One of the things I love about our Real Bride feature is hearing about how our beautiful Brides met their future partners. Today we have such a fabulous wedding story to share with you, one filled with love, beautiful vintage detail and a touch of destiny! Although Frances & Nigel first crossed paths when they shared the same school bus route when they were only 13 years old, serendipity brought them together nearly 22 years later when they met again through work and started their journey towards married life together!
Frances & Nigel celebrated their wedding in a stunning resort in Nelson, New Zealand and we are so thrilled that we were able to be part of a wedding which took place over 11,000 miles away from the House of Elliot studio! Frances wanted a timeless vintage wedding look and chose a gorgeous corseted wedding gown created by local designer Jill Alexander of Madcat Designs. The Victorian-inspired corseted design was a perfect match for our ‘Beatrice Elliot‘ lace wedding boots and paired with an elegant birdcage veil we think Frances’s bridal look is classic vintage perfection.
We hope you enjoy reading their wedding story and seeing the photos beautifully captured by Sandra Johnson Boutique Photography and may we wish Frances and Nigel much love and joy in their married life together. We are so thrilled that House of Elliot was part of your stunning Wedding Day!
Wedding Wishes & Love as always,
Nicole xxx
So how did you meet your husband and how did he propose?
I knew my husband from when I was 13 years old and he used to catch the school bus with me. Whenever he would walk past my house, my friend and I would yell out to him and tease him. We didn’t know each other as such, but we knew of each other. Fast forward 22 years – we met again when he came into my work one day. We became friends and eventually he asked me out on a date. We went out for dinner and have been together ever since. I was in Auckland for work and Nigel flew up and spent the weekend with me. We went out to eat at a restaurant called ‘Orbit’ which is a rotating restaurant in a building that is the tallest in the southern hemisphere! He got down on one knee (restaurant full) and proposed.
Where did you get married and who did you invite?
We got married on March 10th 2018 at Grand Mercure Monaco Resort in Nelson, New Zealand. Originally, we were supposed to get married at another location, The Boathouse, but due to a storm, The Boathouse was destroyed and we had to find another location five weeks out from our Wedding. Our new location was absolutely perfect, and it fit our Wedding theme even more than the original location. We had 100 guests attend.
What was the main inspiration for your wedding?
I loved the idea of a classic Wedding, I wanted to look back at pictures and not cringe at the colours chosen and I wanted something that would not date. Personally, I wear a lot of black, but add colour with lipstick, scarf, shoes, stockings/tights etc.
Tell us about your wedding look
I wanted something both classic and vintage. I searched endlessly online for a wedding dress I would love, and could not find anything, so started looking at classic/vintage dresses, not wedding dresses, and came across a beautiful corset dress. I found an amazing local dressmaker, Jill Alexander of Madcat Designs, renowned for making beautiful corsets. I took the picture of what I wanted and she made me the perfect dress.
What made you choose a pair of House of Elliot boots for your wedding day?
I drove my fiancé (now husband) crazy about shoes for the wedding. I kept telling him I had found something online but could not find anything local. I spent hours looking (and telling him about it). I had searched online for lace boots as I wanted something totally different, unique and sexy! Something outside of the norm! I spotted these absolutely perfect boots online and fell in love at first sight. I was not sure about ordering online and kept looking locally but kept going back to these beautiful lace boots. I just had to have them. It completed my look and I had an endless amount of comments about them – in fact, they became a feature of our wedding. I wold say at least ¾ of our guests commented on them!
What did you love the most about your wedding day?
I loved everything about our wedding day. I would not change a thing. We had our wedding photos before the ceremony which meant once we were married, we did not leave our guests. In New Zealand, we call photos before the ceremony “The First Reveal”. It was very emotional but so beautiful. We went out in our boat to a little island and “Bolder Bank” with a lighthouse that had amazing scenery. We had a large wedding party, 14 of us, including the Bride & Groom. We had wine, beer, nibbles and smiled lots for the camera. Finally, when I was over smiling and taking photos, we went back on the boat to the mainland and went to the pub for a couple of drinks before we headed to our venue to get married.
What pearls of wisdom would you share with future brides who are planning their wedding?
Marriage is often a once in a lifetime event. You marry your soulmate, so create an occasion that includes all of the people close to you. Share the love!
Frances & Nigel would like to thank the following vendors for making their day special!
