Philippa and Alan recalled their ‘love it when a plan comes together’ moment.
"Finding a venue we really liked, with everything right there, was a little stressful at first, but when we found The Milk Station in Otaki, everything started to fall into place.
"We were completely blown away. The venue had exactly what we were looking for, including plenty of accommodation. We loved the ceremony area with the fountain. Another favourite on the night was the basement room for cigars, port and wine, and we loved the stylish, spacious decor.
"Our wedding was the elegant garden wedding we hoped for” they agreed.
"I really enjoyed organising our wedding, although it was a busy year,” Philippa smiled.
"Our baby Mason was five months old on the day, so I tried to avoid stress by doing as much as I could ahead of time. That’s why having everything in one place was so important.
"The Milk Station also appealed because Ruth Pretty could cater for us. She had catered for us before, and we were very impressed with the food and service.
"I was very pleasantly surprised by how much Ruth, Paul and their team actually did for us: it felt like I had a wedding planner!
"The Milk Station also appealed because Ruth Pretty could cater for us. She had catered for us before, and we were very impressed with the food and service.
"I was very pleasantly surprised by how much Ruth, Paul and their team actually did for us: it felt like I had a wedding planner!
"Our celebration cake had three tiers, all different cakes, with beautiful flowers by Scent, and a great selection of Ruth’s home-made ice creams. Everyone made their own sundaes and loved it!
"We wanted our wedding to be fun, not too formal, just a really good party. And it was!” they echoed.
Philippa found her elegantly beaded gown at Astra Bridal .. with a challenge.
"I found it before my son was born: a bit of a gamble that it would fit on the day, but it did and I was very happy with it.
"The vintage-style dusky pink dresses for my bridesmaids’ were from Sally Eagle Bridal in Wellington. We loved the detail at the back and I thought they looked beautiful.
"Reflecting my concept of an elegant garden wedding, I chose dusky pink, green and cream as the wedding colours, including our stationery. I was really happy with how it all came together, and the colours looked gorgeous against the soft Italianate style of The Milk Station.
"Ingrid from Scent Floral Boutique arranged the most beautiful table settings and our bouquets, and Candy Capco’s photos captured our day beautifully.
"Organising a wedding with a new baby could have been awful. Ruth’s team gave me a planning run sheet early on, which kept us on track, and actually it was mostly fun. They were just fantastic to work with, in particular the extremely helpful Olivia.
"In the end, we enjoyed the whole process and the big day itself was wonderful. It was a very happy day, with just an occasional emotional tear” she concluded.