, ”They performed the best Haka we’ve ever seen! We were all a bit emotional after the most heartfelt speeches and music.” Delighted with their experience with their chosen photographers, the bride also shares, ”We had our friends Anthea and Lyndon. They are genuinely the nicest people and do the most incredible job. We couldn’t have picked better people to spend so much of our day with.”

Pristine Video Productions  also made a beautiful heartfelt film of the day.

A special thank you and congratulations to our stunning bride and groom on your beautiful wedding day! Thank you also to Anthea and Lyndon for sharing your magnificent photos!