We're delighted to share Ellen and Luke's stunning Rarotonga wedding, with gorgeous views and a breathtaking beach backdrop, it sure made for some memorable photos.
Ellen wore the chic Farrah dress by Theia Couture, with its open keyhole back, elegant bateau neckline, and dreamy crepe material, it's so effortless against the island backdrop. We love how she paired it with a scattered pearl veil, perfect to add some modern yet timeless detail.
If you're planning an island wedding, we hope this provides some gorgeous inspiration!
What was it that made this particular wedding dress catch your eye and fall in love?
I ended up choosing Farrah as the wow factor was certainly higher! Especially the detail of the long train along with the beautiful open back! I’m so glad I bit the bullet in the end, it was so worth it and I felt so beautiful & comfortable!
Tell us about your search for the dress and the experience at Astra Bridal.
I initially set myself a low budget and tried purchasing online & failed miserably. I then went to a few stores and wow once they fit the dresses to you, you really start to get an idea of how it’ll look! I tried a wide range of styles & It took me a while to find the right one. I was torn between a couple at Astra but the team were so accommodating & after booking in a few extra fittings I was able to confidently decide!
Tell us your story, how you both met, and the proposal.
We met in Wellington while having a good boogie on a night out back in August 2014. After a smooth few lines from Luke we continued chatting & it wasn’t long before we officially began dating in October 2014. We travelled Europe together in October 2015 then moved in full time with my parents following the trip. We purchased our first home in May 2019 and the proposal occurred with a cheeky ‘reverse lunge’ in October 2020, during the cooldown of one of Luke's regular bootcamp sessions! With many holidays, workouts, movies & festivals in between, exactly 8 years from when we started dating, we got married at our dream destination, Rarotonga, & it truly was incredible!
What was your favourite part of the day?
I think for me personally it was seeing my husband to be for the first time that day, waiting at the end of the aisle!
Tell us about your wedding day as a whole.
Started the day by going for a wee stroll along the beach with the bridesmaids (my best friends), we dove into the lagoon & headed back to the villa for some breaky. It was a beautiful day weather wise! I then wrote down my vows and got ready with music playing in the background, my mum & mother in law popped in and other family members too, it really was lovely! The girls made a platter while we got ready and we all just chatted away. Before we knew it, it was go time! We were in the villa on site, the ceremony was held out on the deck at the back overlooking the lagoon, the views surrounding the entire set up were breath taking! Following the ceremony our family had prepared beautiful platters for the guests while we snuck off for just under an hour and had our photos at the beach, right in front of the villas.
The reception was held at the same venue and everything was DIY, with marquees, fairy lights & greenery decorating it all, it looked 100x better than I ever imagined! The food was an assortment of traditional cook island dishes, buffet style, & it was delicious! There was plenty of it too! We danced the night away, barefoot and all! Hubby and I stayed at the villa on site, our mums shot off and beautifully prepared it for us and we wrapped up around 12-1am. The day went so smoothly and we all had the most amazing time, it really was the BEST!!
Finally, what is your biggest piece of advice for brides to be?
Relax and enjoy the day, don’t get caught up on little things & remember what will be will be! Appreciate the presence of those who’ve made it and the messages from those who couldn’t, you’re surrounded by so much love and it’s just the best feeling ever!! Soak all the emotion in and just breathe :)
