After meeting briefly for the first time in Brighton, UK whilst travelling it was not until Sarah and Andy ran into each other out of the blue back in NZ months later that things kicked off. Andy asked Sarah out for what she thought was just a friendly dinner, until he paid… and the rest is history.
On the hunt for a wedding venue that was totally unique, the pair stumbled across The Ambers while looking at another location and fell in love with it from the top of the driveway where the ceremony was held.
Although there was no set theme of the day, the setting took on ‘an understated elegance’ look and feel. Their beautiful venue did most of the talking - from the tree lined driveway, to the tranquil water fountain and romantic Georgian house overlooking the rose garden. They were also happy to let their carefully selected vendors creativity shine and gave them free reign over their elements of the day, with their 'less is more' philosophy. They wanted the day to have a whimsical feel with a touch of formality – nothing too rustic, and nothing over the top, just an effortless charm.
Sarah’s dress was a custom-made, haute couture gown designed by Pallas Couture in Sydney. The fully boned bodice was hand sewn with French lace and trickled into a long, soft, whimsical, tulle train that was unlined to give a subtle hint of leg in certain lights. Finding the perfect dress was more challenging than Sarah had ever expected, as despite trying on many beautiful dresses from all over the world…she had to pick just the one! Initially reluctant to go down the custom-made route, in the end she was pleased she did as it was such a wonderful experience - with the perfect end result.
As for their favourite part of the day, the pair were lucky enough to have their wedding photos taken on-site at the bottom of the property on the edge of the forest. This meant that they could still be amongst their guests and they could see the fun that was being had. One of the most memorable moments of the day was looking back up at their party and seeing it in full swing; people were laughing, drinking, playing lawn games and enjoying the atmosphere which the pair had worked so hard to create.
Testimonial:
Andy and I were married on a hot summers day in Auckland at a beautiful private estate in Silverdale. We wanted a wedding registry that offered quality, timeless and unique gifts that made the process easy for our guests. We loved the flexibility that Mildred&Co offered along with it's extensive range of products, complemented by the user friendly and tastefully refined website with the added ability to make our registry unique with a photo and message for our guests. Being able to include more high value items that guests could contribute towards was what won us over with Mildred&Co. The hardest part was selecting from the incredible range of gifts!
Thank you so much to the girls at Mildred&Co for everything that you did for us from the impeccable service and to the beautifully wrapped gifts and handwritten notes from our guests. We can't recommend Mildred&Co enough! xx
Wedding credits:
Photography:
Danelle Bohane
The rings:
Naveya and Sloane
Hair & makeup:
FaceMe Makeup - Tania
Stationery: Made by Bride & Groom
Florist:
Leaf & Honey
Celebrant:
Courtney Blakemore
Wedding Stylist/Planner:
Naomi Saffer, Leaf & Honey
The Venue:
The Ambers, Silverdale
Videographer:
WeddingsCapture
