Love Letters from Hayley

Love Letters

Some love stories are written in the stars, this one written in petals and the peaks. Against a backdrop of snow-dusted mountains and the glassy expanse of Lake Wanaka, Hayley and Kyle returned to the very place where ‘yes’ first lingered in the air. Here, where wildflowers spill across open fields in hues as soft as whispered vows, their forever began — carried by memory, blooming in the now.

Kyle and I met in high school. We were friends for years first before we fell in love. We were best friends before we were a couple. We got engaged after 9 years together in our favourite place in the world, New Zealand. Kyle proposed to me at sunrise on Lake Tekapo amongst the Lupin Fields. It was an absolute dream!!

New Zealand is our favourite country in the world, and we have been to over 50 countries together. We visit twice a year every year, and both feel a deep connection to the South Island, so it only felt right to get married there. When we first visited the venue we knew instantly it was the one. The backdrop of the snowy mountains and lake wanaka was picture perfect.

We chose lupins as our ceremony florals, as it was a photo of the lupins that initially drew us to visit New Zealand. And then years later Kyle proposed to me in a Lupin Field. Lupins will forever be a part of our love story. We wanted the wedding to feel like a whimsical garden party/fairytale.

My vision for the bridesmaids was for them to be in a soft pink colour to match the lupins. I wanted floor length feminine dresses, so when I found the Shona joy dresses, I knew they were perfect. I decided to choose 3 different styles for my 6 bridesmaids, and styles that they also all felt confident in. The girls adored how the dresses fitted and sat on their bodies, said they felt confident wearing each style.

Seeing all the girls at the end of the aisle together as an absolute vision come to life. My jaw was on the floor!

My wedding dress was custom made by Aston Bridal, and my vision was to feel like a princess. Florals were a big part of the day, which I intertwined into my dress design.