Sam and Dean
Dean and I met as personal trainer and client in 2017. I was training for an Italian holiday with my best girlfriend and Dean was the trainer. It was six weeks of banter and sarcasm, and me spending a lot more time at the gym than I normally would have! I flew off to Italy almost more excited to come home to Sydney and spend time with Dean.
Following Christmas 2018 in Sydney, Dean suggested that we go back to New Zealand for a long weekend in March to see my family on our Cheviot farm, Black Rock. During our stay he mentioned that it would be nice to have a picnic on the farm - This wasn’t normally out of his realm of romanticism, he is always doing sweet things and quite thoughtful with dates, so I didn’t think much of it.
After a very frantic day, we were rushing home with my parents after running errands. I suggested not to worry about the picnic, but everyone was absolutely sure that we should still go - Here’s me, completely unaware! We put together a little picnic, a bottle of bubbles and some beers and headed up the hill where there is an incredible outlook of the farm - The perfect spot for a picnic rug and a sunset! After not very long, I suggested we should pop the bubbles, but Dean thought a selfie of the landscape would be nice before we opened it, especially as the sun started to set. As I was taking the photo, Dean sat down next to me, saying, ‘I just have one question to ask’ and asked me to marry him! Of course, I just burst into happy tears and forgot to actually say yes until he asked me again!
Being surrounded by our family and friends on my family’s farm was one of the most important things for me when it came to celebrating our marriage. For Dean, the priorities were spending the day with family and friends in a relaxed, fun environment. Nothing too flashy or over the top, just love all around.
The planning process was a little consuming, but reasonably straight forward. I am a very organised person, which I got from my mother, so we were in good hands and so much so that my Dad mentioned it in his speech! There is a lot to think about when you have your wedding at home and it’s important to take people up on their offer to help, but also to ensure you have a set list of jobs to distribute. Dean was a fantastic husband-to-be and had a couple of things that he wanted to plan and organise. Other than that he just wanted to hear what was going on, not so much to have an opinion, just to know.
On our wedding day, the boys spent the morning swimming in the ocean and playing cricket in the street. Us girls stayed at the homestead and went for an early morning walk up the hill before hair and makeup. It was an overcast day with a bit of a breeze but quite humid. There was talk in the lead-up about rain and gale force winds but no-one said anything to me about it - It’s amazing being the bride, no one tells you anything that could stress you out!
Our ceremony location was the spot where Dean proposed. We placed lines of hessian covered hay bales and lined the aisle with metal standards topped with protea, eucalyptus and toi-toi tipped slightly in the wind. Stuart made a tipi-like structure for the arbour to tie in with the triple tipi reception theme. I arrived with Dad in an old Rolls Royce and in classic fatherly style, Dad discussed the weather and farming with our incredible driver Andy Fox the whole way. Later he confessed it was to distract me and keep me calm before walking up the aisle! Harry Hawke piped the parents and bridesmaids up the aisle and then changed to Amazing Grace - I’m reliving it all as I write! Debbie and Sam’s English godmother Genene read a beautiful reading ‘The Art of Marriage’ before we exchanged rings and signed the certificates. We walked back down the aisle getting showered in rose petals.
After multiple group photos up the top of the hill, the guests went down to the homestead garden for canapes and drinks and we went off for photos making two stops including weeping willows and the black rock that the farm is named after. The bridal party headed back to the garden as Dean and I were picked up for a flight to the top of the farm for photos. After 20 minutes we headed back to the homestead to join our guests in the tipis with boards of cheeses, crackers, dips and dried fruits awaiting us. We cut the cake straight away then got straight into speeches. Messages of love, support, memories, thank you’s, laughs and jokes ensued included many cheers! Our first dance, ‘Your Song’ by Elton John was a caring choreographed waltz with twists and turns and even a dip and we didn’t miss a step! The dance floor then surged into life and wasn’t left until after midnight, except for a trip to the Baileys and Whiskey bar or to grab supper.
For me, the first special moment of the day was when our driver stopped just out of sight of the ceremony spot opened a latch in the back seat of the Rolls where there was an old decanter of whiskey and water. We all had a little nip of whiskey before we drove over the ridge towards my husband-to-be. Our helicopter trip together was a perfect time to just realise the enormity of what we had just done, check-in with each other and bask in the joy of being married in the eerie quiet on top of the mountains, just us two with the photographer in the distance. Finally, the speeches. I love a good speech, it’s something I always look forward too at a wedding and you’ll find me shhhing over people if they are talking during them! There were so many laughs and tears, happy and sad, they were perfect.
We were incredibly lucky to have the perfect day. As the bride there were a few things I learnt though:
Write your speech long before the day, don’t judge yourself for searching google for ideas-it’ll always be your words in the end
If you’re wrapping gifts for your bridesmaids and mother, don’t do it the morning of the wedding
Give your loved ones jobs, they want to help you and feel honoured to be asked
Check-in with your mum and give her something special to do on the day. Weddings are a lot about the dad as he walks you up the aisle, you have a first dance together, and dad has a speech. Make sure mum feels special too.
We received lots of advice from friends and family leading up to the wedding and the biggest thing was to make sure that we snuck away to have some time together. Step away from the madness of the party, find a quiet spot with a fresh drink and look back on all of your loved ones having an amazing time. This is lovely advice and something that we did throughout the night. My advice would be, try to eat! You get so caught up talking to people and you don’t feel hungry because you have butterflies all day, but try to eat something, you spend so much time choosing what you want to eat on the big day and you don’t end up eating it! And as a bride, I would say to have a speech. I loved being able to thank everyone, talk about my amazing family and bridesmaids and gorgeous husband! It’s one of the only times in life you do it, so do it!
We had so many standout vendors! Our videographer Craig was so organised and so great for planning. He had all the answers for my questions and no question was too hard. Craig came out five months before the wedding to visit the farm and the ceremony spot, he goes over and above, I just can’t wait for the wedding video now, on the countdown to February 2020!
Our Photographer Jono is the friendliest, chill bloke you could meet, and my goodness he does an amazing job! Dean is not someone who likes photos, and he certainly wasn’t keen on the photography aspect of the wedding, but Jono made him comfortable and made us laugh, and that’s what it took. I will be forever grateful to Jono for the experience and the forever memories that we have from those photos.
And of course Debbie Anderson, my mother dearest. We couldn’t have done it without her most incredible organisation and detail and beauty she sees and puts into everything. If we didn’t think of it, she had thought of it, contacted the people to organise it and put it on a list already. We will be forever grateful!
Vendor List:
Tipi | Wild Peaks Triple Tipi
Photographer | Jono Smit
Videographer | Lovelight - Craig Forster
Planning and Styling | Samantha & Debbie
Florals | Flowerhead & Cheviot Flower Group
Catering | Debbie Anderson, Andrea Douglas & Sandra Forbes
Celebrant | Ange Davison
Hair | Georgie Anderson & Nikki Newton
Makeup | Alexandra Beaton
Dress | Karen Willis Holmes
Brides Accessories | Diamond necklace gift from Dean made with a diamond from his Grandmothers engagement ring. Yellow gold and pearl touches. Wild florals.
Bridesmaids Outfits | Bec & Bridge
Grooms Attire | Joe Black
Groomsmen’s Outfits | Joe Black
Rings | Natalie Marie Jewellery
Band | Headrush
Cakes and Desserts | Cakes by Debbie Anderson, decorated by Amy Goad & Stacey Cowan
Favours | Mint & Red Currant Jelly made by Debbie Anderson