Sophie & Callum
Sophie and Callum wanted an intimate family wedding that felt relaxed and personal, so got married at home, with family and friends helping make their day extra special. Sophie tells us about their day…
Photos: Dawn Thomson Photography
When planning our winter wedding we didn’t want anything too fussy or over the top, and really wanted the day to be about our families coming together. That’s why we decided just to have immediate family present. It made for a day that was about our two families and it made it feel really special.
We decided to have our ceremony in our 120-year-old converted church apartment in the middle of Newtown, Wellington, and it turned out exactly as we’d hoped - intimate, classic and fun.
My custom crepe jumpsuit, overtop and veil were made by my talented friend Harriet Falvey, who designed and made everything from Auckland without me trying it on once! She really is the best.
Harriet also crafted my veil using the lace that was on my Mum’s wedding dress and it was so special to have a part of her wedding day also be a part of ours. The veil was hand stitched with 3D flowers and pearls to match my overtop, and has become a heirloom piece to pass on for generations.
Our cat Penelope (Peni for short) was wearing the offcuts of the lace from my veil as a collar that Harriett made for me, the first cat accessory she’s ever had a bride request!
Our celebrant Libby Greatnews was an absolute delight to deal with and was a real hit with our guests. She knew we wanted short and sweet and nothing too soppy and tailored her speech perfectly, finally signing us off as husband and wife with a “and to be mortgage free by 50”, a real hit with my finance nerd of a husband!
Both mother’s were our witnesses to the ceremony, Callum’s brother Nick was our ring bearer and Callum’s sister in law Catherine provided my something borrowed in the form of cake plates and forks.
Post ceremony we had bubbles, cut the cake and both fathers and Callum’s brother Michael gave speeches that were very touching.
The keke (wedding cake) was a caramel mud flavour with kitch vintage icing, which I requested because I loved my mum and dad’s wedding keke (although theirs was square and on pillars to separate the layers). My mum had also brought down a keke cutting set she’d been given years ago but never used for us to use on the day. But, as soon as we put pressure on it, the knife snapped in half. It provided Callum’s favourite picture of us from the day though! In the end we got out the proper kitchen knives which were less pretty but did a better job.
I’d found The Lovers, our planners/photographer/florist extraordinaires, many months before we even decided to get engaged and loved their style so much I knew that’s what I wanted for our wedding. Dawn and Gypsy were so much fun and just the perfect pair for two people who get awkward in front of a camera. We chose Parliament (Old Library) and the South Coast of Wellington for our photo locations due to their classic Wellington vibes.
Gypsy captured my dream flowers perfectly - colourful but not over the top, mixed old with new and it smelt amazing, which was very important to me.
We had dinner at Ortega Fish Shack, a Wellington icon in the restaurant scene. Ortega is known for fish but they also do one of the best steaks in Wellington so we made sure that too was on the menu. The food and the staff were beyond expectations and we couldn’t have asked for a more relaxing and enjoyable end to our day.
Photographer: Dawn Thomson Photography / The Lovers Elopement Co
Bride's Attire & Veil: Harriett Falvey
Planner & Stylist: The Lovers Elopement Co
Florist: The Vase Floral Co. Queenstown / The Lovers Elopement Co
Reception venue: Ortega Fish Shack
Cake: Stiletto Cakes
Thanks to Brent Backhouse (2nd camera) / Libby Greatnews / Barkers / Guys Gold / Rolling Mill / Merchant1948 / Selfridges / NJ Makeup Artistry / Jade Mann Hair / Vintage Jaguar