On a warm summer overcast day, Romaine and Tom tied the knot at the beautiful Turanga Creek Vineyard in Whitford, Auckland, New Zealand.
In a special twist of events, Romaine's Astra Bridal stylist, Cherie, had recently left the Astra team to work with her sister at their newly owned venue - so it was a lovely surprise when Romaine stepped out of the car and saw Cherie waiting for her!
Romaine wore the incredibly timeless Josie dress by Rebecca Ingram and paired it with our scattered pearl veil (1-901-CT-DP). Everything tied together beautifully, so we're so excited to share their day with you!
What was it that made this particular wedding dress catch your eye and fall in love?
My wedding gown was completely different to the style I thought I’d choose. I didn’t have anything like it on my wish list but Cherie suggested I tried it on because of aspects that I enjoyed in other gowns. All the dresses were amazing but the Josie gown was the only one that made me feel like a bride. I loved how it fitted my body and how elegant the details of the train, sweetheart neckline, and buttons were.
Tell us about your search for the dress and the experience at Astra Bridal.
I loved my experience at Astra Bridal! I really enjoyed making a wish list as a base for my initial consultation. I went into the consultation hoping to find a style that I liked, rather than my actual wedding gown. Little did I know that with the experience of the staff at Astra Bridal, particularly Cherie, that I would leave with my wedding gown!
Tell us your story, how you both met, and the proposal.
Tom
and I met on Tinder in 2016. We both knew we’d found someone special thanks to
our mutual love of terrible puns. Since then we’ve moved in together, bought a
house, and got a dog. In March 2021 we did a campervan road trip of the South
Island. Tom proposed while we were on a walk at the Brook Waimārama Sanctuary
in Nelson. He organised a lunch at a winery afterwards and had told both of our
parents beforehand which was really special.
What was your favourite part of the day?
My
favourite part of the day was walking down the aisle and seeing Tom. I’d been
so excited all day to finally see him and was very emotional once I got to the
venue. It really was the best feeling to finally be beside him with all our
loved ones surrounding us.
Tell us about your wedding day as a whole.
Our wedding day really was the best day of our lives! Two weeks before our wedding we went into Level Red which meant our overseas guests were unable to attend and our guest numbers were limited. Despite this we were really thankful to be able to get married and still have our closest friends and family with us.
It was an overcast February day which thankfully meant we weren’t too hot! I got ready ready with my family, my mother in law, and my maid of honour. When I arrived at the venue I was greeted by Cherie, who had recently left Astra Bridal and was working at our wedding venue. That’s when the tears started because it was so nice seeing a familiar face. The ceremony itself was also very emotional - we both shed a lot of tears! The reception was great with amazing food and hilarious speeches. I did an outfit change before our first dance and then we danced the night away, which is something Tom and I love to do!
Finally, what is your biggest piece of advice for brides to be?
The wedding day flies by so try and soak up as much of it as
possible and don’t feel guilty if you can’t chat to everyone, they’re all
having a good time anyway!
