Tell us a little about yourselves!
We are Annabelle and Chris! We have been together since we were 16, high school sweethearts! 11 years later, here we are!
I work in finance for a brewery and Chris is a builder. We are both homebodies and love spending time outdoors adventuring with our 2 year old golden retriever Maple.
Why did you decide to get married where you did?
We both love Wanaka and have spent most of our holidays there as a couple. Rippon Hall stood out to us with its stunning views of Lake Wanaka and over the vineyard. We loved that with this venue there was no need to go over the top with excessive florals or decorations. The view and hall are stunning just as they are! It was also a big draw card that Rippon offers a beautiful indoor ceremony option incase of bad weather. Luckily we went with this option, as all morning and during the ceremony it was pouring with rain!
How many guests did you have?
We had 150 guests.
Tell us about your outfits.
I had no real set idea on the style of dress I wanted, I was open to trying anything! From my first meeting with Meg at Kenny + Harlow I knew I wanted her to design and make my dress. I loved her dress styles and her attention to detail. I ended up going with a classic and simple off the shoulder, long sleeve fitted silk gown. I love how it turned out, it was so elegant and I felt very comfortable throughout the night.
My wedding ring made by Henderson Jewellers was especially special as it was made from materials from both of my Grandmother’s jewellery collections. To stick with the timeless look we were going for, Chris wore a black suit from Rembrandt with a white shirt and black bow tie. Although deep down I know he wishes he could have just worn shorts and t-shirt!
What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?
When it came to planning our wedding I would say that the most important aspect to us would have been our guest list. It was so important to us to share this day with those closest to us. We were given great advice to invite people who met two of the following three categories ‘past, present, future’.
Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?
It was important to all of us to have everyone up enjoying the dance floor! That is why we decided to go with LA Social as our wedding band. We had seen Lindsay and Elsa perform a few times, each time they always had the whole crowd up dancing & singing along. Instead of opting for a traditional first dance, we got all of our guests to join in for the first song Robbie Williams’ Rock DJ.
Any tips for couples getting married?
To make the lead up to the wedding as stress free as possible, plan as much as you can well ahead of your wedding date. I had most things sorted months out from our wedding date.
Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?
All of our vendors were amazing, but we would especially like to mention our incredible photographer Keryn Sweeney. When we saw other weddings Keryn had photographed on Instagram, we were immediately drawn to her unique, candid style. To us her photos stood out to other photographers, which is why we felt so lucky to have her photograph our wedding! Keryn is incredibly easy-going, patient, friendly and fun – the perfect person to have with you throughout your special day! We were so pleased with the images we received and loved the mix of film and digital. We are so grateful to have had Keryn as our wedding photographer and will treasure these photos forever!
Photographer : Keryn Sweeney Photographer @kerynsweeneyphotographer | Ceremony + Reception Location : Rippon Hall Wanaka @ripponhall | Celebrant : Gabriella Hyndman (Bride’s cousin) | Entertainment : LA Social @la.social | Hire : Major and Minor Hire @majorandminorhire | Flora : Little Botanica @littlebotanica__ | Makeup Artist : Thirza Smith (Beauty by Thirz) @beautybythirz | Hair : Amy O’Donnell (Ukiyo Salon) @weddinghairstylist_byamy | Catering + Beverages : Aspiring Catering @aspiringcatering | Cake : Alesha Ruddenklau (friend of Bride + Groom | Stationery : Designed by Bride | Dress : Kenny + Harlow Bridal @kennyandharlowbridal | Suit : Rembrandt @rembrandt1946 | Wedding Rings : Custom Henderson Jewellery @henderson_jewellery | Shoes :Mi Piachi + RM Williams @mi_piachi @rmwilliams | Bride’s Earrings : Anine Bing @aninebingofficial | Bridesmaids Dresses : Bec + Bridge @becandbridge