by Johanna Osborne

As summer springs to life here in Wellywood it’s suddenly a whole lot easier to envisage tying the knot in the sunshine! Nothing fuels wedding cheer more than golden rays, and good weather certainly makes for very merry guests!

If it’s a sunny, outdoorsy summer affair that you wish to create, then have a look at a few of our current favourite pieces of inspiration…. nothing like adding that special touch to ignite your day and take it from lovely to ah-may-zing! As for made-to-order sunshine, we are working on that part!!! In the meantime our best advice = a marquee never goes astray!

1. Dazzle your guests with summery drinks… the options are endless, from homemade lemonade to vintage drink stations to unique vessels for a serve-yourself bar. The effect is great, and you save a pretty penny on waiting staff if guests select and pour their own beverages!

2. Berry nice!! Summer fruit is the best there is, so work it into your day. Who doesn’t smile when they see strawberries? Whether it’s your cake or your dessert, make everyone’s taste buds sing!

3. Cookie Monster! There is a new trend spreading like wildfire! Instead of the famed candy bars, brides everywhere are opting for cookie stations… how cute is that… cookies and milk (and a shot of Kahlua perhaps) as a night cap?!

4. Interactive guest book! How about getting your guests to record their presence and message to you via Polaroid camera, or better yet a photobooth. A chalk board can easily be wiped clean as each guest writes a personal message to you.

5. Vintage is still huge and nothing suits an outdoor summer wedding more than an apricot vintage lace gown

6. Waistcoats and candy stripe ties – very chic yet not overly stuffy. A nice alternative to the norm. We like!

7. In this day and age we have to be sun-smart and protect our guests from elements!

8. Create a “wow” effect with lanterns, lush table cloths and outdoor heating lamps. And of course a few prayers to the weather gods won’t hurt either!

There’s tons more where that came from! You could have a small child hand out fans to the guests as they arrive, or you might like to serve frozen chocolates, licorice or ice creams as a mild refreshment and sugar boost as the photos are being taken… sometimes simple delights provide the greatest pleasure!!

Until next time!

by Johanna Osborne

We get asked about this a lot, so thought we’d write a little ditty about a few of the things we do here…

ONE OF A KIND We are a unique bunch here at the Wellington Wedding Show. We have lots of layers – a bit like those Russian Babushka dolls where you open one and a smaller one is inside, and you keep opening them and think there can’t possibly be another one, but there is! Whilst I assure you that we are all separate people, we do have many different things that we offer, and much like a Babushka doll, we like to think we are full of surprises.

MORE MORE MORE You see the Wellington Wedding Show is more than just 2 big exciting shows per year, where we feature Wellington (and NZ’s) best wedding suppliers in one place, with lots of exciting things to see, hear, touch, taste and feel. Yes, the shows are phenomenal and brides and grooms just love them – and so do we! It’s a wonderful way to meet all the experts in one place, see who you click with, get a feel for their style and go from there. Each stall is a small representation of the exhibitor’s business, so going along and engaging with who’s there, is an ideal way to get a real sense of what’s on offer in today’s bridal market.

24/7 But that’s not all we do! The show runs all year round, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. How?! Our wonderful website of course!! The show goes on and on, and we feature all our fabulous exhibitors and what they can offer you at the click of a button. You can shop for suppliers in the comfort of your own home and contact them at your leisure. We are also pretty proud of our blog (which you are reading now- thank you!) and strive to keep it fresh, new and interesting with several updates a week. You can also see the latest updates on our Facebook and Twitter pages – and if you like you can contact us and send through questions via these pages. We love hearing from you! We also have some pretty cool special VIP events coming up, and would love to have you join us… so keep your eyes glued to our pages and follow, like and love away! The more the merrier, so spread the word and have your friends like us too!

PAULA BEVEGE EVENTS As you might know, The Wellington Wedding Show is owned and operated by one of Wellington’s top event stylists, Paula Bevege. Paula knows who’s who in the wedding industry and has her finger on the pulse, all year round. She styles and plans many amazing events, and weddings have always been her forte and passion. So besides running the incredibly busy Wedding Show, Paula is available to plan, organise and style weddings and events all year round. She is a wonderful consultant and can do as little or as much as a couple requires.

MR & MRS What else is there? Well last but certainly not least is our crown jewel, our beloved Mr & Mrs magazine, which we work hard on to produce just for you. Mr & Mrs features newly married local couples who have used the same suppliers and experts you are considering. You can gain amazing inspiration and motivation from their stories and images. What’s better than reading all about other couples like you, and finding out how they collated their wedding day look, style and theme – and which suppliers they chose to help them along the way?! And what’s more, you too can feature in our magazine! Immortalise your love story in print and share it with us. The next issue is set for release in time for the next Wedding Show in early May 2013- wait and see, the time will fly by! Everyone through the door gets a free copy of Mr & Mrs magazine, and further copies are then distributed around our wonderful capital city. Mr & Mrs gets snapped up like hotcakes and we always run out of copies. So don’t miss out on your next issue. And if you are interested in finding out more about starring in Mr & Mrs, send an email to [email protected] for a submission form. It’s never too early to get the ball rolling!

SWAK There’s a lot more we could tell you (and no doubt we will in upcoming posts) but for now we will seal this blog with a kiss (SWAK – just like in high school) and look forward to staying in touch with you! BYE!

by Johanna Osborne

Hollywood is the home of the weird and wonderful… well mostly the wonderful in my opinion. I love the glitz and glamour, the fashion, the lifestyle… it’s all so very fascinating how the glitterati live their lives. And there are few headlines bigger than when one of our fave stars announces a pregnancy, or better yet gets papped with a small baby bump before making any sort of announcement. The paparazzi (and me) live for this sort of thing!

And then of course the anticipation builds – bump watch, due date speculation… could it be twins?! And then the bounty for the first photos – … it’s a pretty major game, but one I think is much more fun to be watching than participating in. As a bystander, it sure is a good view! And of course it’s super fun – and almost mandatory- to give our opinions on everything celebrity, from their chosen maternity wear to the names they bestow upon their golden offspring. Personally, I have always been a fan of slightly different names that aren’t too weird, so some of the ones coming out of La La land are right up my alley. We have chosen a few of our favourites… what do you think?

Camden John – Vanessa Minnillo and Nick Lachey brought this cool sounding dude into the world a mere couple of months ago
Edward Duke Rancic– Bill Rancic and his wife, E! News anchor Giuliana Rancic had little Edward via surrogate. The world watched and waited in anticipation as they prepared for his arrival, some of which could be seen on their reality show. And we think the old fashioned name is very cool and totally timeless.
Skyler Morrison Berman – Rachel Zoe and Roger Berman, undoubtedly 2 of the most stylish people on earth, have given their gorgeous little man a super chic name!
Ruby Sweetheart – Toby and Jennifer Maguire’s little girl could not have a more gorgeous sounding name
Harlow Winter Kate – Nicole and Joel can do no wrong in my eyes (and hence Sparrow shall stay off the worst name list). I am a huge fan of their oldest daughter’s name
Harper Seven – At first it really didn’t light my fire, but now I love it. Harper, so simple and classic. What’s not to like?
Poppy Capshaw – Jessica Capshaw from Grey’s Anatomy has selected a rather cute little name for her offspring
Kingston James McGregor Rossdale – Gwen Stefani is the queen of cool and her little boy’s name rules supreme
Rocco Ritchie – Few names are more bad-ass sounding than that of Madonna and Guy Ritchie’s little lad… love!
Ryder Robinson – Kate Hudson’s son with Chris Robinson is a pretty darn cool use of alliteration
Pink (and her motocross racer husband Carey Hart) welcomed daughter Willow Sage Hart in June 2011, and she has topped best celebrity name lists ever since!
Mason Dash Disick – love ‘em or loathe ‘em, the Kardashians do many things very well. And handsome little Mason is perhaps one of their finest achievements.
Arabella Rose – Ivanka Trump, Donald’s famous daughter, has certainly chosen a regal sounding name for a future heiress.
Lila Grace – Kate Moss is stylish in all her choices
Luca Cruz – Hilary Duff and Mike Comrie’s little boy’s name tops my list for the boys
Lily Rose – my favourite girl’s name ever was chosen by Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis for their daughter (who is already a pin up at only 12 years old!)
Rocky James Prinze – hot off the press- Sarah Michelle Gellar’s latest addition, only weeks old

And of course no list is complete with some of the worst names –some of these will make your hair stand on end! What were they thinking?

Denim and Diezel – Toni Braxton, really?
Pilot Inspektor – Jason Lee, remember this child has to go to school!
Dweezil and Moon Unit– way beyond weird Frank Zappa!
Jermajesty – I guess this is to be expected from Jermaine Jackson, the late Michael Jackson’s equally kooky brother
Cash Rich – Musician John Rich really seems to like the dollar sign
Apple Martin – Yes, I am also one of those people that really didn’t like Gwyneth’s unusual choice all the way back then … Apple is nearly a teenager, yet her name hasn’t really grown on me.

Of course it’s all a matter of taste what floats your boat. Diversity keeps things colourful and interesting. Being original is cool, even if people don’t agree with your choice. Opinions are just opinions, and it’s all too easy to criticise from an armchair! Naming a child is possibly one of the most special things a couple can do together, and we certainly wish you well in the exciting process!

Harlow Winter Kate

Harper Seven Beckham

Hilary Duff and her little Luca Cruz

The famous Mason Disick

by Johanna Osborne and Sally Rutherfoord

Johanna’s childhood friend goes from Miss to Mrs to Baby Mama… read what she has to share today…

Recently we revisited one of our newlywed couples from Mr & Mrs magazine issue #2, and the feedback from you was wonderful. People seem to enjoy real-life love stories, so today I’d like to share another one with you. This time it’s about one of my oldest and dearest friends Sally.
Sally and I have been friends since primary school, experienced our high school years and entry into adulthood, as well as many, many firsts together. We were there for each other through thick and thin, bad and good. We shared the heartbreaks and the joys and in each other’s lives, and will continue to be friends always.

So when my darling friend Sally met her soul mate on her big OE and returned with him on her arm, I knew it was serious. We all soon grew very fond of her lovely down-to-earth bloke Craig, and were thrilled when he put a very pretty ring on her finger. Sally’s parents were equally delighted. They were – and still are- the type of people that you simply can’t help but like. Their home was always open to us as kids; they are kind and caring and have enormous hearts and empathy for others. They raised their children in a way that was very loving, yet also firm and fair. And as a result their 3 children grew up to know right from wrong, and to show love and respect always. So really it’s no wonder Sally is the amazing woman she is today. She has some pretty cool role models.

With 12 years together, 6 years of marriage and 3 children (4.5 yrs, 3yrs and 6 mths) under their belt, and a marriage that’s going from strength to strength, I thought Sally and Craig were the best people to ask how to keep the love alive, find a balance and manage the stresses of life (and kids!) that pop up along the way. Much like Super Mario must navigate his way through hurdles in Playstation without veering off course, a married couple has to do the same… and it’s not always fun and games. It can be hard, but sometimes the hard stuff is what makes us strongest. They say “A good marriage is like a casserole, only those responsible for it really know what goes in it.” So let’s see if Sally is willing to share her recipe with us today…

1. What is your secret to keeping your marriage happy?
“I would say communication and spending time together as a couple, and as a family are all equally important. Also knowing that we will always be there for each other through thick and thin.”

2. What are some of the challenges you think couples in their first year of marriage might face, and what are some other issues that might come up down the track?
“I can’t remember things being a challenge in that first year –for us it was more about starting an adventure as a Mr and Mrs. Buying a house was exciting and scary at the same time. Starting a family, going to one income and still trying to find the time to spend with each other as the focus changes to children are all challenges – but I wouldn’t trade it for anything else.”

3. What is something every couple should do before they get married?
“We did a fair bit of travelling together before getting hitched. It was a good way to get to know each other as we were living in each other’s pockets for 24 hours a day.”

4. What is something every married couple should do?
“We found doing the Alpha Marriage course really good. It’s a 7 week course run by local churches, set up to give you advice on having a good healthy marriage.”

5. How has having kids impacted on your relationship and how do you balance it all?
“Well having 3 children under 5 means that our household has become a noisy, chaotic place to be. Balancing it all can be somewhat difficult – and each day is a different battle. We try to block out Sunday afternoons to spend as a family. We have all our big, important conversations after the kids are in bed. And when we are beginning to feel like we need a pick me up, we book a babysitter, and head to a nice restaurant and chat for a few hours over a bottle of wine, and that seems to get us back in sync.”

6. What are some of the biggest lessons you have learnt?
“A marriage is not easy and it takes two to make it work. It’s one of the biggest and longest commitments you will ever make, but there is no training for it – you wing it, so you’re learning every day.”

7. Happiest moment/s you have shared?
“There are so many …. Round the world backpacking trip, Craig getting residency in NZ, our wedding day, holidays we have shared, the arrival of each of our children. There are too many to list just one.”

8. Biggest hurdle you have had to overcome as a couple?
“We have had our tough moments over the years with us both being from different countries. We met in London, and I was determined I was coming back to NZ – luckily for me, Craig followed me back. But that has meant he had to move away from his friends and family.”

9. Who is your biggest role model in terms of marriage and family?
“I know it sounds cheesy, but it has to be my parents. Still so in love, and walk hand in hand down the street after 37 years of marriage. I want that!”

10. Every couple should…
“Try and get out for regular date nights. Don’t let the little things turn into mountains. Never sleep on an argument. Always have dinner together as a family. Tell each other that you love them … and have fun!”

Sally and Craig

From a couple in love to being married to becoming a family of 5 - never a dull moment!

by Johanna Osborne

There is a particular episode of Bert and Ernie where they go on an adventure together and end up on a desert island in search of buried treasure. Each of them imagines what the “treasure” could be. To Bert it’s a chest of socks, and when he unearths a chest brimming with colourful socks he is thrilled. Ernie can’t understand why Bert would be so taken with a whole bunch of socks, and tries to convince him to leave them behind –especially as he sees a storm brewing. But once Ernie sees that they mean so much to Bert, Ernie decides they will bring them back home after all, saying “My buddy, if a treasure chest of socks is that important to you, then they are also important to me”. Later the socks come in handy as sails to float their boat away from the storm. Ahh, the glorious innocent and idealistic world of children’s TV. No I haven’t lost my marbles… there is a moral in there somewhere. What is it?

Friendship and respect. And whilst socks aren’t the commodity in our adult world, the lesson here is profound. It doesn’t matter if it’s not important to me, if the person I love cares about something, then it should also be important to me. That shared respect and caring in the smallest ways can go far in reinforcing the bond between two people. After all, if that one special person you are with has your back and supports you in everything, then you really become rather untouchable. It’s that amazing feeling of being safe in that wonderful bubble of support and love. Nothing else can touch you when you have love on your side.

Sadly the stresses of daily life and putting one’s own needs first can sometimes make us forget that simple lesson. We can only be the best we can be if we have everything we feel we truly need – and if the person you love is giving you that, then you have found a key ingredient in that coveted and often highly elusive recipe for happiness.