By way of a happy coincidence, Maxine met Luke through her best friend who was searching for the perfect flatmate. About to embark on his big OE, Luke was looking for a short-term rental to see him through to his departure date - fortunately, Maxine's best friend and her husband were looking for a flatmate. Deemed 'relatively normal' and a bit-of-a-looker, Luke became the newest resident in the Oriental Bay apartment, and subsequently, sparks flew between him and Maxine. 5 years later the couple are now enjoying life as newlyweds.
When thinking of her dream day, Maxine had always pictured walking down the aisle at her gorgeous family home in New Plymouth. The house and grounds, which have been beautifully restored by Maxine's mum and step-dad, feature immaculate gardens and expansive lawns surrounding the picturesque house. Almost deterred by the amount of hard-work involved in planning a wedding at your own venue, Maxine was hesitant to see her dream venue through. However, with a bit of assurance from Luke, the couple decided to stick to their guns, and it paid off. With a contemporary-garden-chic theme in mind, the marquee was placed on one of the lawns and filled with white tables and seating, while the ceremony location was a simple backdrop of a large weeping tree.
Choosing her photographers and videographer was a 'no-brainer' for Maxine. Having seen the work of Brooke and Gina from
The Virtue, the couple were blown away with the quality and style of the creative duo and decided to book them in. The videographer was a little bit more difficult as Maxine knew exactly who she wanted, however, the budget was already well and truly blown. Going with her gut, Maxine asked
Patty Lagera to shoot the day, which turned out to be something Luke is glad she got her way with. The rest of the suppliers were found via some social-research, scrolling through instagram looking for vendors who emulated style similar to theirs.
"It was always going to be a Rue De Seine" says Maxine when asked about how she chose her dress. With the deposit already paid and the cut-off date to change her mind looming, Maxine actually switched to the Fox gown, as she felt it was more complimentary to the venue and her style. When choosing the bridesmaid dresses, Maxine wanted something they could be comfortable in, opting for 3 different black Shona Joy designs.
After a lovely day filled with love, the outdoor dance floor was lit up by strings of festoon lights. Accompanied by their band of choice The Noodles who travelled up from Wellington, Maxine and Luke's friends and family danced well into the night. The couple enjoyed seeing everyone so happy and all in one place, to celebrate love.
Testimonial:
When it came time to decide what we wanted to do for our wedding gifts, Mildred&Co were always going to be our first port of call.
The ability to have two options, one being our 'White Picket Fence Fund' for monetary contributions towards our renovations, and the other being able to choose beautiful pieces that would take pride of place in our first home, was invaluable.
The service, communications, and attention to detail by everyone at Mildred&Co was second to none. The entire experience was enjoyable and stress-free - if only all parts of wedding planning could be the same!
Thank you Mildred&Co - we couldn't recommend your services highly enough xx
