We just have to tell you about these divine macaroons that we just love. Nikki from Creative cooking very kindly gave us a sample box to try and I can assure they didn’t last long. They truly are the most delicious little mouthfuls of joy and they look so cute. Perfect for weddings as favours or dessert, I know your guests will love them as much as we do.
Article by Johanna Osborne
“Anyone can catch your eye, but it takes someone special to catch your heart.”
– Anonymous
We hope today will be a special day appreciating all the love you have in your life. Whether that’s with a husband, boyfriend, lover or simply time spent with your most special friends, it’s never a bad idea to celebrate love.
Those looking for a last minute heartfelt token of their affection on this special day, look no further! We have compiled a rescue-remedy list of short-notice gift ideas to put a smile on your Romeo or Juliet’s face.
• There’s seldom a lady who doesn’t appreciate beautiful blooms, and Valentine’s Day is no exception. How about a dreamy bouquet from the divine Scent Floral Boutique on Johnson Street, who will whip you up the most gorgeous flowers you have ever seen. Or Black Rose Florist who never disappoint and always produce a gorgeous bunch, even at the 11th hour for those last minute love messages. And it doesn’t just have to be today… any day is a great day to say “I love you”.
• What’s better and more fabulous than going out for a romantic meal with your loved one? A dinner at one of Wellington’s finest establishments is bound to reignite the fires and keep the romance alive – no easy feat in this busy day and age, where workday stresses and every day pressures sometimes get in the way of those special moments! I personally think there are few restaurants more divine than our very own Martin Bosley’s Yacht Club Restaurant in Wellington. The food and views are second to none – and the service is simply unsurpassable. The famed White House on Oriental Parade is another cornerstone of fine dining – the perfect place to woo your Valentine all over again! Surprise your significant other with a dinner voucher or impromptu reservation in the weeks to come – nothing’s more wonderful than something special to look forward to! And if you want to make a proper night of it, then what could be more decadent than turning it into a true “Wellington affair to remember”. with reserving a suite at the Amora Hotel. These are truly amazing!
• And let’s not forget the small but very meaningful gestures. You simply can’t beat a sweet treat! And if you are anything like us, you will be going ga-ga over the divine cupcakes from the Tempt in the Old Bank Arcade. Perfect as a little token of big love, these babies will do the trick every time. Not to mention they taste (and look!) like heaven. Alternatively if you are mad about cheesecake like yours truly, then you can acquire some Yummy Mummy’s cheesecakes in record time (10 mouth-watering flavours to choose from). Have them delivered to the doorstep of your Valentine any day of the week. www.yummymummys.co.nz
Whilst Valentine’s Day is the big day for grand declarations, any day of the year can be special. Don’t wait to be told when to express your love – do it when it’s least expected and it will have double the impact! Trust me! When all is said and done, nothing matters more than the person standing by your side. Make sure they know how much you care, always.
“Trip over love, you can get up. Fall in love and you fall forever.”
~Author Unknown
Happy Valentine’s Day!! Xoxo
Article by Johanna Osborne
It may have been a few years ago now, but I will never forget the day one of my very best friends tied the knot. There were many great moments, but one stand-out memory in particular was when it came time for the first dance. The rhythmic couple surprised everyone with an amazing dance routine that would have had even Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire green with envy. All the guests were jaw-droppingly impressed by the choreographed performance, and it certainly gave the already wonderful wedding a real talking point.
Dancing has never been more fashionable than it is right now. With the media spotlight on numerous dancing shows, it has become more and more in vogue to learn how to dance properly on your wedding day. Indeed a favourable alternative to the awkward shuffle, 2 minutes of teeth-clenching and nervous sweating many couples endure in front of sympathetic guests.
Speaking exclusively to us, Adam Nathanson, owner and Director of Simply Ceroc in Wellington, agrees. He shares “I have had more couples looking to learn a wedding dance through my doors in the last 5-6 months than in the past 23 years”. Cleary we are on to a trend here! Adam is one of the most well-known Ceroc teachers on the planet, and has over decades of teaching experience under his belt. His passion for dance began early when at 7 years old he watched the Nicholas brothers perform on TV, and from that moment on was totally transfixed. This early memory has stayed with Adam who dutifully explored accounting and other slightly less creative career fields, before realising that he knew what he wanted to do all along.
Adam is more than passionate about dance. He lives and breathes it. And any man with an ounce of sense would listen to Adam, for he holds the key! Adam explains “Ceroc is the most successful singles meeting place in the world, and the best thing is, it holds no stigma at all”. And he’s right. Within minutes of entering dance classes eager students have their arms around a willing partner. That kind of intimacy and bond is something that would normally take a huge amount of courage (and time!) in another setting. Adam himself proposed to his wife Mandy within 3 minutes of meeting and dancing with her. There’s just something magical about dance!
Adam explains that the beauty of Ceroc is you can dance to any genre or music. And it doesn’t have to be hard! Whilst many people choose to study dance for social reasons, there has been a huge spike in the amount of brides and grooms opting to learn from professionals before their big day. Unfortunately, much like myself prior to my own wedding, most brides and grooms don’t allow enough time and think they can do a quick one or two lessons, and suddenly and miraculously know how to dance! There’s a bit more to it than that. But thankfully if you have two left feet like me, Adam has a few tricks up his sleeve to help give the illusion you know more than you do. He can offer private lessons in his studio, at your home, in your office or wherever the fancy takes you.
The core focus of Ceroc is to give people a basic understanding of how to move. Adam says “We teach about connection, movement and showing off how in love you are. People are amazed in the end by how easy it is”. His aim – to make it seem natural and fun!
“We teach men how to be the Antonio Banderas in the movie ‘Take the Lead’ – the suave matador who stays in control. And we show the ladies how to be light, feminine and floaty”. Whilst possibly being a somewhat old-fashioned and stereotypical concept in this modern day and age, in the world of dance it simply works. It always has, and always will. Dancers often say that the tradition and romance associated with dance will never die, and once you are seduced by it, you too will understand the allure. As Albert Einstein so famously said “Dancers are athletes of God”.
Adam & Mandy Nathanson
Ceroc Wellington
Whitireia Performance Centre
25 Vivian Street, Wellington
[email protected]
021 205 1202
– Here is a video of a [most impressive first dance at Allerton Castle]
In an exclusive interview with Johanna Osborne, Steve Carlin, lead singer of famed Wellington band Uncle Monkey, takes Mr and Mrs behind the scenes of NZ’s most talked about wedding
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When he took a call from his Agent requesting his band ‘Uncle Monkey’ to appear at a wedding for a “D.Carter” in Blenheim in December, Steve Carlin had no idea he had just agreed to be part of the most hyped wedding of the year.
Steve laughs as he explains that he only learnt that it was actually Dan Carter’s wedding he would be playing at 2 days prior to the wedding, when he read in the newspaper that Dan would be tying the knot with his long-time sweetheart Honor at the famous Timara Lodge, the same venue Uncle Monkey had been booked for. Steve says “That’s when I realised that was us – we were going to be playing at Dan Carter’s wedding! Oh my God!” Understandably excitement levels for the well-loved Wellington band reached fever pitch at this point.
When recounting the details of the wedding, it’s plain to see how much fun it was for everyone, including Uncle Monkey. The band was well taken care of and all expenses were covered when they took their epic journey down south, preparing to play for a star-studded audience. Timara Lodge, the luxury estate that hosted the wedding, is located 15 minutes west of Blenheim and the location as well as wedding details were heavily guarded.
The band had to clear security for their afternoon sound-check and returned later in the evening to kick-start the night-time celebrations. They were lucky enough to catch the last of the speeches, and Steve says that Dan’s was particularly heartfelt and very “sweet”. Steve describes the overall atmosphere in the room as “warm, loving and happy”. He goes on to say “What I liked most about this wedding was that apart from the odd celebrity here and there, it was much like any other wedding. The people were down to earth and it was all about family and close friends.”
Uncle Monkey are no strangers to the limelight and have played a number of high profile gigs, including the closing celebration of the Rugby World Cup, where they were a focal point of the festivities. However being part of NZ’s answer to a Hollywood-scale celebrity wedding, complete with over-the-top security and immense hype, made for a totally unique and pretty exciting experience for this bunch of laid-back kiwi blokes.
Asked how it came to be that Uncle Monkey was selected for this fantastic occasion, Steve explains that apparently it was a long time in the making – and the band had no idea about any of it. Uncle Monkey had played at Honor’s sister’s wedding several years earlier and clearly made an impact then. Dan’s parents also saw the band perform in Wellington and gave their seal of approval. And the last encounter, again unbeknown to the band, came when Dan attended a special gig at Dockside after the All Blacks vs Canada match in Wellington. Dan was amongst a crowd of All Blacks who came along and Dan confided to Steve that he was actually “secretly checking the band out”. This serves as the ultimate compliment to a humble and unassuming band, who simply describe the whole experience as “pretty damn cool”.
On the wedding day itself, Steve, Sam and Carl were greeted in a warm way by the famous bride and groom. When asked about Honor, Steve says “she looked stunning” and that she reminded him a little of Kate Middleton in the way she looked that day, in her Anna Schimmel designed gown. “She’s just completely lovely – a friendly, down-to-earth girl”.
A stand-out of the night was the fireworks display and also the fire-dancing that took place, a spectacular treat for the happy guests.
The band was delighted the dance floor stayed full all night, and that Dan and Honor held their own and partied along with their merry guests until 1.30am. The guest list included big names like Hayley Westenra (who also sang during the ceremony), Graham Henry, Ali Williams, Richie McCaw, Sarah Tetro and many more. Perhaps disappointingly there were no scandalous moments as “everyone was very well behaved and just having a great time”.
As the sun rose over sleepy Marlborough the next morning, a last confirmation that indeed a star-studded wedding had taken place the night before came when the band bumped into Graham Henry wandering the streets of Blenheim, and greeted them with a jovial “Hey Guys”. And I guess that’s what kiwi weddings all about – no matter who you are, it’s all about camaraderie and brotherhood. Just the way Dan and Honor wanted it.
Article by Johanna Osborne.
If you are lucky enough to have Amy Schulz photograph your wedding, then you are truly fortunate – because not only will you end up with stunning photographs of your special day, you will also walk away with a lifelong friend.
For it’s Amy’s passion and big heart that make her a stand-out to her many loyal fans and supporters. Speaking to Amy it becomes very obvious how much she loves her job; “I feel so lucky to do what I do. I really enjoy it and I just love building relationships and giving people the time and attention they deserve”.
Case in point – the wonderful wedding of Brad and Kelly on December 4th 2011. With a stunning venue like the Outrigger on the Lagoon in Fiji, Brad and Kelly made it easy for Amy to capture amazing footage of the tropical paradise nuptials. But the Wellington photographer’s unique style and attention to detail is still evident in each and every frame.
With temperatures rising above 30C on the day, the wedding party and guests were grateful for the tropical breeze, and the soft and warm tropical sunlight allowed for some very tasteful and artistic images.
Amy is the sister-in-law of the groom, which added another tie to the already close-knit wedding. Brad and Kelly are an outgoing and vibrant couple, and Amy was particularly delighted (but not altogether surprised) when the fun-loving bride asked her to do a unique “Trash the Dress” shoot the following day. Whilst not unheard of, it is not that often a bride chooses to do something other than preserve her dress in a cardboard box. Kelly decided that after a full day making incredible memories in her beautiful gown, why not allow for some extra special shots the following day in Fiji’s crystal clear waters. And so the jaw-dropping photos of Kelly and Brad “trashing the dress” came to fruition, with some of their 40+ guests choosing to observe the sensational spectacle. And the result? Some rather awe-inspiring images! Amy describes this part of the celebrations as the absolute highlight of the whole amazing experience, and explains “Here I was, knee-deep in warm tropical waters, standing on coral, wearing jandals, holding a $10k camera and photographing the most amazing moments – all whilst trying to keep my balance and catch the perfect shot. I’ve never had so much fun!” The irony of the whole event – the dress survived untarnished. After a visit to the drycleaners the gown is good as new!
What an extraordinary way to create some truly unique memories! You too can have the Amy Schulz experience… come and see her at the Wellington Wedding Show on the 29th of April at TSB Arena, Queens Wharf.
Amy Schulz
0211556071
[email protected]
www.amyschulz.co.nz
Phone 0274 490 025
Phone 027 372 5015
po box 27466,
Marion Square,
Wellington,
New Zealand.
