A wedding in the beautiful surrounds of Karori, Wellington, New Zealand
Jumping on a plane has never meant so much, as I set off to New Zealand's south of the North Island, Wellington, Karori. Greeted by Bec's brother at the airport at a tick before 11pm, we quickly escaped the cold but fresh air, and into the warmth of a dirt stained station wagon.
We began our 40 minute ascent into foothills of the Karori mountains, and as street lights gave way to stars, the destination wedding labeled location, was starting to settle in.
Arriving to the property called 'The Red House', we were greeted by the 'soon to be' bride and groom, her family members, and a few past faces that I have made friends with years before. Cheese, wine and beers soon followed to ensure a restful night.
Friday saw majority of the guests arrive to the famous Red House, and soon the front of the Jone's property was looking more like a holiday destination - tents, swags, a giant fire pit and of course....port-a-loo's and gas run hot showers.
The night's celebration was fantastic, hosting a giant pig on the spit, roasted veggies and salads of fresh produce. Beers, wines, ciders and spirits into the night. It could have been mistaken for the wedding night - that's how good the vibe was.
Come Saturday - and the rains...Bec set off with her two bridesmaids into Wellington city to have her hair set and makeup soon to follow back at her sister's house, where the drive was much closer to the gardens of the ceremony.
The ceremony was set in the gardens of the Red House, where Cal had proposed to Bec years before. Personal family events had made these gardens so rich with heritage value, and the marriage of Bec and Cal was about to add another milestone memory to the collection.
Finally, windy Wellington's 'summer sun' came out beneath the clouds, drying off the morning rain and making the natural colours of the garden, pop out from the puffy grey clouds in the background.
A beautiful ceremony saw Cal watching his bride to be be walked down the family garden path by both her father Mark and mother, Rose, in front of 100 family and friends.
The couple also wanted to celebrate the ceremony by asking everyone to take a glass of champagne and cheers'ing with them, before they signed their wedding certificate.
The nights celebrations went for hours, as the sun went down and the speeches, food and wine were continuously shared out. An amazing barn being erected especially for the two marriage made it even more special, as this was the 1st time it had been used.
Wild flowers picked from the 100 hectare property filled vases of all shapes and sizes on the timber laid tables, and eclectic vintage plates with mismatching cutlery were the stunning result of Bec's mother, collecting pieces especially for this event, 2 years in the making.
For those who had travelled wide and far, the nightlife soon made up for it - as the barn was turned into a dancefloor and the tunes be began to belt out. (Just as I'm typing this now, I'm listening to Nick Cave, in memory of the evening)
One of many great things about this wedding was that everyone had a location to stay at or in the Red House. The need to 'get home' was replaced by a glass of wine - true New Zealand hospitality.
As for Bec and Cal, not only are they amazing people and long life friends, they're hospitality and generosity still continues to show even months after their event.
Photographer - Gez Xavier Mansfield
Dress - Toni Maticevski
Shoes - Ginger and Smart
Jewellery - Black Leopard Designs
Earrings - Mum Pearls
Bridesmaids Dresses - blue dress - made by Alex Aldrich / Peach dress - Miss Crabb
Groom - MJ Bale suit and Doc Martins
Makeup - Lydia Harfield for Rebecca Connor
Hair - The Grooms Mum
Styling + Florals - Home grown and Wild! Flowers were bought direct from the market and arranged ourselves in recycled jam jars, milk bottles and little vessels.
Celebrant - Peter Conroy
Prep Venue - girls got ready at my sisters house, boys at my parents house
Ceremony /Reception - The Red house in Karori. My mum is an amazing gardener so we had the ceremony in the garden and the reception in the new barn my Dad built.
Catering - Capitol Catering (and was amazing)
Cake - a collection of small cakes from Floridita's and Aro Bake
Music - I walked down aisle to 'The Ship Song' by Nick Cave.
End of ceremony was 'Lust For Life' by Iggy Pop
Our First Dance was a happy accident and was to 'Strict Machine' by Goldfrapp.
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