Real Wedding: Ria and Andrew
In January, we were lucky enough to produce the wedding of former Miss Universe New Zealand, Miss Ria van Dyke to her groom Andrew. It was an incredible union of two such loving people and quite possibly, the most beautiful wedding we've attended and planned.
Ria had such a wonderful eye for detail and really knew the theme she was after. We went with a Tuscan theme but wanted to steer away from the 'rustic' idea to make the wedding a little more formal.
The initial plan was that the ceremony would take place around the fountain at Lavender Hill and the reception would be hosted on top of the cellar roof at Mudbrick, but after a phone call the morning of the wedding, letting me know that the winds had reached 37 knots on that cliff, it was a swift manoeuvre to move everything indoors.
Luckily, Lavender Hill has an amazing big fireplace in the living area that we managed to turn into a stunning focal point for the ceremony in lieu of the elaborately decorated fountain in the main garden.
We went over to the Reception venue - Mudbrick to pick up the table flowers and candelabras and used them to decorate the fireplace and surround.
Villa Kula provided all the ottoman stools and day beds for the guest seating and Blush did an amazing job with the flowers.
Danelle Bohane did an amazing job with the photos below:
The bridal couple were so in love and looked so incredible. Ria's gown was made by J'aton Couture who did an incredible job in creating this glittering luxe gown. The bridesmaids wore white corseted gowns with Bo and Luca headpieces and the ceremony was officiated by Ria's childhood Pastor who flew in from the Gold Coast specifically for the day.
Andrew and the groomsmen looked especially dapper in their formal suits.
The reception was held at Mudbrick Vineyard, not far from the ceremony venue in the main restaurant.
Waiheke Hire installed wonderful festoon lighting on the ceiling and we brought back the flowers and candelabras from the ceremony to adorn the tables.
The candelabras were custom handmade in India, the brass compotes and vases imported from New York and the brass cutlery was imported from Australia days before the wedding to round out the theme.
The whole wedding sparkled with the glimmer of brass and gold under the soft white lights and candles as a guitarist played soft Spanish guitar melodies under the chatter of happy guests.
The wedding was incredibly beautiful, the entire day was filled with love and laughter and such a genuine love and respect between the bride and groom. It truly has been our favourite wedding thus far.
A few days after the wedding, we were sent this wonderful feedback from our bride Ria:
"Words cannot express how thankful I am to have worked alongside Rhonda at Harlow Garland to create my dream Wedding. From the countless hours spent providing support and working with our Wedding vendors, to the elegant style of decorating and careful consideration to detail, I felt at ease in entrusting my vision for our special day to Rhonda. We consider ourselves blessed to have had the privilege of working with someone who carried our vision with passion, grace and professionalism. Thank you for making our dream Wedding a reality!"
Andrew, Ria - we are so happy to have worked with the both of you in creating your magical day. We wish you every hope and happiness in your new lives as one.
Photo credit: Danelle Bohane
