When two people with vastly different histories decide to rewrite the rulebook on romance, the result is a celebration that defies every wedding convention. Roz and Dan’s modern love story trades traditional white for a riot of Mexican-inspired colour, where vibrant floral installations and neon accents set the stage for a unique family dynamic. From a weather-defying ceremony to a deeply moving aisle walk, it is a joyful testament to the magic of finding a perfect match in the most unexpected of ways. Roz tells us more…

*Photography:* *Jackie*-*Still Vision* / *Mantells Mount Eden‍ /* *Astra Bridal* / *Wild Blooms*‍

Dan and I are, by all accounts, a very modern romance. I had been single for most of my adult life, and Dan had spent most of his adult life in long-term relationships and had been married before. We came to each other with very different histories — and somehow, that made it work perfectly.

We met on Hinge at a point where I was completely over dating. Dan was, quite literally, my “last first date” and ironically, I was his very first app date. When we said goodbye, Dan rang his best mate back in the UK and told him he’d just met the woman he was going to marry. No pressure.

Things moved quickly after that. Dan moved into my house within the first year, and by the same time the following year, we were engaged. From early on, we leaned into making things feel like “us” — even naming our celebration the RAD Wedding (Roz And Dan), which became a fun theme throughout, starting with our invitations. Now, as newlyweds, we’ve officially embraced that sense of unity by adopting a combined double-barrelled surname together.

Finding the Perfect Venue

Dan is originally from the UK and made it clear from the start that he didn't want anything too "weddingy." Vineyards, in particular, were not his thing, which made the search for a venue quite interesting. I had always assumed that Mantells Mount Eden would be out of our budget, but to our surprise, it was actually more affordable than many vineyards. The moment we visited, we were sold on the place. When we learned that our desired date, April 19, was available, we knew it was meant to be.

Before we were engaged, we’d attended a friend’s wedding in Mexico. Dan loved Mexico just as much as I do — the culture, the people, the food, and especially the colours. That trip shaped the feel of our wedding in a big way. While we didn’t have a formal theme, our colour palette was definitely inspired by Mexico. The only white was my dress — everything else was bright, vibrant, and colourful.

Our florists, Wild Blooms, exceeded every expectation with gorgeous installations of colourful flowers. Our guests clearly embraced the vibe too — everyone dressed brightly, and the photos absolutely radiate the colour and energy we wanted.

The Lead-Up

Dan’s family arrived from the UK the week of the wedding, and despite terrible weather and last-minute logistics, we tried to show them a good time.

Two days before the wedding, I moved into an AirBnB, and that’s when I was finally able to relax. My bridesmaids moved in, took charge of tasks, and we had the best time rehearsing, baking, and blasting music. The night before the wedding we wore matching tracksuits, did face masks, drank great wine, and watched Bridesmaids. It was perfect.

The morning of the wedding was relaxed — makeup by my dear friend Tania Houghton, bridesmaids done by another friend Gabrielle Anwen, and was so fortunate to have my cousin Jackie from Still Vision do the photography. There were no strangers in the house, just people we loved.

Wearing my grandmother’s garnet necklace — my birthstone — meant so much, especially having her with me in that way on the day.

Style & Personal Touches

My dress was the Beryl gown by Theia Couture from Astra Bridal. The Astra Bridal team were incredible — especially after a few less-than-great dress experiences elsewhere. I went in thinking I’d already found “the one,” but when I tried it on, it just wasn’t me. Then I tried Beryl. The manager walked over from across the room and said, “That’s it.” She was right. We affectionately called her “Bezza,” and she was always going to be the dress.

My bridesmaids wore Blak Bridesmaids in “Pink Intense,” a last-minute decision that I still love. They each chose their own style, wore black shoes, and looked amazing — comfortable, confident, and completely themselves.

Dan wore a green YD suit to honour his Irish roots, with his groomsmen in matching suits. His sister Cat flew over from the UK and served as his Best Person, wearing her own dress that perfectly complemented our colour palette. Dan’s ex-mother-in-law also stepped in heroically on the morning, tying ties and pinning boutonnieres — a skill none of us seemed to possess.

We loved adding personal details throughout the day. Instead of a traditional welcome sign, we had a vintage mirror with a gold frame, hand-painted by our friend Missy Fleming (of Miss Melicious Cakes fame), who also created our wedding cake — and yes, people actually went back for seconds.

Another one of my favourite keepsakes is our neon heart-and-arrow neon sign with our initials in the centre. It lit up the reception beautifully and has since been turned into matching tattoos for Dan and me. The sign now lives in our house.

We chose to do our photos before the ceremony at Mantells, beginning with our first look. Dan turned around and popped a bottle of champagne just as I walked out to meet him. The timing of the cork was hilariously perfect, and my cousin captured the exact moment two of my bridesmaids were clapping and smiling — it’s one of my favourite photos.

Despite a little rain, we managed to get all of our outdoor photos done before heading inside. I especially love our “Posh and Becks” style posed shots. The whole experience was so much fun, and sharing it with our best friends (and a little champagne) was such a highlight. Our photos feel so joyful and full of personality, which perfectly reflects how we felt on the day.

The Ceremony

Our celebrant and MC, Nate Dunn, had the job from the moment he said, “The bride usually does all the work — I want to look after her.” Music to my ears. We didn’t have a planner, so Nate was invaluable. Even when Dan misspelled my middle name on the marriage certificate (his one job), Nate calmly fixed it.

The only real stress in the lead-up to the ceremony came from the emergency cyclone weather alerts. My mum, who once trained for her pilot’s licence, studied the weather patterns and confidently predicted the rain would clear. Dan’s mum is Catholic and said she’d “put in a word.” If there was ever a time to believe in the mothers, it was now.

Just before the ceremony, the rain really came down. My cousin later told me the chairs went out, then in, then out again, then back in. Shaun from Mantells remained wonderfully calm and gently suggested a few times that we move the ceremony indoors. But with the power of the mothers on my side, I stayed relaxed and kept saying, “The weather will clear.”

Well I’ll be damned. 10 minutes before the ceremony started, the rain stopped. Chairs went back outside. The harp played. The mothers were smug.

My twin nephews were our ring bearers, and they took their role very seriously. My niece, wearing a dress my mother had made for her using fabric from the bridesmaids’ dresses, walked down the aisle with Dan’s son — my stepson — as they scattered rose petals together.

I walked up the aisle with my dad to “Something” by The Beatles played on the harp. My dad is a tetraplegic, but with the help of a cane — and sometimes a little support — he still “walks”. I often joke that it was actually me walking him down the aisle, but sharing that moment together is one of my most treasured memories.

As we’re a blended family, it felt important to include our modern family in the ceremony. Dan’s ex-wife and her fiancé were there, along with her parents, and she wrote a funny “hand-over” message for the celebrant to read — including the line, “no take-backsies.” She then came up and formally “handed over” Dan to me, complete with a hilarious T-shirt covered in his face and a handshake like it was an awards ceremony.

We did it to put everyone at ease, because we thought it was funny, and mostly because of how uncomfortable it made Dan! More importantly, it was lovely for their son to see us all together — he still talks about what a great time he had and asks when we can have another wedding.

We exited the ceremony to Still D.R.E. on the harp, toasted with champagne, and then partied hard. The reception was joyful chaos — heartfelt speeches, some questionable commentary, and lots of laughter.

I had a light-up cape, brought over from Mexico by a friend, which added a magical, glowing energy to the evening.

We gifted our wedding party, bespoke hand blown tumblers by Kate Mitchell, designed in our wedding colours and personalised with our initials. We loved them so much we also ordered extra glasses and a carafe for ourselves — such a special keepsake from the day. For our guests favours we had shot glasses engraved with Roz & Dan and our wedding date.

Celebration

We didn’t hold back. We danced, laughed, and celebrated all night. The reception was joyful chaos — heartfelt speeches, cheeky commentary, and so much fun.

Late-night highlights included espresso martinis to keep everyone going and cheese rolls — a Southland essential — making an appearance around 10pm. As I’m from the South Island and my family is from Southland, we made them ourselves.

Our first dance was to Wings’ “Let Me Roll It”, and then DJ Kita Mean took over, bringing high energy, great music and an unforgettable vibe. Light-up tubes appeared, the dance floor filled instantly and we didn’t stop until the very end of the night.

At the end of it all, our wedding felt exactly like us — joyful, colourful, modern, chaotic in the best way, and full of love. And honestly? I’d do it all again.

VENDORS

Photography: Jackie Still Vision

Venue: Mantells Mount Eden mantells.co.nz

Celebrant & MC: Nate Dunn

Florist: Wild Blooms wildblooms.co.nz

Bride's attire: Astra Bridal astrabridal.co.nz

Groom & Groomsmen's attire: YD

Rings & Jewellery: Diamonds on Richmond / Crystal and Cord / Cathy Pope

Bridesmaids: BLAK Bridesmaids

Getting ready robes: The Sleepover

Makeup & Hair: Tania Houghton / Gabrielle Anwen

Cake: Miss Melicious