What can I say – it was another beautiful day in the Bay for James and Lara’s wedding. By the time I’d arrived at Lara’s place there were a few threatening clouds but the sun was shinning full force and the vibe in the house was full of excitement … and maybe a little bit of trepidation on Lara’s part (only to be expected though, this is the rest of your life we’re talking about!).
The wedding dress was hanging in the lounge making an exquisite centrepiece, along with the bridesmaids dresses, ready and waiting for the moment the girls would transform themselves. They were delaying getting changed knowing that the bride wouldn’t be able to sit until the bridal cars arrived for the short commute to the venue. When Lara did finally put on her dress it was as if all the stars had aligned. The dress was perfect, a small amount of detailing and not too much ‘boof’, she looked amazing! I left all the girls to fluff (as only girls can), and made my way to the venue.
Sileni Estate Winery sits at the bottom of a golden hill at Maraekakho and with the marque made a spectacular site. The guests were arriving and being ushered down stairs to the cellar for the service. Its interesting how cool, calm and collected men are until the immenant arrival of their bride, and James was no different, although he played it cool – very cool. The service was short and within 20 minutes James and Lara were man and wife.
While the guests continued to enjoy the Hawkes Bay summer the bridal party and I took off to a farm not far from the venue, and after a glass of bubbles everyone was in a relaxed mood. Some of the simplest things can make the best backdrops – there were a few larger drops of rain we had to hide from in the hay shed and once they’d disappeard we headed out to make the most of the sun burnt grass and dark clouds.
