Wedding | Emma & Jireh

Tell us a little about yourselves!

Falling in love as teenagers, we always knew we were the one for each other. I was only 14 when I met Jireh and I told my mum I would marry him. It was a dream I’d always held on to, so to marry him on February 6th was a complete dream come true.

Why did you decide to get married where you did?

The day exceeded even our wildest dreams. Our vision for the day was sophisticated and romantic. We wanted the energy to be calm and relaxed but also feel grand in celebration.

The venue really set the tone for our wedding. A European inspired home was the perfect setting for our elegant summer wedding and celebration of love. The romantic greenery paired with our soft light decor made for a stunning experience for our guests. To have all of our whãnau and friends together called for the greatest party of our lives. We sang, we cried, we laughed and we partied.

Between the ceremony and reception was when the relaxed fun started to kick in. Our guests enjoyed cocktail hour, the boys swam in the pool and I cut my hair into a bob! Something I’d always thought about doing! The bob was the perfect accessory to my second dress which was a Jacquemus piece. Both the bob and the dress worked perfectly for our evening celebration.

The dance floor was a key part to our wedding, a time we know that our guests will remember forever. And the greatest surprise of all, we had our vows remixed into the DJ set, it was a complete night to remember.

I’d always dreamed of my wedding, and now, I’ll continue to dream of it in a new way. I’ll remember the feeling of walking down the aisle. I’ll remember the beautiful worship we sang in ceremony. I’ll remember the calm nature of the day. I’ll remember the fun hair cut and the insanely wild dance floor.

But greatest of all, I’ll live out my dream of being Mrs Ngaruhe, forever.

How many guests did you have?

140.

Tell us about your outfits.

My ceremony dress was a custom piece, designed by the incredible Fritz and Sarah (based in Auckland, New Zealand). I had a clear vision for the dress and the process of creating it came to life before my very eyes. It was nothing short of magical. It was my dream dress.

My veil was hand crafted by Thebe girl in Sydney. The lace was sourced locally and was hand sewn so elegantly, it tied together my look — giving it that romantic detail.

Jireh and our bridal parties were all dressed in local New Zealand designers. Jireh’s suit was by Entire Studios. Harris Tappers dresses for the girls and Porter James for the boys. This felt right, as supporting local has always been a value of ours.

What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?

We really wanted to create an unforgettable experience for our guests, we spent a lot of time perfecting our details. From handheld paper fans for our guests, to our beautifully curated bar. 

Our vision was to create an atmosphere that blended the romance of a European summer wedding with a laid-back, intimate vibe, surrounded by our closest friends and family. Looking back, I feel like that's truly what it was.

Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?

For Jireh and myself, it was important to weave our faith into the ceremony. Our faith was beautifully woven through the ceremony, and we took a moment to share communion together as a married couple.

Any tips for couples getting married?

Remember to take a step back and really take in all of the planning, all of the emotion, all the time and effort because it truly all goes so quickly. Jireh and I had a saying “Let’s just take a moment" and we used this to just take a moment, quietly together, just us. We used this throughout our wedding day to remember to take it all in and take a mental snapshot together. It was so precious.

Photographer: Keryn Sweeney @kerynsweeneyphotographer | Planning & Styling: Carlo Gomez @carlogomez | Videographer: Patterson Image @pattersonimage | Ceremony & Reception Location: Private Residence Christchurch, New Zealand | Celebrant: Zion Douglas @ziondouglas | Hire: Truly Yours @trulyyours_events & Major and Minor @majorandminorhire | Makeup Artist: Kasia Stanicich @kasiastanicichmakeup | Hair Stylist: Tuscany Hamel @tuscanyhamel | Catering & Beverages: Catering Dept @cateringdept | Cake: Cakes by Anna @cakesbyanna | Stationery: Sette Studios  @settestudios | Entertainment: Jairah @jairahjairahjairahjairahjairah | Ceremony Dress: Fritz and Sarah @fritzandsarah | Reception Dress: Jacquemus @jacquemus | Suit: Entire Studios @entire_studios | Veil: Thebe girl @thebe.girl | Groomsmen: Porter James Sports @porterjamessports | Bridesmaids: 

Harris Tappers @harris_tappers | Engagement Ring: Guys Gold @guys.gold | Shoes: Billinii Shoes  @billinishoes | Linen: The Little Hire Company @littlehirecomp