Analu and Edison pulled their rustic Tapouri Bay wedding together in just three months. With a vision to use local suppliers, local food and local decor, it was rustic wedding chic at its finest.

The couple, who wanted a day that most importantly, honoured their Umbanda religion. They decorated the wedding with the help of friends, enlisted Zara Staples to document every moment and the result? Absolute beauty. “Everything was perfect, much better than we’ve ever thought” remembers the bride. “Everything was exciting. Finding things that we value and love, meeting new amazing people, we enjoyed the whole short long planning.”

It was over learning English, that Analu and Edison, both from Brazil, first connected, they tell “We chatted a little on social media, about work and random things, then I offer to her a pen drive with English study content, the day I gave it to her was the first day we met, we talked and laughed a lot, for hours. It was also the day of our first kiss.

Edison popped the question while the couple was working on renovating a beautiful farmhouse. He fills us in “We had the opportunity to work in a great renovation project, which allowed us to live for almost a year in this amazing farmhouse. This was the place where our love grew.
So I spoke with the manager of the farm, and we got an amazing surprise for Analu. I called from Tauranga with ideas and pictures for the Manager of this farm here in Gisborne, she made up the master ensuite with our pictures, flowers, candles, drinks and chocolates everywhere. I wrote a letter, and once she finished reading I proposed. ”

Analu found her beautiful second-hand wedding gown in an op shop. She tells “I looked on the internet for a long time, but didn’t find anything that looked like myself, so I went to a second-hand clothing place called Unfinished Business and found the most amazing blue dress (Blue is my colour) and a friend of mine did some alterations it needed to be the perfect dress for myself and I only paid $80 for it.”

Wanting to tie the knot by the sea, Analu and Edison found the perfect spot at  Gisborne Yacht Club. “We wanted a place in front of the beach,” explains Analu. “We organised it to happen at Tatapouri Bay, but it was so windy that would be impossible to have an outside party. One day before the wedding we were lucky to find a sheltered place. We were so lucky that this place was available when I rang one day before crying because the “plan A” wouldn’t happen. But it was perfect, as it should be.”

Edison dressed in the perfect rustic coastal style with help from friends, he tells  “A few weeks before the wedding, I didn’t have the suit yet, so I asked my friend Nathan for one of his best casual outfits. So my friends helped me with the perfect combination for a perfect wedding suit.”

Analu walked down the aisle with her “Adopted Kiwi dad”.

The couple wanted to make sure, that their ceremony, officiated by Ed of Multicolour Music honoured their religion of Umbanda, Analu explaining “Our ceremony was mostly in Portuguese, because we wanted to show our friends from New Zealand our religion called Umbanda.
It was the most special energy I’ve ever felt in my life, everyone was so connected with mother earth, my spiritual guide in our religion is Iansã, the Goddess of the winds and storm and Edison’s Iemanjá, the Goddess of the sea, so they were both present.
In the end, everyone said so many amazing things and we were stoked that our friends enjoyed it as much as we did.”

Analu and Edison had dear friends at their wedding party. “Standing beside us were our best friends who live in New Zealand, as our family couldn’t come from Brazil and we wanted a small gathering. They wore casual, as they pleased.”

Edison shares this advice if you are yet to tie the knot. “Choose right, choose once.” Analu adding “Enjoy the process, don’t get stressed because everything will happen the way it is meant to be. This day will be in your mind and heart for the rest of your life.”

The wedding was a rustic, handmade affair, everything styled by the couple and their dear friends the bride noting “The most special thing was to show our culture and religion and celebrate with our friends. We tried to put ourselves in each detail, keeping it local, borrowing things from friends so we didn’t have to buy something to use just for one day, as we live in a caravan we can’t have much stuff.

We did pretty much everything, what we didn’t do, our friends did.  The whole decoration happened on the day from 7 am till 1 pm, the wedding was at 3:33 pm.”

Analu carried a bouquet of dried flowers, the beautiful floral details as she describes “I love dried flowers, and Teri Wilkinson of Moose Cottage have the most beautiful ones, the day we went to see the flowers she showed us her amazing gardens and gave us so much more than flowers. We got the back of the ute full of dried flowers.
The fresh flower was a gift from a friend, we went to Matata in the week of the wedding to pick the hydrangeas and other amazing flowers from his farm. His family has the most beautiful venue and they helped us with many ideas on how to use the flowers, and they even baked our delicious carrot cake.”

As with everything about the day, the couple’s choice of photographer was somewhat the last minute, Analu recalling “A couple of weeks before the wedding I was talking with Zara Staples, a photographer that I love and admire a lot, and we were so lucky that she was available and did the most amazing photos.”

The newlyweds opted out of a formal “first dance” but here was something a bit special instore. “We didn’t choose any song for dance, but we had a really special song written by our friend and celebrant Multicolour Music” remembers the bride.

A big congratulations to you Analu and Edison! Thank you for taking the time to share your day with us, Thank you also to Zara Staples for sharing today’s beautiful photographs.