On a beautiful spring day, Natasha and Thomas said "I Do" in front their friends and family at Meadowood House in Hawke’s Bay. Their day was filled with lots of happiness, fun and smiles. The whimsical and fairytale woodland aesthetic of the venue perfectly complimented Natasha's gorgeous gown.
She shined in her elegant custom gown by Forget Me Knot, a figure fitting off the shoulder dress with long flowing wings and delicate buttons trailing down the back, adding a lovely and romantic touch to a classic gown.
Keep scrolling for pictures of their enchanting day and some insight from Natasha about finding her dream dress.
What was it that made this particular wedding dress catch your eye and fall in love?
To be honest I found it quite difficult to find a dress that I felt was 100% me, all I knew is I wanted wings instead of a veil. I found a dress that was close but still not quite there. The stylist I worked with worked her magic and had an idea to combine the top half and bottom half of 2 different dresses by Forget Me Knot and I ended up walking away from the appointment with no solid idea of what my dress would look like except a draft she had sketched. It ended up being so comfortable the whole night, and was perfect for the kind of wedding we had.
Tell us about your search for the dress and the experience at Astra Bridal.
I loved my experience with Astra Bridal, I went to multiple bridal stores where many just wanted me to buy a dress even when it didn't suit me. I found Astra Bridal in Wellington really helpful and guided me to find a dress that suited me.
Tell us your story, how you both met, and the proposal.
We met in high school and quickly became best friends, which eventually organically turned into something more. Fast forward to our 8th anniversary we took a trip to the south island to see more of the top half and we stopped in Punakaiki on the west coast where we found the most perfect viewing platform to watch the sun go down. We went back later that day to see if we could get a good sunset, it was on and off cloudy but we still got to see the low light take over the sky. At the end we went to take one good look at it before we left and that's where he proposed...as soon as it started raining. It was just us there - it's couldn't have been better!
What was your favourite part of the day?
There were so many things I loved about our day. All the decisions we made complemented our vibe so well, my favourite part had to be finally marrying my best friend and experiencing all the love we have surrounding us.
Tell us about your wedding day as a whole.
The weather ended up being perfect considering it was threatening to rain on us. It was so fun getting ready for the day especially getting ready in the same house it really felt like our wedding day that we got to fully celebrate together. The ceremony was perfect, I thought I would be nervous but it weirdly felt like it was just him and I. The reception was so much fun, the food was great, everyone was mingling and getting to know each other plus our surprise fireworks since we got married on Guy Fawkes and we got to dance the night away.
Finally, what is your biggest piece of advice for brides to be?
If you are planning it yourself, when the wedding day is close ( less than 3 months) I cannot recommend enough listing out a detailed timeline with all the current information you have and envision what the day looks like - from breakfast and getting ready right up until the end of the night. You'd be surprised on all the little things you haven't thought of.
