Chelsea + Luke

How did you meet?

Luke and I met in the UK while he had come over from NZ for work. We matched on Bumble (a true modern romance!) and within a few days met for a coffee and a cocktail. The rest, as they say, is history.

When did you know they were the one?

I knew Luke was the one when he asked me to move to the other side of the world, New Zealand, and I didn’t hesitate in saying yes! I had only ever lived away from my hometown in the UK while I was at University so although it was a scary step, it always felt like the right one. I knew having Luke by my side would make things easier and he would do everything he could to ensure I felt supported and loved throughout the whirlwind of relocating to NZ.

What are your three favourite attributes of your partner?

Luke is incredibly selfless and will do anything to help others. He’s also incredibly kind and has a wicked sense of humor. One of the first things that attracted me to Luke was all the stories he had to tell – we spoke for hours of the places he’d been and things he’d done and I was in awe of him.

Who proposed and how?

In December 2019 (pre-pandemic!) Luke took me to the Queen Charlotte Track in the Marlborough Sounds and surprised me with a stay at Lochmara Lodge. Before we checked in he said we were going for a walk up to Onahau Lookout. I moaned the entire way – it was hot and hard work! If I had known there was an engagement ring at the end I might have been a bit less moany… Of course, I said yes while overlooking to beautiful Marlborough Sounds. Although the hot weather and two-hour trek meant by ring finger resembled a sausage and the ring barely fitted…

What was the best moment for you at the wedding?

One of my favorite moments was Luke seeing me for the first time. He was incredibly emotional (which made me emotional!) and was just a great start to our very special day.

Where did you fall in love with your dress and why?

We had to change our original Thailand wedding plans due to the pandemic (halfway between NZ and the UK) so we booked for February 2021 in July 2020. I had no idea how long it takes for wedding dresses to arrive! Bluebelle in Lower Hutt was the first and only place I tried on wedding dresses – I loved them all! But MWL Carla really stood out to me for it’s 3D design and how I pictured it within a mountain setting for our ceremony. I always wanted a train and the train on Carla was absolutely breathtaking.

What advice would you tell other brides?

I would say don’t be afraid of doing things your way. I never in a million years pictured getting married just us two on top of a mountain, but the pandemic came along and it turns out I wouldn’t have had it any other way. It takes a lot of stress out of the day and you can really be in the moment with your partner and do whatever works for you. It also doesn’t stop us having a party! In fact, we’re having our wedding reception in March 2021 in Wellington which means I get to wear my dress again – not many brides get to do that! I will also try and wear it again if we manage to get back to the UK for a celebration in the near future.

What was one thing you did differently for your wedding?

Probably doing it on a mountain with just us two! I think more people are looking at elopements as an option now as the pandemic continues to ravage the world. I actually think elopements are a great way of doing things. You plan your day around what you want with very little stress. It’s a lot more intimate and special because only the two of you were there and have those memories. Our pictures are just stunning too – and these are just the sneak peek shots!