Tristan and I first met in a McDonald's drive thru at the end of 2011. Both of us had been to Christmas in the park with our friends and we were trying to get something to eat after. He walked in from one side, and I walked in from the other. As the restaurant itself was closed, we both tried to order through the drive thru, which worked! We didn't really talk to each other then but bumped into each other again at a mutual friend's party in mid 2013. Tristan was 17, I was 15, and we have been inseparable ever since. We have grown up together and become a part of each other's family right from the start.
On Christmas Day, 2021, Tristan finally popped the question while we were on a morning walk along the beach. It was just us on the beach until I heard the cheers from my family, who were watching it all unfold from the clifftop above. It was everything I could have imagined, and more. I spent the whole of Christmas day researching, planning, and realising just how expensive weddings really are. Fair to say that it put a big hold on planning!
Fast forward a year and a half later, we decided to just elope and have a registry ceremony to celebrate our 10th anniversary. My mum and my sister started planning a small celebration after the ceremony as we are the first ones in our generation to tie the knot. One thing led to another, and things got out of hand, suddenly we were planning a wedding in 8 weeks.
I had looked online for dresses and found a cheap dress that would arrive in two weeks, but Mum was worried I wouldn’t like it when it arrived. She suggested that I go and try on some dresses to see what styles I like. The day after, my nail technician sent me a post from Bridal Brilliance saying she could imagine me in one of their dresses. She spoke so highly of Bridal Brilliance and her experience with them which made me feel more confident in going. I had a look through their website and fell in love with the Stella York 7644, so I quickly booked the next available consultation.
I was so anxious about going to my appointment and I wasn’t expecting to like anything I tried on. All I can say is that my experience at Bridal Brilliance was one of my favourite parts of the whole wedding-planning process. Lizzie made me feel so comfortable and picked out a variety of different styles for me to try. She assured me that I would find something, even though we were 5 weeks out and I had to buy from the rack.
The first dress I tried on was the Stella York 7644 and I knew I had found my dress. I loved everything about it, and it fit me perfectly. I spent the next hour trying on different styles, textures, patterns and of course veils - I have never had so much fun trying on dresses! Although I loved so many of the other dresses, I couldn’t stop thinking about the first one, so I tried it on again and experimented with different veils. The Stella York 3D Flower Veil stood out and I knew it was the perfect veil to match my dream dress.
Our wedding day was everything we could have ever hoped and dreamed of. I am forever grateful to the Bridal Brilliance team for making my whole experience so positive and stress free.
Vendors:
Venue - Cibo https://cibo.co.nz/
Wedding Dress & Veil - Bridal Brilliance https://bridalbrilliance.co.nz/
Grooms Suit - YD. https://www.yd.com.au/nz
Celebrant - Melanie Stuart (Mel's Ceremonies) https://www.facebook.com/melsceremonies/
Hair & Makeup - Serenity Makeup http://serenitymakeup.co.nz/
Rings - Worrall Jewellers (Bride's custom-made set) https://www.worralljewellers.co.nz/
Perfume Engraving - Kim Writes https://www.kimwrites.co.nz/
Cake - Sweet Bites Cakes https://sweetbitescakes.co.nz/
