Elegant Queenstown Wedding // Julia and Andrew

Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love, what is unique about you and your relationship…

We were high school sweethearts. We met Andrew when we were 16 years old. He said hi, I smiled back and before you know it we started to hang out regularly. Talk about young love. If you know, you know I guess. We laughed, cried and we became each other’s support pillars and travelled the world together. In 2017 something magical happened, it was as if, for a moment, all the trees, all the lights and all of the stars smiled with us and just like that. Andrew proposed. He proposed in Paris, the city of love. Cliche to some but to me it was a very special place to me. That evening he made reservations at a lovely restaurant. Andrew seemed nervous about something and I knew there was something going on. We made our way to this secluded garden which overlooked the sparkling Eiffel Tower. I remember thinking, look at this view, thinking to myself “how is he not hugging me?”. As I turned around, he was knee bent on the ground. He said to me “Will you make me the luckiest man alive? Will you marry me?” Tears fell down my eyes before I could even reply. He later proposed in  Santorini outside our villa balcony before the canopy of stars a second time “just to make sure”. Two years later after being together for over 10 years we finally got married with our closest family and friends beside us.  Currently, I’m working as a user experience designer and Andrew is a Building certifier. We both want to start our own business in the future before starting a family. 

Tell us about your special day, was there a specific theme or style? Tell us a little about the setting, the styling and some of your favourite details… 

We knew we wanted an outdoor wedding and didn’t picture myself getting married at the beach. Instead, one evening laying in bed, my partner and I were browsing online. We stopped scrolling and froze as we knew we had found where we wanted to get married when we saw Jack’s Point. With an unparalleled lakefront position,  our spectacular Queenstown scenery was really just magical. With the brilliant clear sky above, Jack’s Point served as the perfect backdrop to our special day. We had travelled to Queenstown many times and it had become our little winter escape. Although the temperature was always cold, we felt warm and loved. We hosted a breathtaking ceremony followed by a helicopter photoshoot at Cecil Peak, returning to the leisurely cocktail hour and family dinner reception at the clubhouse. We honestly could not have chosen a more picture-perfect place to hold our wonderful day.  

The One Fine Day team looked after us and executed our vision beyond what we could have imagined. The florals featured pom pom chrysanthemum roses, phalaenopsis orchids and ivory roses positioned on clear perspex plinths. The overall look and feel were timeless and classy and we made sure to pay attention to all of the finer details. Andrew and I prepared our wedding day for over one year and so we knew it was going to be a  magical day. We both wanted all of our 80 guests to have a great time and enjoy all that Queenstown had to offer. When brainstorming ideas for the guest wedding favours, we wanted to make sure our guests would cherish this. Seeing as it was a destination wedding, we knew our guests were limited in what they could travel home with. Alas! How nice would it be if everyone could have a polaroid of us and them that they could put on their fridge when they got home. Each photo was unique in itself and we were able to share a moment and a  story with our loved ones. In addition, our guest took polaroids to place in our wedding guest book. We made  sure to tell them to take extras to keep and remind themselves of the good times. It was so nice to relive those moments with everyone’s messages and smiles. 

We originally engaged with Danilo & Sharon to be our photographers on the day. I had been following their work for the longest time and when they agreed to capture our day I was ecstatic. However, due to some unforeseeable visa circumstances, they could not make the arrangements. I remember crying as I heard the news – this was 4 weeks before our special day. With just 3 weeks to find another photographer, we were blessed to come into contact with Ana Galloway. She was like a breath of fresh air and took some incredible shots. It felt like connecting with an old friend and Andrew and I had the best time doing some of the pre-wedding shoots. Thanks to Ana we will never forget the view from Cecil Peak and the amazing backdrop during our ceremony.  I wanted to create a timeless and simple concept. The night would be filled with sparkles and our chosen family  would be well fed and would dance and drink the night away.  

Tell us about your main outfits: 

The dress: I am a creative and user experience designer so just like a lot of the females, we all had a vision of our wedding dress on our Pinterest boards. The reality is, everyone’s body is unique to themselves and I  struggled to find the one. After trying on a total of over 15 dresses I was beginning to lose faith. It wasn’t until my MOH sent me a text saying, “Why don’t you just book an appointment and try this place out called Blanche  Bridal”. I walked in and immediately loved the detailed embroidery present on the display gowns. My fairytale had come true when I tried on the dress and knew it was the one. The lovely gown hugged me in all the right places and made me feel so comfortable. I face-timed my girlfriend to show her the dress and the next day we drove up from Melbourne to see me try it on again.  

The suit: For Andrew, it was a much easier choice – he has a very clear vision, he wanted a classy suit that was timeless, the type of suit that never goes out of style. The first one was a black tuxedo with a satin lapel with peaks and a white t-shirt for the ceremony. Later when we went to do our photoshoot a velvet blazer with a  rounded satin lapel which complimented the snow so well. He wanted to make sure his suit was comfortable and tailored.