Real Weddings

Sam and Sam

Photography by Cath Fitzgerald Photography

“Our first date was at the Churchhill on Lambton Quay. Sadly, I think it’s closed now - but that was the day that Sam and I immediately noticed our chemistry, discovered our mutual love for KFC and agreed to a subsequent date involving it. When it was time to part ways, Sam asked to walk me to my car, where I asked the line that defined the relationship: “Well, aren’t you going to kiss me?” From there, we progressed from KFC and walks through the botanical gardens to spending more and more time together and then romantic trips to Martinborough. Martinborough became a very special place to us, always being a lovely weekend getaway. For this reason, it became clear to Sam that it was the right place to propose. On July 23rd, 2021, we left Wellington for what I thought was just a romantic trip away to Martinborough to enjoy the weather, wine and food. Having scouted the location previously, Sam knew the climb to the lighthouse from the car park would afford a somewhat private moment to pop the question. As we began the climb, I was none the wiser until I noticed the backpack he was carrying and asked for a drink of water. With the backpack just containing the ring, champagne (complete with plastic glasses) and some pistachio nuts, the lack of water somewhat clued me in as to what might be coming at the lighthouse landing. Having to spend a small amount of time waiting to be the only people on the landing, he then asked me to make him the happiest man on the planet – to which I responded positively. In short order, we agreed to a yearlong engagement. While we planned the wedding, we set ourselves the goal of a personalised event where our friends and family surrounded us. We wanted to personalise a lot of it - from décor to favours - so it would reflect our relationship. I particularly wanted it to be elegant and romantic but also relatively simple. An overall theme was lots of sparkle and bling, so we used a lot of shining runners, décor, and lights to keep things looking cohesive. Since we both are 100% Wellingtonians, born and bred, we wanted to keep the wedding in our hometown and find locations representing Wellington and who we are. We had our church ceremony at one of Wellington’s landmark churches, Old St Paul’s. This enabled us to take some fantastic photos at Parliament, thanks to its proximity to the church. A quick jaunt around the bay followed this to our reception at The Boatshed, which has such a Wellington view of the waterfront and landscape. We felt really blessed that the weather was beautiful and didn’t include any of the wind that Wellington is typically known for. We’ve spent most of our lives in Wellington, and our families are based in Wellington, so we knew we wanted to celebrate our love in our favourite place.”

Thanks to all the contributing vendors:

Venue (ceremony): Old St Paul's
Venue (reception): The Boatshed
Photography: Cath Fitzgerald Photography
Cake: Stiletto Studio
Makeup: Hair Makeup Mobile
Hair: Hair, There and Anywhere
Videography: Kee Sue Creative
Catering: Fine Touch Catering
MC: Happy Anchor Marriages
Celebrant: Jill Southee
Shuttle service: Rent-a-bus
Bridal car: In Style Executive
Photo Booth: HotShots Photo Booths