Carlijn & Hugh
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Wedding Date:
May 27th 2023 -
Social Media Handles:
@carlijnnijhof -
Dress:
Pima Donna Bridal @primadonnabridalnorwich, Justin Alexander @justinalexander -
Suits:
Farmers @farmersnz -
Rings:
Filigree Fine Jewels @filigreefinejewels, The Beautiful Company Ltd @thebeautifulcompanyltd, Flinn and Steel @flinnandsteel -
Bridesmaid Attire:
My Keeper @mykeepernz -
Groomsmen Attire:
Farmers @farmersnz -
Ceremony Venue:
Waipuna Estate @waipunaestatenz -
Reception Venue:
Waipuna Estate @waipunaestatenz -
Celebrant
Hitched by Britt @hitchedbybritt -
Florist:
Katrin Lilla-Nel @katrinlillanel -
Hair Stylist:
Ashleigh Jane Skin and Beauty @ashleighjaneskinandbeauty -
Makeup Artist:
Ashleigh Jane Skin and Beauty @ashleighjaneskinandbeauty -
Cake:
Family friend -
Catering:
Fern and Feta Platters @fern_and_feta_platters, Bacon Brothers @bacon_brothers_co -
Entertainment:
Pulse Entertainment @pulseentertainmentnz -
Stationary / Signage:
Hughu2019s mum -
Hire / Styling:
The Little Hire Company @littlehirecomp -
Photographer:
Robin+Andie Photography @robin_andie_photos -
Videographer:
N/A
Carlijn & Hugh
Hugh met Carlijn when she was working as a waitress at The Tea House in Lincoln.
“I first met Carlijn when I was painting the storage garage out the back of the restaurant, she came outside to clear some tables. I called her over and asked her if she wanted to come and clear away all the spiders for me, she declined.”
Hugh proposed during a weekend away in Banks Peninsula. “I had just been away in Perth for two months for work and said we needed a weekend away. I had planned to propose on a hill or walk somewhere during the trip, but it pissed down with rain for three days straight, so I had to improvise. I ended up hiding the ring in a bag of board game pieces while she was in the shower. Then I suggested we play the board game; this actually took some convincing, as she didn’t really want to play it. This went down doubly bad when I said that she had to set it up, as I wanted her to tip out the bag of board game pieces and find the ring in the parts. Eventually, she tipped the bag out and found the ring. Then I went down on one knee and proposed.”
The couple wed on November 4th, 2023 at Waipuna Estate. Hugh says their theme was “happy and colourful”; they chose shades of bright pink and yellows for their florals for a pop of colour, and their bridal party wore a complimentary sage green.
To add special touches to the day, the couple made some of the details themselves with clever DIY. “We used a Cricut machine and a laser cutter to make our own wooden signs for the wedding, and my mother turned one of our engagement shoot pictures into a format the laser cutter could engrave into the wood.”
Hugh says they loved having a first look before the ceremony. “First look was brilliant; you get to settle the nerves and knock out a bunch of the photography before the ceremony starts; this means you get to spend way more time at your own wedding. We did all our bridal party photos on the hill behind the venue before the ceremony.”
When it comes to planning a wedding, the newlyweds recommend giving yourselves plenty of time. “Give yourself time to book things out in advance. Get a well-organised venue; Sarah at Waipuna was brilliant. She made sure we had crossed our T’s and dotted our I’s.”
Planning
We wanted a summer wedding, December is hectic for most people so we waited until people were back from their Christmas holidays. When we had confirmation that our dream wedding venue was available at the end of January, we knew it was the date for us and we locked it in. We got married at NZ High Country in Queenstown on the 30th of January 2021, as we live in Queenstown there is no other place we would rather get hitched and the views from our venue were incredible.
Theme
I had my heart set on having white florals so our cream/white theme came together from there. White florals, candles, du00e9cor, cake, wedding dress, sign writing + details, cream groomsmen suits and champagne bridesmaids dresses.
Highlights
As we had such a small wedding, we did canapes and cocktails in the afternoon. When we left to take photos, we realised we forgot to cut the cake! When we returned, we decided to cut the cake spontaneously, sitting around the table drinking champagne and eating cake.
Advice
Don’t sweat the small stuff. Nobody really notices the table arrangements and decor. Get organised early, have a timeline of the day as well as all the key vendors & wedding party contact details and send this to everyone involved in putting the day together, that way if there are any issues your team can sort it out for you. Have a good MC, they are vital in keeping timings on track. Allow more time than you think you’ll need to get ready on the day. Enjoy yourself! This is the most expensive party you are ever going to have, make sure the drinks are cold and the music is good, make it a wedding to remember!
