Courteney and Ryan promised to spend the rest of their lives together in front of their loved ones at the stunning Tironui Farm. The photos from their day capture a couple overflowing with smiles, love, and joy as they embraced every emotion and savoured each special moment.
Courteney wowed in London by Forget Me Knot — a timeless Mikado satin A-line gown featuring a V-neckline, delicate spaghetti straps, and a daring split. She added a personal touch by customising her gown with our stretch Mikado bow, tailoring the dimensions to create the perfect finishing detail for her dream dress.
Keep scrolling to discover more breathtaking images, take a glimpse into Courteney’s wedding dress journey, and read her advice for future brides. Enjoy!
What was it that made this particular wedding dress catch your eye and fall in love?
It actually took me a while to decide. I tried on 28 dresses across four different stores and found it hard to figure out what really felt like me. I ended up choosing the one I did because I kept going back to the photos of myself in it. There was just something about it that felt right. Once I had made the decision, I knew it was the perfect choice.
Tell us about your search for the dress and the experience at Astra Bridal.
Like many brides, my search began on Pinterest. I wasn’t sure what style I wanted, but when I came across a photo of an A-line gown with a low back and a big square bow, I instantly fell in love and started looking for something similar.
Lisa at Astra Bridal was amazing. She really understood my vision and helped me try on a range of styles to figure out what felt most like me. Once I found the perfect base dress, we talked through having a custom bow made, choosing everything from the size of the bow to the length of the tails. Then, just two weeks out from our wedding, during what was supposed to be my final alterations appointment, I decided to lower the back into a V (it was originally straight across). It ended up being the best decision I made. It completed the dress.
Tell us your story, how you both met, and the proposal.
We met in 2018 on Tinder and, after a week or two of chatting, decided to meet for lunch at a local café in Wellington. From that very first date, everything felt easy. We clicked instantly and quickly realised how much we had in common.
Four years later, he proposed during a beach day trip to Riversdale Beach over Waitangi Weekend 2023. It was private and intimate, exactly what I had hoped for. That year was a big one for us; we travelled together through Europe and Southeast Asia for five months before coming home and starting to plan our January 2025 wedding.
What was your favourite part of the day?
Without a doubt, our first look. Seeing each other before the ceremony made everything else feel so much more relaxed and natural. It calmed our nerves and gave us a beautiful moment to connect before all the excitement began. It also meant we had more time together on the day, which I’m so grateful for. We were able to take most of our portraits then too, and they ended up being some of my favourite photos of the day, especially with the stunning vineyard backdrop.
Tell us about your wedding day as a whole.
The day was perfect. In the weeks leading up to it, every weather app was predicting rain, and with our plans being outdoors, I was worried. But we stayed optimistic and hoped for the best. We even buried a sausage the night before, as I had seen a TikTok saying it would bring good weather (and I wasn't taking any chances). It worked. The weather couldn't have been more perfect: sunny and warm, but not too hot.
Our morning was beautifully calm. We started early and had plenty of time, so it was chill and a fun way to start the day. Things started to ramp up as our photographer arrived and we got ready for the first look at 1:30. Seeing Ryan at our first look was so special and gave us some of my favourite memories of the day.
My dad had hired a pale yellow car to drive him and me to the ceremony. On this drive, the emotions really started to hit me. I spent most of it trying not to cry. I wasn't sure how I was going to make it through my vows! Looking back, the ceremony feels like a dream. It was held under the trees, and with the sunlight streaming through, it looked so beautiful. My brother was our officiant, which was so special to me. We loved having someone we know be a part of such a meaningful moment in our day.
As we had most of our photos done at the first look, we were able to spend more than half of our cocktail hour celebrating with our guests. We then had our bridal party photos under the olive trees, which turned out so dreamy, followed by some more portraits before heading into our reception. We had some great speeches, the best food, cut our cake, and mingled with guests before being whisked away for sunset photos. We then had a quick first dance and danced the night away with all our friends and family. It was the perfect day to marry my best friend.
Finally, what is your biggest piece of advice for brides to be?
The day is going to feel so surreal because you’ve waited so long for it, so be sure to take the time to enjoy it and appreciate each little moment alongside your partner.
