Cohen and I met just over four years ago in an old pub in Melbourne. After catching each other’s eyes we started chatting for a bit. As I was from New Zealand there was lots of Aussie/Kiwi banter thrown around and we realised we had a lot in common, especially our love of fishing. Later in the night we decided to swap numbers and started hanging out almost straight away.

The proposal:

We went to Wellington, New Zealand to spend Christmas with my family. We decided we should do at least one touristy thing, as Cohen had never done any sightseeing in Wellington before. We usually spent most of our time seeing family and friends. So we decided to go up the Cable Car in Wellington, which gives you a beautiful view of the city.

Walking around the gardens and in a very quiet spot, I stopped to take a photo. When I turned around, Cohen was on one knee and asked me to marry him. I was incredibly shocked, as Cohen isn’t usually the romantic type, and even more so to see a beautiful ring which Cohen secretly designed and had made by Sens Jewellers in Bendigo. 

The wedding day:

We had the wedding at “Sudbury” in Te Horo, New Zealand, which is an old barn conversion that was perfect for our rustic country style theme. We were lucky enough to have beautiful weather and so were able to have the ceremony outside overlooking the beautiful New Zealand scenery. 105 guests from both Australia and New Zealand attended the wedding. We were blessed to have Dorothy Carboon, Cohen’s 81 year old Grandmother attend, this was her first trip outside Australia. The venue was only 1km away from the beach which allowed both farm and beach photos.

The dress:

I designed my own dress with the assistance of Cheryl at Poppy’s Bridal in Bath Lane, Bendigo. The ivory dress had a strapless bodice which was made of Chantilly lace with a soft chiffon skirt, finished with a satin sash at the waist with big bow at the back. 

The cake:

A family member made the cake as a wedding gift. The cake consisted of 2 tiers of white chocolate and dark chocolate cake, covered in Ganache and then a butter cream icing. The cake was topped with a fresh hydrangea.

The photography:

The photos were taken by Mary Sylvia Photography.

The honeymoon:

We honeymooned at The French Pass, Marlborough Sounds New Zealand. We stayed in a beautiful secluded house on the edge of a cliff where we had a relaxing time enjoying the stunning views along with lots of fishing.