On a rainy spring day, Stacey and Brad promised forever in front of their loved ones, surrounded by the lush greenery of Te Tumu Estate. The showers did nothing to dampen their joy. Photos captured the couple beaming with laughter, fully embracing every moment of their unforgettable day.
Stacey shined in Prague by Forget Me Knot, a beautifully elegant brushed satin gown featuring a petal-shaped bodice and plunging neckline. The romantic low back, delicate covered buttons running down the train, and full sweeping skirt gave the gown a timeless, graceful finish.
Keep scrolling for gorgeous photos, a peek into Stacey's dress shopping journey, and her heartfelt advice for other brides to be. Enjoy!
What was it that made this particular wedding dress catch your eye and fall in love?
The pockets definitely sold it for me! But the way it fit me, and how I felt in it, I never would have chosen it off the shelf, but the team at Astra Bridal clearly knew. Once it was on, I loved the classic silky satin look, the princess shape, the modern bust, and of course... the pockets!
Tell us about your search for the dress and the experience at Astra Bridal.
Astra Bridal was the first place we went to. I had exactly what I wanted in mind. In my standard fashion, I rocked up late with my bridesmaids, a couple of espresso martinis down. With no judgement, we were invited in and given delicious mimosas. We found the dresses I had pre-selected, and the girls added a few more based on my description.
My stylist Khym was nothing but all levels of professional, welcoming, fun, everything you could ask for, and she made the experience unreal. She honestly made the experience what it was, an absolute legendary lady. She knows her stuff and somehow got to know me better than I do after less than two minutes, haha. I tried on five or so dresses when Khym got me to put on the final one, which was opposite to what I had selected. As I walked out, we all knew this was the one.
With all the bridesmaids trying to claim it was the dress they chose, it didn’t take us long to realise that it was Khym who had selected the dress.
We cancelled the next fitting, went to one more, lasted 20 minutes before we walked out knowing nothing would beat the dress and the experience we had at Astra Bridal.
Tell us your story, how you both met, and the proposal.
Brad interviewed me for a job as Head Coach at the gym he part owned. I got the job. Fast forward a year and a few hot pool trips, a drunken night led from one thing to another, and he never really left. Fast forward another four years, and we both had full career flips. We have his gorgeous 12 year old son part time, and after a massive hike to the top of the Pinnacles, he dropped to one knee.
What was your favourite part of the day?
Honestly, all of it, it was so much fun, and I couldn’t stop laughing! The bridal party intro and our entrance were definitely up there though, closely followed by dancing all night.
Tell us about your wedding day as a whole.
The wedding was absolutely perfect. It was absolutely pouring down, but this just added to the fun of it all!
The dress obviously survived the weather, and dry cleaning got the mud stains out easily.
I didn’t end up wearing the dress for the reception due to the photos in the mud and rain, but it was easy to move and “play” in during the photos, etc.
Finally, what is your biggest piece of advice for brides to be?
My advice would be that even though it’s said often and seems obvious, don’t stress the small stuff or the big stuff! Because even what in the moment feels big very likely isn’t. At the end of the day, so long as you and your spouse turn up, what else matters? Anything that arises that seems like a negative, just embrace it! It’s unlikely that everything is going to go smoothly, but if you embrace and laugh at each hurdle, you could actually allow your day to be better than imagined.
We absolutely embraced the storm, and honestly this ended up being an element that made our wedding. It was so much fun dancing in the rain, and the photos are so authentic! It was not as I planned, but I wouldn’t have changed it for anything!
