#realchicbride Shir's Wedding in New Zealand Wearing Chosen by Khya and Nicole + Felicia
Tell us your love story! How did you meet and how did you get to a proposal?
I met my husband Sam through the dating app bumble. He was working on super yachts at the time and we matched when the yacht he was working on was in south Florida. It was truly by small chance that we both were on the app at the right time, as the boat traveled all over the world, and when we matched, he was already on his way to the Caribbean. He’s originally from New Zealand and he was always planning on moving back there after eventually leaving the super yacht industry, which also was quite an obstacle as i wanted to stay in Florida. While all odds were against us, we both had a strong connection and wanted to be together. We did long distance for quite a few months until Sam decided to move to Florida to be with me.
Our proposal was extremely romantic and well planned! Sam proposed in Paris under the Eiffel Tower.
When you started planning your wedding what did you envision? How close did the actual wedding get to that vision?
We truly had the wedding of our dreams! The venue was stunning, the energy was amazing, and all of the guests had a fabulous time.
What were a few things that were important to you as a couple to include (or not include) in the wedding?
The guest experience was the most important to us, so we included anything that may improve it. We wanted each guest to feel valued, especially as every guest had to travel to be there (None of our guests live on Waiheke island). We focused on the details, and were very guest centric. We knew if the guests were having a fabulous time, then we would too. Was truly a dreamy wedding weekend!
How did you decide on the location?
We decided to have our wedding in New Zealand to make it more convenient for Sam’s friends and family (since Sam moved to Florida for me, it made sense to have the wedding there for the Kiwis), and saw it as an opportunity for our American and other international friends to travel to the beautiful country. We had our wedding in Waiheke Island, which is a beautiful island filled with vineyards. When we traveled to New Zealand together for the first time, Sam and I shared our first I love yous after spending a beautiful day in Waiheke island.
Let's talk dress! Give us all the deets!
I had two stunning dresses from Chic Parisien. The ceremony dress was a stunning two piece from Chosen by Khya! My second look was a beautiful short dress with a skirt of roses by Nicole + Felicia. The second look was a dress that caught my eye on Instagram only a few weeks before the wedding. The team at Chic Parisien was able to last minute get a sample from the designer. The sample arrived the day before I left for New Zealand and was exactly my size. Was truly meant to be! Both wedding looks were iconic.
How did your family, friends, etc play into your wedding planning and wedding day?
The wedding planning process was mostly done between us and our wedding planner, Waiheke Island Wedding and Events. My mom and friends did help me with my fashion selections (both for my wedding dresses and wedding trip outfits)! During the wedding day, our bridal party and immediate family got ready with us and hyped up our day.
What's one specific memory you have from your wedding day that you don't think you'll ever forget.
It’s hard to pick just one moment, as the whole day was truly a dream. The beautiful speeches were definitely a highlight!
How did you decide on your hair and makeup look?
I did a trial which really helped. I also had fantastic hair and make up artists. They were able to achieve the perfect classy glam!
Was there one vendor you used that you wish everyone knew about?
We had a live painter do guest portraits which all our guests really loved!
Where did you go on your honeymoon and what was the best part?
We haven’t been on our honeymoon yet, as the trip to New Zealand was a big one. We will plan a honeymoon for later in the year. We did, however, have a buddymoon - a friends trip after the wedding. The best part of our buddymoon was the boat day we had in Auckland. A group of about 30 of us rented a yacht for the day - and we had the superbowl on the tv. Was such an epic celebration!
