A community affair
Making the most of everything the village has to offer was a priority when Martinborough locals Will Geisler and David Beveridge tied the knot earlier this year.
“We wanted our wedding to have a local focus with everything within walking distance,” says Will.
Nick Arnold from Trestle & Mortar was the caterer, Jill Havill from Millefiore did all the flowers, and the rings were designed and made by Sandra Schmid, using family gold. Wine and beer was supplied by Martinborough Wine Merchants, which was also where the couple had a gift registry.
“We loved the idea of getting a bottle of wine as a gift that we could put away and enjoy in years to come.”
The ceremony was held under the oaks of Huangarua Park – just a short walk from the couple’s home – with David’s cousin, Julie O’Brien as celebrant.
“As we were already in the park before the guests arrived it was really nice being able to greet each of them as they arrived. Most of the photos had already been taken so we could relax and spend more time with guests at the reception.”
Held at Martinborough Town Hall – the reception venue was just steps away for the 80 guests. “We enjoyed drinks and canapes on the terrace at the front of the hall while listening to a jazz band from Wellington.”
The reception was based around a long dinner party with a “disco” at the end. Tables were set up in the hall in an X shape with the wedding cake in the middle. Will, owner of Buttercream Workshop, made the herb sorbet and the dessert. He made the wedding cake in collaboration with David’s sister Jane, so there was something from each family.
“We paid homage to Will’s American background by serving Californian chardonnay, pumpkin pie for dessert and mini American hotdogs for supper,” says David.
“Nick Arnold and his team did a great job. Our MC who had previously worked with Nick was the conduit between what was happening in the hall and the kitchen. Everything ran on time.
“It was also nice to have so many people at the reception who had contributed to the wedding in one way or another. It made it feel like a community or family project.
“Having family come from across the globe was wonderful, and the two families got on together very well!”
Wedding Tips
Think about the experience you want your guests to have at your wedding. For us it was about spending as much time with them as possible and making sure that the food and wine was a highlight for them.
Think about minimising speeches – we had five in total including a speech from each of us.
