Stunning Wedding Venues ♥ Castaways
A few weeks ago on a scorching hot summers day I married a beautiful couple at a stunning cliff top wedding venue.
Castaways overlooks Kariotahi Beach just outside of Waiuku, South Auckland.
The reception building is situated at the top of a rolling green hill. The dining room is decorated with a billowing white ceiling canopy that reflects the waves you look out over from the ceremony altar on the cliff edge.
It’s just striking – especially at sunset.
Plus they have very cool accommodation for you and your guests – I love the clamping option!
Visit their website here.
Sex and the City
Yesterday I started one of my New Year resolutions – to get fit again. We’ve got the treadmill set up with a big tv in front of it for motivation. I just needed a tv show that was going to take my mind off the agony of running!
And I remembered the fabulous Sex and the City – Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte!! It must be almost 20 years since it first aired and it was so cutting edge – the first time we had really heard a true-to-life, no holds barred single womens voice! And it was about time for a re-run.
Season 1, Episode 1 introduced us to ‘sex anthropologist’ Carrie Bradshaw, her girls and her BIG!!! I don’t think I had actually ever seen this first show. Carrie met BIG – she dropped her purse on a busy NYC street and BIG being the chivalrous man he is stopped and helped her pick it up – plus all its contents – a roll of condoms! And it had the interviews from single woman and toxic bachelors – sharing their point of view of sex and dating in the city, which they stopped in the later series. Plus of course it included brilliant gems of wisdom on love – that as a 30-something woman living in the city at the time it was airing – helped you laugh and live in hope of finding your one BIG love!
Fabulous! Do I want to get back on the treadmill? Also-fucking-lutely! (as BIG would say!). Just to watch the next episode!
NZ’s most eligible bachelor – taken.
Some may have looked on the announcement last week as joyous, while for others (single women, WAG wannabe’s) it was the most devastating news!
The NZ Herald reported: Former All Blacks skipper Richie McCaw has announced his engagement to long-time girlfriend Gemma Flynn.
Breaking the news on his Facebook page tonight, McCaw revealed he had spent the new year celebrating his engagement to the Black Stick.
“Happy new year to everyone. I’ve had a fantastic start to 2016 and feel very lucky. Gemma said ‘yes’! It’s been great celebrating our engagement with friends and family in sunny central Otago. Here’s to a great year ahead.”
The post was accompanied by two photographs. One shows the Rugby World Cup-winning captain and Flynn together with an arm around each other and glasses of champagne in hand – and a big sparkler shining on the 25-year-old hockey player’s wedding finger.
Congratulations Ritchie and Gemma! If you need a Celebrant…
A beautiful Bethells Beach wedding
The lovely Mr and Mrs Bennett were married a few weeks ago with a spectacular backdrop of Aucklands Bethells Beach (can you see the sea in the background?).
To get to their venue you had to walk up a near vertical bush track – but the hike was well worth it for the amazing view.
It was the first of the scorching hot summer days and the couple were clever enough to leave bottled water underneath everyones chairs and provide parasols to keep people hydrated and protected so they could be comfortable and enjoy the unique and romantic ceremony the Bride and Groom created.
Concluding the ceremony glasses of refreshing bubbly on the lawn were served to start the celebration.
Cheers and all the very best Rachel and Tom!
The Best Wedding Dances Ever!
Image by Perspectives Photo + Cinema
Looking for some ‘first dance’ inspiration? Check out these top 5 list of the best first dance routines ever.
Ah, the first dance. Aside from the ceremony (of course), this is one of those truly magical, unforgettable moments on your wedding day, and one where you’ll have the full attention of every guest. Three and a half minutes to shine. Some people go with a traditional waltz, some with a bit of a random boogie to a modern dance track, and some practice for months with their very own customised choreography.
Below we’ve compiled a list of some of the all time stand-outs – our picks of the best first dances ever.
5. This one starts off with a slow r’n’b jam before going in a totally different direction. It’s insanely long – the bride, groom and the entire wedding party must have put in months of rehearsal to pull it off!
4. A wedding dance that is truly magical. Things get really unbelievable at about 1.50.
3. A rather special wedding singer (who arrives at 1.40 if you want to skip to the good stuff!). Can you imagine if this person turned up to perform at your wedding?
2. A perfect rendition of the Dirty Dancing finale, including Johnny’s speech. The guy even has even managed to get his arms looking like Patrick Swazey’s did in the movie. The dance starts at 2.18, and then THAT lift happens at 5.30.
Drumroll please…
1. This one is from 9 years ago (sorry about the resolution), before there was any such thing as a surprise wedding dance, and at the beginning you can see some of the guests wondering what the heck is going on (which makes it that much more fun!). This couple have obviously put a huge amount of time into this and their commitment to the job only makes it that much more epic.
Courtesy of aucklandweddings.co.nz
Top tips for a sweet summer wedding
Source: Top tips for a sweet summer wedding
With the unpredictable NZ summer – we go from one extreme to the other – sometimes four seasons in one day (as the Crowded House song goes!).
We’ve covered off what to do if it rains… now here are some top tips for summer, especially this one…
♥ Sip, Slop, Snap There’s nothing worse than being a wedding guest who’s exhausted before the bride even makes her big entrance. Keep guests comfortable by serving cool non-alcoholic drinks they can sip on, make sunscreen and insect repellent available to slop on and snap open a fan or umbrella to protect guests from the heat. Have some fun – order personalised bottled water or make your own fans inline with your theme. Plus they make great photo props!
Wedding Fashion throughout the years
My Darling and I were guests recently at a friends milestone 70th birthday celebration. As part of the celebrations there was a slideshow running – showcasing memorable photographs of the birthday boy over the decades.
The best photograph of all I thought was of him and his beautiful Bride on their wedding day way back in the early 70s! If I recall there may have been a ruffled shirt involved, but what stood out for me was the the Brides fabulous ‘sun hat’. (Well, I was promptly told it was not a ‘sun hat’ but in fact the proper name for it is a ‘picture hat’! ; ) )
Apparently the hat caused quite a family dilemma. The mother of the Bride was most upset that her daughter was going ‘modern’ and not wearing a traditional veil.
Luckily the family were able to move on and celebrate the joyous occasion and the happy couple are still very happily married 40-odd years later!
Our Bride was kind enough to share their photo with us. Whatever the name I think it brilliantly captures the fashion of that era… and doesn’t the Bride look so pretty!!
Thank you Marie!!! xxx
What to do if it rains…
Every bride planning a summer wedding hopes for sunshine.
Sadly, Mother Nature is just about the one thing that a Bride just cannot control!
So, if it rains on your big day – here are a few things to make you smile again…
♥ Remember the most important thing is not the weather – but the fact you are marrying the love of your life!
♥ You are going to get some unique, amazing photos! Have colourful umbrellas and gumboots on hand!
♥ Rain is actually considered lucky – it is seen as a cleansing, start of a new phase, fertility and growth!
♥ Your Rain Day venue may turn out to be even better than your first choice. Friends of mine were planning their ceremony on a hilltop with a spectacular view, however when the gale force winds kicked in the ceremony was moved to the reception venue built over the ocean so the wild crashing waves were really atmospheric.
♥ Your flowers won’t wilt.
♥ You will be able to keep your cool in your big dress!
A New Year’s Eve Wedding
Me and My Darling were thinking of a New Year’s Eve wedding – it would be a great excuse to include fireworks in your day! We decided on another date close to my heart in the end though – but My Darling still put on an amazing fireworks display!
The other reason to have your wedding on New Year’s Eve, apart from a cool fireworks display, is they are the perfect time for a massive party! Everyone is planning on attending a celebration – so make it an extra memorable occasion. Plus most people have the next day off to recover!
Here are some fabulous ideas for a New Year’s Eve Wedding, courtesy of Martha Stewart Weddings and BridalMusings.com…
Get glitzy ♥ Make it about the new year and the newly married couple ♥ Put party props on each table ♥ Give everyone sparklers ♥ Countdown for a photo opp ♥ Let the champagne flow ♥ Wear a slinky sequinned wedding gown ♥ Pin resolutions to the wall and ask guests to ‘take one, and make one for you’!