Weddings

Katie & Matt’s Organic Wedding in Whangamata

Words by Amy Richardson / Images by Bespoke Photography
May 10, 2017

When your favourite things as a couple are time spent with loved ones, good food and the outdoors, you don’t need to look very far for wedding day inspiration. Captured by Krystal of Bespoke Photography, this couple rolled all of life’s best bits into one gorgeous day.

Taking full advantage of the stunning New Zealand east coast scenery, these two were married on the shore of Whangamata Estuary. Katie describes their theme as a mix of rustic and organic, with a simple palette of greenery, wood and white. “We both have a love for natural timbers, so made all our signs and props out of recycled wood.”

Katie has some valuable advice for her anyone planning a wedding, “One thing I wish we did was film our ceremony and reception, It was such an incredibly exciting day and it really is impossible to take everything in, in that moment! ”. We agree that your wedding day can feel like a whirlwind, however Katie found some pretty sweet mementos of her day, making sure to keep copies of speeches along with marriage advice cards given to them – so videography or not, there will be plenty of reminiscing about this gorgeous affair.

green and white wedding Whangamata New Zealand

illustrated wedding invitation on naltural paper

The couple styled their day and made their oh-so-cute signs and props themselves, using recycled timber and teamwork. “I did the design part and lettering and Matt did the building part. All the different wood rounds came from tress cut down in our gully and our batch”.

With a little inspiration from from Pinterest, Matt’s aunty made Katie’s gorgeous two piece dress from scratch. Her Overland block heels were perfect for the outdoor setting.

These guys got to be married by a close friend Becs Gillgren, who also happens to be a celebrant. “She crafted such a unique and heartfelt ceremony for us, she is so gifted with words and it was so special to have her officiate us!”

boho bride and bridesmaids with green and white bouquets

Katie’s bridesmaids kept things pretty and relaxed with tops and blush pink skirts from Glassons and sandals from Hannahs.

boho bride with green and white flower crown

Fitting with the neutral palate, Jess of Arrow Florist used muted greenery and white for Katie’s flowers. “Jess nailed it! She was so easy to deal with - I changed my mind numerous times along the way and nothing phased her, she did her best to make sure she understood what I wanted and it was even more amazing than I could have imagined!”

Krystle from Bespoke Photography was on hand to capture all the smiles and warmth of the day and the couple had nothing but praise for her. “Krystle was an absolute dream to work with! Matt and I felt so comfortable with her from the first day we met, she is such a genuine and kind hearted person, and incredibly talented”