Jess & Laney

How did you first meet? We'd love to hear about the start of your love story together.

We met over a few wines during a friends weekend away in the Wairarapa. We had so many laughs and clicked right away. We both value family time, being in the outdoors and are keen foodies - so we had lots to talk about! The next few years we navigated long distance between Wānaka and Taupo during covid restrictions and some big life changes. This time, although hard, strengthened our relationship and affirmed that we were each other's forever person. We now appreciate every moment of living together in Taupo and have created the perfect little life for us.

How have you grown as a couple since you first got together?

We have had so many life changes since we have been together - moving away from family, career progression, the passing of loved ones, getting our puppy Maggie and many trips away. As individuals, we are very organised and goal driven, so as a couple these qualities really take priority for us. We learnt so much about ourselves and the type of couple we want to be by merging our values and beliefs, and as Laney said in her vows ‘we have learnt the power of communication, the importance of trust and the beauty of patience’.

Your wedding day was so beautiful to follow. Tell us what surprised you about the day? 

We were really surprised how calm and relaxed we were the morning of our wedding. We started the day at Ocean Beach watching the sunrise and had a few hours to ourselves to drink coffee and talk about our day ahead. We had been told by so many people that the day would go so quickly, but for us it felt slow, intentional and each part of the day was enjoyable and memorable. We loved that we kept our wedding guest list smaller, as on the day we were able to share moments with each of our guests. We really appreciated these moments and how intimate it made our wedding feel. 

Can you share any notable details from your special day –  What was the most enjoyable part? 

We loved the whole day, but for us, the best bits were slowly starting our day together knowing that we had such a beautiful day planned, and then later in the day after our ceremony seeing all of our special people together in one place. A big moment for us was also seeing all of our decisions and hard work come together - we were so lucky with all of our vendors!

Do you have any tips for our community that are planning their weddings that you wished someone had told you?

Do what you want and trust your gut! Your day should be a reflection of you as a couple and the planning process should be special and enjoyable. We had so many pieces of advice and words of warning from others, and we are so glad that we didn’t let this affect our decisions. If you are confident in your decisions, you’ll have nothing to regret! Last piece of advice would be to be kind. Be kind to yourselves, your vendors and your loved ones. Don’t underestimate how far kindness can get you!

Photography by Natalie McNally.