Lauren & Conrad

Lauren and Conrad's winter wedding was a laid-back, family-style celebration full of warmth, love and laughter. The cool couple decided to make many of their own rules for the day, and it turned out perfectly! Lauren tells us more...

We are not bells and whistles type of people, and with both of us working full time and renovating our house, spare time is not a thing in our world! 

With a short timeframe of just six weeks, we had no luxury to get anything custom made or tailored. We searched for suit hire places over buying them and the boys easily picked outfits from Frank Casey. I jumped online and started browsing affordable and pre loved dresses, and the second dress I tried on was the one. Mum, being a sewing machine whiz, hemmed the five layers of the dress to perfection. I also asked mum if I could borrow her veil that she wore when she was just 21 on her wedding day. She didn’t love that my dress was ivory and the veil white, but it was too special not to.

I also wore my grandma’s garter, and Conrad was gifted one of her gold rings to have his wedding band made, which was super special.

The bridesmaids are all strong independent and beautiful girls. We wanted them to feel beautiful and comfortable in their dress so we let them pick their own in the same fabric. We decided to go bold in winter and do black on black. 

My close family friend loves flowers. We sent her a few pictures of ideas and she picked some out of her Waiheke garden and collected dried flowers from a wholesaler. She created stunning bouquets, which we love because the girls and I get to keep them forever. 

Our motto was: “Let’s just have a party with pizza and beer”. Being winter we wanted a venue that is warm, cosy and unaffected by weather. We knew the restaurant staff and owners of Moxie well and when we asked if we could pull off a winter wedding they were all over it. It’s a villa-style house converted into a restaurant, so the warm and cosy boxes are ticked. There is a covered outdoor pergola area, perfect for the ceremony. 

The celebrant is a close family friend of mine. She actually drove my mum to the hospital the day I was born - so to say this was special in itself is an understatement! 

The whole wedding felt like a family gathering. The vibe was warm and welcoming, merging hints of Samoan and Māori culture.

Our photographer Holly was amazing. We asked for a few vintage film-style photos that we can use around the house to give us an artistic edge to our special day. She made us feel so at ease and had us singing Backstreet Boys for some of those fun group shots that we were genuinely laughing through. 

Pulling off a wedding in six weeks kept the budget tight, so we gave each guest bubbles on arrival followed by two pegs each. Your peg is how you pay for your first two drinks - after that it’s cash bar so go wild!

We nailed down a cocktail-style menu with the owners Amy and James, where they would hand out cones of fries and seafood, then we soaked up the alcohol with late night pizzas. 

We had an angel station where we put pictures up of all of those dear to us who were no longer earth side and with us on the day, but we knew they were looking down. 

Our reception felt like a party with all the family. The food and drinks were flowing and everyone was mingling. Seated meals and seating plans are not for us, so this way everyone moved around and spoke to people they wouldn’t usually. We had a spot to dance right in the middle which got everyone involved even if they were seated. 

I surprised my husband with a Samoan Siva as a sign of respect. His sister sang a Māori waiata. The boys finished our speeches with a haka, which was electric. Our guests said this touch made the whole experience like nothing they had seen before. We didn’t have the photographer there for these but we have plenty of poor quality videos and pictures that we watch over and over. 

Since the wedding we have had so many people say how much fun they had. Our family and friends mixed and mingled and all said it was a warm and welcoming feeling in the room. It was the first time our full families had met and been in the same room and it felt like home. We wouldn’t change a thing and are so glad we stuck with our gut.

Photographer: Holly Shin Photography

Venue: Moxie Restaurant

Stella York / White Again Eco Gowns / Frank Casey / Luis Goldsmith / Michael Hill / Rikki Marion / Frenchie & Co / Louise Surynt / Canva / Scrumptious Home Baking / Debbie Hoskins Celebrant