Melanie and Wade celebrated their love at The Stables in Matakana, surrounded by their nearest and dearest. Their day was filled with joy, beautifully captured in photos that show the happy couple cherishing every moment and celebrating their journey together.
Melanie wowed in Pieter by Forget Me Knot, a sweet and whimsical A-line gown featuring a beaded floral and vine lace bodice, with delicate lace details cascading into a full, romantic tulle skirt. She made the gown her own by customising the straps into dreamy off the shoulder sleeves, opting for a custom measure, and adding extra boning for support. To complete her bridal look, Melanie chose our Hendrix veil, a glittering tulle veil that added the perfect touch of shimmer.
We hope you enjoy reading about Melanie and Wade’s beautiful wedding day and find inspiration for your own special celebration!
What was it that made this particular wedding dress catch your eye and fall in love?
I ended up choosing Pieter from Astra's Forget Me Knot range and had the sleeves changed to be detachable and off the shoulder. It was hard to choose because there were a few dresses I really loved, but that dress just felt the most like me. I felt like a princess in it, and I knew I wanted to go big and romantic. I loved all the layers, the sparkles, and the way it flattered and accentuated my waist and bust. It just felt right, and I loved that, as it was from the Forget Me Knot collection, I could have it made to my exact measurements rather than a standard size.
Tell us about your search for the dress and the experience at Astra Bridal.
Astra Bridal was the second of four places I went to in my search for a dress, and I was pleasantly surprised by just how many beautiful dresses there were in a huge range of sizes. I knew I wanted to find a dress that made me feel beautiful, and before I began searching, I was nervous about not being able to find something that fit my body the way I wanted. Coming to Astra, I was immediately put at ease. The store was gorgeous, the staff were so lovely, and Ilyese really listened to what I wanted and gave me so many amazing options to choose from. It made the whole experience enjoyable and not stressful at all.
Tell us your story, how you both met, and the proposal.
Wade and I met in between Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020 on the dating app Bumble. I slid into the DMs with a mildly cringey opening line, but it worked! Within a couple of weeks, we had our first date (shout out to Botany Lonestar), and our relationship grew from there.
In 2023, we went on a trip to Melbourne for my birthday, and I had a feeling a proposal might happen, so I made sure to paint my nails before we left. He proposed to me in the Melbourne Botanic Gardens the day before my birthday. It was late afternoon when we walked into a sort of hidden little area surrounded by trees.
He asked me if I wanted one of my birthday presents early, to which I said "yes!" He told me to close my eyes, and when I opened them, he was on one knee holding the most beautiful ring.
What was your favourite part of the day?
My favourite part of the day was walking down the aisle and seeing Wade standing there in his suit, and looking around to see all the most important people in our lives in one place. I found it super emotional. But honestly, the entire day was perfect.
Tell us about your wedding day as a whole.
We live in South Auckland (as do a lot of our friends and family), so most of us went up to Matakana the day before and all met up for dinner, which really helped build the excitement and gave us a bit more time to see everyone. We stayed two nights at Beauregard Cottages, which had three cute little cottages on site and a big garden.
The weather on the day was perfect, blue skies, warm but not uncomfortably hot. Wade and I stayed together the night before and said goodbye early that morning so the preparations could begin! My day in the lead up was pretty busy with hair and makeup, seeing my bridesmaids, getting dressed, taking photos, etc. Wade and his friends even went for a swim at the beach before the wedding!
When we arrived at the venue and I prepared to walk down the aisle, I suddenly became so nervous, but I had both my mum and dad beside me, which was really special. As soon as I saw Wade standing there, the nerves went away.
We wrote our own vows, and there were laughs and a few tears during the ceremony. Everything went exactly to plan, the food was delicious, and everyone seemed to be having a great time. We had sparklers and glowsticks, which were a lot of fun during the dancing once it got dark.
The best part was that we were back at our cottage by midnight and were able to soak it all in, have a cup of tea, and talk with each other about the day.
Finally, what is your biggest piece of advice for brides to be?
My biggest advice would be: don't sweat the small stuff. In the lead-up to the wedding, I definitely did a bit of panicking about small things like making sure all my bridesmaids had matching getting ready robes and how each place setting should look, but it didn’t really matter at all!
Everyone is there to show their love and support for you and your spouse, and they’re not going to notice if there aren’t enough candles on the table or if the napkins aren’t folded into a fancy shape. What matters is getting to enjoy yourself and spend time with the people you love.
