We really wanted a laid-back wedding with no expectations about what should and shouldn’t happen. We wanted it to be about family and friends, and us – of course! Both of us are busy, so we also wanted something that wasn’t stressful for us, but at the same time something unique and something that we could personalise.
Yes, we definitely got it what we wanted, better than what we had imagined, in fact. There was some traditional stuff and some not-so-traditional stuff and Ruth and Paul were great about letting us make things our own. For example, we had a wedding cake made of cheese wheels and we picked out lovely bone handled knives and Tony Sly plates for the tables. Oh, and our dog, Tui, was able to come for the ceremony. She’s part of the family!
Our celebrant was also fantastic. She gave us some ideas for our ceremony and helped us to stay down to earth. It’s easy to get carried away and swept up in things that don’t really matter. She was a constant reminder of what the day was about and what was important.
As it was only 40 people, it felt really relaxed and we got to spend time with all of our guests, which was really important to us. The service was second to none as was the food and drink and that really added to the atmosphere, people are still going on about how lovely it was.
With Paul a designer, maybe having all the details on a website was a no-brainer? How did you want the site to work for your guests?
Paul is a graphic and website designer and we designed letterpress invitations for the wedding. Because letterpress is expensive and we went for an elegant, minimalistic look, we needed another way to give our guests information on www.kimandpaul.co.nz
Paul did most of the work, of course, and I was the worst client ever. I kept changing my mind about the invites and after much development and deliberation, decided I liked the original! So when it came to the site design I just said ‘you go for it, it’s your thing’. I wrote the content because words are my thing.
Primarily, we wanted the site to help guests get ready for the wedding: what to wear, how to get there, whether or not to buy a gift. It’s also turned into a memento, which is an unexpected bonus. The general reaction was that it was a cool idea and that it looked nice.
Why did you choose Ruth Pretty Catering and Springfield for your wedding venue?
We had heard amazing things about weddings at Springfield. We were basically sold as soon as we drove up the driveway; the venue is beautiful. The fact that Ruth and Paul offer such a comprehensive package and take care of it all for you cinched it for us. It was so perfect we didn’t even look at any other venues.
Did you have strong ideas about the food and wine?
We had ideas about what type of things we would like and then Ruth made suggestions for us, which we went with pretty much as they were. She also helped by suggesting wine that matched our food choices so that made it easier for us. I knew the food would be amazing and it was – the scampi tails were a crowd favourite as was the blackcurrant and white chocolate Crème Brûlée. She also catered for various dietary needs and made the entire menu gluten-free for me.
Where did you get The Dress and who was the designer?
I didn’t like the idea of spending hundreds or even thousands on a dress that was only going to be worn once. My Mum is an avid quilter and has been whipping things up on her sewing machine since I was little, so I asked her to make my dress for me. She also made the bridesmaids’ dresses. It meant that I could have something custom made at a reasonable price. I think I spent more on my shoes than I did on my dress!
Summary
I know this is terribly cliché, but there really was no problem too big or too small for Ruth, Paul, and the team. Every little detail was taken care of with minimal fuss. The service on the day was flawless; the kind where you don’t even notice your glass being filled, it just magically happens. That gave our day such a nice relaxed feel to it while still being special.
Photos courtesy of Kathryn Wilson