Bride & groom: Luke & Monique
Wedding date: 06/01/2022
Key details:
Dress from Kellylin Couture
Bridesmaid dresses from Asos & Esther & Co
Suit from Yd
Cake was a made by Top Tier Cakes
Flowers by Stylish Weddings & Events
Hair & Makeup by Face Me Makeup
Photographer: Esme & Logan (Photography) Cinematic Creative Co (Videography)
What song did you walk up the aisle to? Best Part of Me by Ed Sheeran
Q. Why did you choose Allely Estate as your venue?
We had been to a few venues before Allely but there was something different about it from the moment we walked in. We fell in love with the gardens and spent a few minutes walking around before meeting Athina. When we met her, she instantly clicked with Luke and it was the first time I had seen him express his own ideas for the wedding. Allely provided the opportunity for us to turn the Marquee into anything we wanted – the opportunities were endless. Seeing Luke get excited about the wedding with Athina, the services Allely offers plus how beautiful the venue is was everything we were looking for.
Q. Did you have a theme or vibe?
We definitely went for a rustic type vibe with burnt orange, blushes, and white as our main colours. We incorporated wood features into a lot of our decorations too.
Q. Did you incorporate any tradition?
We incorporated the traditions of certain family members doing speeches as well as a haka from the family. Our ceremony was somewhat traditional but with a lot of personal touches.
Q. What was your best decision about the wedding?
Going by ourselves for photos before the dinner was really great. We had lots of fun but gave us a chance to have a moment together and take everything in. As much as we love our bridal party, it was also great for them to enjoy that time with their own partners and get to mingle with all the guests they knew without being rushed to photos.
Q. How did you both meet? What is your personal 'love story'?
Luke and I were both nominated for an award for the Papatoetoe Junior Sports Awards. Luke got nominated for Junior sportsman (cricket) and I got nominated for Service to sport (netball). Luke didn’t win but I did. I got home that night and asked my sister’s boyfriend (Stephen, he is also the captain of the premier mens cricket team) who the good looking guy in his cricket team was. Didn’t think anything of it and then about a week later I got a facebook friend request and a message saying “Hey, are you the pretty girl from sports awards?”. We went on our first date and the rest is history!
Q. Tell us about your favourite wedding moment?
Turning and walking down the aisle and seeing my soon-to-be husband beaming. But also realising how many of our friends and family were there and taking that all in was just an incredible feeling. The feeling of getting up the front and being able to hold his hand was so comforting and a really special moment.
Q. What special touches were important to you?
Having a personalised ceremony was incredibly important. We wanted our family and friends to enjoy the ceremony and to laugh or cry with us. Our celebrant (Natasha Bowen) did an incredible job of sharing our love of each other, sports, and inside jokes into the ceremony. It was also really important to use to have a venue which worked for our guests which meant, a great and easily accessible bar and great food. Having a seated menu with options for our guests meant they could get what they wanted and it was delicious.
Q. What advice do you have for other couples?
Do not sweat the small stuff! It is so easy to start thinking about what other people would like but it comes down to you and your partner and how you want it to work!
Draping, lighting & styling by Stylish Weddings & Events
