It’s a strange but absolutely beautiful thing, weddings. I can see why some people make an enormous deal out of it, whereas others don’t. It’s such a special, sacred time, a hugely personal milestone, and everyone is different in how they want to celebrate that. At the end of the day, weddings are about two people making a lifelong commitment to each other, before God.

I cannot believe the time has come for me to write this, to even have a wedding day to look back on. It was the most special time, and my husband and I could not be more thankful for how it turned out.

The biggest piece of advice I heard repeatedly before my wedding day was to soak in every moment, because it flies by so quickly. I did the very best I could to take it all in, etching every single moment into my memory as it happened. It felt surreal having six months’ worth of preparations all come down to one day. (Strange seeing all my mood boards and silly ideas come to life haha.)

If you’ve been to enough weddings, then you’d know how the day usually goes, so I’ll spare you the play-by-play and instead share some musings from the day:

Getting Ready

Labrinth, Sia & Diplo Present... LSD was the perfect soundtrack to get ready to, and in my opinion an accurate reflection of how the morning went. In my day-to-day life I am usually always rushing or running late to everything, but on my wedding day, my bridesmaids and I started getting ready exceptionally early that it turned out to be so chill. We ran ahead of schedule for the most part, which is unlike me, but something I’m grateful for that made the day run that much more smoothly.

I did my own wedding makeup! Everyone keeps saying it’s too stressful, but it only takes practice. And allotting way more time than you think you need on the day. I generally know how to do my makeup and have done so for theatre and special occasions in the past which is how I came to this decision, but I still did at least five practice sessions — mostly for the eyes and lips. It was not without a lot of trial and error (and buying and reselling different lipstick shades), but we got there.

Photos

I was starting to feel nervous as I was getting closer to being dressed and actually looking like a bride, so getting our first look and photos done before everyone else arrived was a huge load off my shoulders. It was originally planned this way so that there wouldn’t be a long wait between the ceremony and reception, but it was a win for me, too. And I think there’s something special about our first look just being between us and the wedding party.

Speaking of which — my amazing bridesmaids were also really onto it, bringing food and drinks with us and making sure I am fed and hydrated — as I somehow didn’t include eating time into the day’s run sheet…

The ride to the church was the most nervous I’ve felt — dare I say in my life. That was the moment it ALL started to sink in. It’s everything we’ve been preparing for, for six months. That’s the longest I’ve ever spent on one day. I just wanted it to go well. No random asteroids falling from the sky.

The Ceremony

Many ceremonies are solemn and serious — some even tear-filled — but if you know us as a couple, you’d know that we are nothing like that. Our ceremony was lighthearted, maybe even fun — but not in a disrespectful way. I made it a point to say my vows slowly to make sure I take it in and actually understand the gravity of what I’m promising before God and the witnesses we’ve invited. We chose to do the classic, traditional vows, even though I was initially set on writing our own vows.

We had a stellar team behind us doing what they did best — music, tech, coordination — with Sam our celebrant and pastor at the helm. It ran perfectly and smoothly, I couldn’t have asked for a better way to formally usher in our next chapter.

The In-Between

We did the usual group photos post-ceremony (ran with a firm hand by Marieke). It felt like forever because all we did was stand and smile, but I was delighted when we were told the entire affair took less than 15 minutes. Stoked to still be running ahead of schedule, the wedding party snuck upstairs for a breather and a snack. We had yummy ube bread from Christchurch waiting for us — jokingly requested but they actually made it happen — thanks Hyde and Reuben!

The Reception

I was skeptical at first about using the church gymnasium — because in my mind it was a dingy basketball court. But my husband really took the reins here and planned the layout and lights like so. We took decorating tips from friends who previously used this gym as their reception venue. And thankfully, we’ve repainted the walls black a while ago, which gave the lights a bit more of an accent. And I got Sophie, my dear friend and bridesmaid, to design the front piece and the photobooth — which if you’re preparing for your own wedding or event, is your sign to delegate your weak points to people who are actually good at them. What a blessing that we all have different skills and talents that can be used to help each other out.

The rest of the reception was a well-oiled machine as well, with the programme and playlists run by our friend Dan, a robust kitchen team, and caterers who provided the most hearty food. Anyone who says the bride and groom wouldn’t have time to eat has been proven wrong — I filled up, as much as my dress can handle.

Unfortunately family and friends from overseas were not able to make it — our wedding party was short of the best man Keniel, and maid of honour Nica. They sent in their speeches and were able to make their presence felt despite not being there — a nice touch to the evening.

Our wedding day was the most magical day, and it’s all thanks to the different people that made it happen. (If I started a list, it would be too long.) Every aspect of the day ran effortlessly, down to the smallest detail. I felt at ease on the day and I still feel peace thinking back. It is truly an undeserved blessing that we were able to celebrate our marriage in this way. All thanks and praise to God who is the creator and model of marriage, and gives grace to people and sinners like us.

Photos by The Archers Photography