Laura and Mark promised to spend the rest of their lives together at the beautiful Black Walnut in Tauranga. Their wedding day was filled with love and joy, and these photos capture a glimpse of the heartfelt moments, beautiful details, and memories that made their day so special.
Laura looked stunning in Charlotte by Jenny Yoo, a luxe taffeta A-line gown featuring a draped drop waist bodice and a voluminous gathered ball skirt. Elegant covered buttons flowed all the way down the back to the end of the train, adding a timeless finishing touch. She paired her gown with our Scarf No. 1 by Forget Me Knot, a luxe satin neck scarf that beautifully completed her bridal look.
Keep scrolling to explore more gorgeous images from their special day, read about Laura’s wedding dress journey, and discover her heartfelt advice for future brides. Enjoy!
What was it that made this particular wedding dress catch your eye and fall in love?
I ended up going with ‘Charlotte’ as I knew it wasn’t what people were expecting of me. I loved the way it looked on me and the small details, like the buttons at the back.
What really sold me, when looking back through photos from the try on, was that I felt comfortable with the candid photos of myself. I knew that on my wedding day, not all photos would be posed, so it made me feel really comfortable knowing that the dress would look nice in every picture.
Also, while trying it on, Ilyese mentioned that not everyone can pull off the dress, so that was another reason I went with it.
Picking out a dress a few months before the wedding did stress me out a bit, as I was worried I would change my mind. However, every time I went back to try it on, and even on the day when everything came together, I knew I had made the right decision in going with ‘Charlotte’.
Tell us about your search for the dress and the experience at Astra Bridal.
I scrolled on Pinterest and Instagram a lot for inspiration. It is so funny to look back on now because the dress I chose was so different to my inspo.
Astra Bridal was the second place I visited, alongside my mum and bridesmaids. I actually went into that appointment a little stressed, as I was told at the first place that I had left it a bit too late and would have to make my mind up within a week to make sure any dresses were ready before the wedding.
My dress, ‘Charlotte’, was actually one I picked out prior to the visit. I loved the drop-waist look and that it was so different compared to the ones I tried on.
My experience with Astra Bridal was great. Ilyese didn’t make me feel rushed into making a decision, and she gave me very honest feedback, which I really appreciated. She really helped me through the whole thing, and I am very grateful to have had such a positive experience picking my dress.
Tell us your story, how you both met, and the proposal.
Mark and I met in 2019 through Instagram, as we had a mutual friend (who ended up being one of Mark's groomsmen). We didn’t officially meet until January 2020, as we lived in different cities at the time. He lived in the South Island, while I was in the North Island, so for our first year of dating, we did long distance. That first year allowed us to get to know each other on a different level, especially during lockdown. After a year of dating, he moved to the North Island for work, and we moved in together.
On January 8th, 2025, at sunrise, Mark proposed to me on Mount Maunganui Beach with our dog, Poppy. It was a special place for him as he grew up there. We kept it a secret for the whole day as my parents were in town, and that evening, while we were out to dinner with both of our parents, we shared the news with them. Looking back, I am so glad we had those hours of just us knowing, and then getting to share it with both our parents at the same time was very special.
What was your favourite part of the day?
My favourite part was seeing everything come to life. It was a big 11 months of planning and scrolling Pinterest for inspiration. Another part was having all our favourite people in one room, which was truly something very special.
Tell us about your wedding day as a whole.
We had a very informal rehearsal dinner the night before at the venue, where a selected group was invited. It was mostly our immediate family, bridal party, MCs, and a few friends. It was nice for everyone to see the venue, go through everything we needed to with our amazing celebrant, Katie, and have everyone see each other before the wedding. A big shout-out to my gals, my sister and sister in law, my mum and mum in law, for helping set up the tables for dinner with all the décor I had gotten.
The day was a hot one, something we are so grateful for, as by the Tuesday, the storm had started. I got ready with my bridal party, mum, and a really close friend. The morning felt so easy and stress free. It was really nice having those moments together.
Our MC and bestie, Jess (Auburn Photography), came and took a few photos of us, which is something I am so grateful for. My bridesmaids didn’t know which dress I had picked in the end, so it is nice having those memories captured in photos of the big reveal.
I was super conscious about not arriving late to the ceremony, which meant we were 30 minutes early, arriving before the guests and the groomsmen. For about 30 minutes, we had to stay on one of the back streets while everyone arrived and got seated. Looking back on it now, it is a funny story, but at the time I was a bit stressed and forgot to smile when walking down the aisle, which made Mark think something was wrong. However, as soon as I got to him, every bit of stress disappeared, and it truly was a dream ceremony.
Pia and I were able to come up with a timeline that suited us and allowed us to be as present as we could be throughout the day. We had a champagne tower, an oyster bar, and the best canapés. Our MCs took away any stress, as we had to change a few things due to the heat and wanting dinner in the glasshouse. I’ll forever be so thankful to Jess and Tom for allowing us to be so present during our day while they ensured everything flowed smoothly with our vendors.
I had an outfit change, and we had our first dance with a saxophone player to one of our favourite artists. It was such a dream day, and if I could relive it again, I would.
Finally, what is your biggest piece of advice for brides to be?
Go and try your dress on at least once by yourself before you buy it. I value my mum's, sisters', and bridesmaids' opinions, but I knew I needed to go by myself to ensure I was making the right decision. When I did go by myself, Ilyese gave me a few minutes alone to think it through, and I knew then and there that this was my dress.
Leading up to the day, I tried not to put too much emphasis on the day, which may sound weird, but it allowed me to have a clear mind if something came up, which it definitely did. Having this outlook allowed me to delegate things that could be fixed, but also remember that if it's meant to be, it will be.
I felt like it allowed me to be present throughout the day and not stress over every little detail. I knew we had done the planning, so it was time to enjoy the day together.
Also, have a run sheet for the day. I created a doc for all our vendors, family, and bridal party, which included the timeline, a list of all the vendors, phone numbers, etc., so that if anyone had questions, they could refer back to the doc or go to either my maid of honour or Mark's best man.
