The ‘Golden Thread’ theory was in play when Ruby and James found each other. After first matching on Tinder, Ruby coincidentally moved into a flat with some of James’ friends.
Their engagement was a little bit of Christmas magic, “It was Christmas morning 2021; we were up in Golden Bay and decided we would go for a walk along the beach before we spent the day with family. It wasn’t long into our walk, and the next thing I knew, James was down on one knee. I had absolutely no idea that this was when James would pop the question. This is super special to us as it’s the beach that my mum grew up on.”
The couple wed on January, Friday 13th 2023. “We definitely had some strange looks from our friends and family when we told them the date.”
Ruby shared that she flew to Christchurch to visit bridal stores before finding her stunning dress at Paperswan Bride. “It was the ‘Charlie Gown by Lovers Society’. I went for the tan/nude lining, which really complimented the lace. My veil was the same one that my mum wore, which was super special. Jewellery, I decided to keep this very simple as I didn’t want to take away from the dress. It was a mix of new and old, some that were gifted to me from my family and some that James had brought for me.
“James’ suit was made through Crane Brothers. It was a very easy process once he was all measured up. He opted for a very slim-fitting black suit with a skinny tie. The shoes and belt were from R.M Williams.”
“I always envisioned that I would get married on my parent’s farm up in Gisborne, but the logistics of it all were too much. James and I both live in Wānaka, so that was our next choice. We knew we wanted something a bit different to the typical locations you see around Wānaka, and this is where we found The River House. A beautiful garden setting right beside the Hāwea River.
“We are both very relaxed people, so this was a big priority for us. We didn’t want to be rushed, and we wanted our guests to relax and enjoy themselves as well. Our wedding was a tipi wedding! Picture giant Nordic Tipis. We loved that they weren’t the ‘usual’ marquee. We ended up hanging a disco ball from one of them over the dance floor, which made for an epic party. We also had a good friend of ours sing when I was walking up and down the aisle. She has the voice of an angel, and we feel so fortunate that she was a part of our special day.”
Keeping with the relaxed vibe for the day, the couple chose a “walk and fork” dinner for the reception. “Aspiring Catering were the ones who kept us fed throughout the day. Personally, we didn’t like the idea of sitting at a table for a long period of time when we could be celebrating with our friends and whanau. We also had a couple of signature ‘his and hers’ cocktails that came out during the afternoon.
“Our cake was one of my favourite things; we had a very simple and gorgeous two-tier cake that was covered in pressed flowers.”
There were so many moments from the day that the couple treasured, but the wedding morning seemed to be a favourite for both of them. “I loved just waking up at the venue and getting ready with the girls and my family. It was such a fun and relaxed vibe. I didn’t really even process that it was my wedding until I was about to walk down the aisle,” says Ruby. James shares this sentiment: “All of my bridal party live over in Australia, so we spent the morning going out for breakfast and then swimming in the river before getting ready. This was a really nice way to spend some quality time together before the nerves kicked in.”
Ruby’s biggest piece of advice for other couples is to start the party early! “The day goes so fast, and before you know it, everyone is departing on the bus. This is one of the only days that you will have all of your loved ones in one place, so you may as well make the most of all the time you have.”
