Hannah and Morgan

Our Love Story

We are so grateful to have met in a hut at sunrise on the side of Mt Taranaki Feb 2017! A group of us had fundraised from around the country for Cure Kids and decided to meet to hike to the top of Taranaki together, I drove with a girlfriend down from Auckland and Morgan drove all the way up from Christchurch, there were about 10 of us in this very eclectic group. That was the beginning of many adventures to come. We did long distance for nearly two years, clocking up 160 flights between us, between the two islands and also adding in some overseas adventures including eight countries, Sri Lanka and Europe; all the way from Norway to Greece before settling in Christchurch in December 2018. We were lucky to have been saving while doing long distance, living with a parent each, so we could buy a cute bach in Redcliffs by the beach. We have been here for nearly four years and love this area!

Our Proposal

It was super cute and cheesy. We were butt-naked in nature just how we love it! We had been picnicking and swimming at one of our favourite rivers, the Wakamarina, and literally our last skinny dip before the long drive home, we dove into the deep water for an underwater kiss and he holds out this shiny ring in front of me, I came up laughing and crying and asking if we could get closer to the edge as it was so deep I was egg-beating my legs to keep my head afloat. It was two years to the day that we had met on Mt Taranaki. We were chuffed! Long story short, that ring had actually been purchased prior to Europe and had flown all around the world with us but Morgan's Dad became ill during our travels and passed away on our return and the time just didn't feel right so he waited until we were home and in one of our favourite places so we could always return to it.

Our Wedding Planning

Honestly, keeping it small, stress-free and having our favourite souls around us became most important to us when planning our day. We went from starting to plan a big wedding trying to tick all the boxes from marquees to onsite catering but budget and overwhelm and then covid, two miscarriages and surgery helped prioritise what we really wanted. Loved ones, intimate, no stress with good food and good vibes.

Our Wedding Day

We had rented out Five Acre Farm for the whole weekend, Friday to Monday, so we had the cottage and cabin full of our guests. 12 of us all jumped in convoy at seven on Saturday morning and headed to Godley Head for a sunrise walk around the loop, then back to Taylors Mistake for a dip. I think only half of us swam as it was Autumn, but it was so beautiful! We headed to Niche (our fave local cafe) for brunch and then back to the accommodation to get ready. We had 29 guests, 22 of them had flown in for the weekend, so we were so grateful we had waited. May seventh was a warm autumnal afternoon, the ceremony was at three in the garden, followed by nibbles and drinks in the last of the sun. Everyone then taxied over to Lyttelton to Arbour for the rest of the evening with pizzas, wine, cocktails, cake and dancing. Honestly, it had been a big day and was all over by 10:30 pm which was perfect as I had found out I was pregnant just two days prior and was in serious need of a nap! We then had everyone back to the cabin the following day for coffee and croissants before the rain set in. It couldn't have been better timing.

Our Favourite Moments

The warmth was incredible! We felt a general sense of ease, just sharing our life here in Christchurch with our fave humans and no one needing to rush around. The cottage where our ceremony/after drinks was, felt like home. The doors swing open from the verandah onto the garden and the autumn glow felt so special, it only cooled off as the sun disappeared and being such a small number we could get around to everyone and hug and chat in such a beautiful setting.

Our Advice

There can be a lot of pressure to create a day that ticks all the boxes, so discuss what you want to create, what is important to you and know that being present and relaxed for your day will be the greatest gift to yourselves.

How did you use Christchurch Weddings to help plan your day?

We had been fortunate enough to do a fun shoot with Christchurch Weddings the previous year and just seeing how planning pays off was priceless. I have organised many events myself, mainly my art exhibition openings, so when you have hundreds of people showing up in a night, a well-planned evening goes off without a hitch. Planning is key!

Stand Out Vendors

All of them! The location and interaction with Brie from Five Acre Farm was effortless, so relaxed and the place felt like a second home. We chose to work with Hannah Bird for her absolute talent, her chill vibes and ease; we wanted to be with our guests most of the day so we had quick snippets when we dashed away and what she can capture in minutes is incredible!! Hair, Makeup, Celebrant, Caterers, all chill, easy and awesome!

Our Dream Team

Ceremony Venue + Accommodation | Five Acre Farm

Reception Venue | Arbour

Photographer | Hannah Bird

Florals | The Flower Press

Canapes | Noemie and Pedro, local chefs

Celebrant | Debbie Hawker

Hair | Alex Hannah

Makeup | Pearl Babington

Dress | Shona Joy

Groom Attire | Barkers

Rings | Pascoes