Jess and George were both born and raised in the Wairarapa where they met at college. Jess is a beekeeper and George is in the NZ Army. Jess tells Wairarapa Lifestyle about their wedding day.

How long did it take to plan your wedding? George proposed at the end of December 2017 so we planned our wedding over the following year. I suffered an injury followed by surgery and recuperation, so I had a long time off work which did give me more time to focus on the wedding.

Did you have a particular theme? Having grown up in on a farm in the Wairarapa, I wanted the wedding to reflect that. I liked the idea of including more rustic things – most of my ideas came from that.

Where did you get married and why? We got married at the Gladstone Church, which was perfect for an intimate ceremony in a rural setting. And it is just a short drive down the road to the Carterton Events Centre where we had the reception. Taking into consideration the weather and hire equipment, the events centre really stood out. It’s not only that it’s fairly new and spacious, it ticked all the boxes in having everything set up, toilet facilities, kitchen facilities, some decorations and the use of all the dinnerware and cutlery. Having such a huge space to work with gives you a blank canvas to make it your own, have a big group of people, and still have plenty of room for displays, a dance floor and entertainment.

What else stood out for you? My dress came from Hello Romeo Boutique – Olivia was amazing and the dress was perfect. The food was from Kiwi Coffee & Kai Catering, and was very well presented and delicious. One thing that I planned and wasn’t sure how it would go was a candy bar. It was a real hit and got all the guests up and mingling as well.

The best thing about the day? What's not to love about marrying your best friend and having more than 100 of your closest loved ones there to witness it and celebrate with you.

Top Tips

Work together to make sure there are aspects of the wedding that both you and your partner want.
Start early and chip away at it… and once it's all planned relax and enjoy!