Rachel and Nick vowed to spend the rest of their lives together surrounded by loved ones at the charming Church of Hoani in Waimārama. Their day was filled with happiness, laughter, and love, with photos capturing the beaming couple enjoying every moment and truly having the time of their lives.
Rachel mesmerised in her custom Atarangi gown by Forget Me Knot. She kept the original square swirl beaded illusion bodice, with delicate beadwork cascading into the skirt, but added her own personal touches by lowering the back into a V-shape and swapping the fitted crepe skirt for a full A-line organza one. The result was her dream dress—elegant, airy, and perfect for their church and beach celebration. She completed the look with our cut edge pearl veil, a subtle yet stunning detail that added a touch of shimmer to her bridal look.
We hope you enjoy scrolling through the highlights of their day and hearing more from Rachel about her experience with Astra Bridal and the journey to finding her perfect wedding dress.
What was it that made this particular wedding dress catch your eye and fall in love?
The two things I knew I wanted in a dress were a '90s-style scooped neckline and a structured skirt that still felt beachy. When I tried on Atarangi, I fell in love with the bodice—the neckline was perfect, and the beading detail across the front looked almost like little shells or bubbles. I just wasn’t sure about the skirt. I had imagined something with a bit more drama, while still looking clean and elegant.
Luckily, Courtney was amazing at translating my rambling descriptions into an actual design. We combined the skirt from one dress with the fabric from another. Organza—a material I had never even heard of but instantly loved—ended up being the perfect mix of crisp, princess poofy, and lightweight enough for the beach! We also added a low back to give it that extra beachy feel.
Tell us about your search for the dress and the experience at Astra Bridal.
The minute I walked into Astra Bridal, I felt so welcomed. I went in with a really strong idea of what I wanted (and a carefully curated Pinterest board). Courtney was amazing and totally got the vibe I was going for. Although it took a bit of time to find the one, I was lucky that Courtney trusted my vision and was along for the ride.
I ended up with a completely custom dress—made from three different Astra Bridal designs—and the end result was exactly what I had imagined myself wearing on my wedding day! I still remember putting it on the morning of the wedding and just having the biggest smile.
Tell us your story, how you both met, and the proposal.
We met through work—I was in radio, and Nick was in television. We became friends, and it actually stayed that way for three years before either of us made a move. I remember our first unofficial date: a group of us had planned to go surfing, but somehow it ended up being just Nick and me. We decided to go anyway, and after surfing, we spent the rest of the night cleaning and rewaxing his surfboard—neither of us wanted the day to end.
Many more surfing trips followed, and at the end of 2023, Nick popped the question after a sunset picnic.
What was your favourite part of the day?
I have so many!! Our vows, obviously—but also our dessert, lol! We had our reception marquee style at a campground on the beachfront and served our guests dessert from an ice cream cart. I was ecstatic, standing next to my wonderful new husband, serving ice cream to all my favourite people in one of my favourite places.
Tell us about your wedding day as a whole.
Our wedding day was truly amazing! I remember driving off after the reception in our blue Mustang with the windows all the way down and both of us yelling over the wind, "I can't believe how well that all went!" In true Hawke's Bay style, the weather was beautiful—blue skies, a gentle sea breeze, and just enough cloud to provide some moody lighting for photos. I woke up before any of my bridesmaids and sat on the porch in my pajamas—that's actually one of my favourite memories of the day: getting to be by myself for a moment and take it all in. We drove to my aunty's place to get ready, and she had made this beautiful brunch for all of us.
The drive out to Waimārama Beach was beautiful. I remember looking out at Bare Island as we came over the hill in the wedding car and thinking what a beautiful day we had been given. Our church ceremony flew by, and it was amazing to see the little country church packed full of all our friends and family—many of whom had travelled long hours to get there. My childhood pastor stood at the altar to officiate, and Nick stood waiting. We both shed more tears during our vows than I'd anticipated.
After we were pronounced husband and wife, I had all four of my grandparents (two of whom are in their 90s and have been married for over 60 years) pray a blessing over our brand-new marriage. It's something I'd wanted to do forever, so it was so special to have it actually take place. As we walked out of the church, followed by all our guests, Nick's dad tolled the old bell, and we enjoyed coffee and donuts outside.
I absolutely loved our reception. The speeches went longer than we’d allotted time for, but I just loved eating and talking and listening to all the speeches. We ended the night with dessert, a first dance, and a rather chaotic sparkler send off!
Finally, what is your biggest piece of advice for brides to be?
My advice is to trust yourself with your ideas! Dress wise, styling wise—do it the way you and your partner want. You’ll be so glad you did when you see it all come together on your wedding day. Even though planning a wedding can be super stressful, try to enjoy it! You only get to be engaged once (hopefully), and planning a wedding was such a creative and rewarding experience for us.
Also, when the wedding morning arrives, try to let go of all the planning and just enjoy the day. Make a conscious effort to remember as many of the little things as you can. I had a few people give me this advice before our wedding, so I literally spent the entire day looking around, taking everything in, and committing it to memory. Those moments are still so vivid in my mind, and I’ll forever cherish them more than any photo from the day.
