Church Road Winery Wedding - Tim & Samantha

I think most little girls dream of the day they will grow up and be a princess for a day, walking down the aisle where Mr. Right is waiting and everyone they love is watching on. Bride Samantha was firmly in this category and from the moment I arrived at the lovely little Seafield Views villa in Hawke’s Bay where she and her girls were getting ready, I could see and sense the effort and excitement that had gone into every tiny little detail.

And why not? Samantha and her wee man Lockie have both gone through so much with their health to get to this incredible day, with this very special man committing to them both. It truly was a day to celebrate in style, from the tip of the tiara right down to the toes of those glorious Jimmy Choo wedding shoes.

Eva: How did you and Tim meet?

Samantha: We started working together. I walked past Tim and apparently it was a head-turning occasion. I didn't even know who he was! Tim soon found lots of reasons after that to find me and talk. We connected through our mutual love of trail running and that helped grow our incredible friendship. Once we started dating, I fell head over heels in love with him and he became the one thing I could not live without. We actually had 50 first dates. He's my best mate and he is an incredible role model for my son.

Eva:. Let’s hear about the proposal…

 Samantha: Tim proposed in Mahia on New Year's Eve in 2021 with a shell ring as he left my actual engagement ring at home. He set up the Go Pro to record it, it captured a few seconds and then it turned off and missed the actual proposal, but we got the full 15 seconds of Tim searching for the ring in his pocket!

Eva: What was your vision for the wedding, what was most important for you, and why Church Road Winery in Hawke’s Bay?

Samantha: We wanted our wedding day to be a true reflection of both of us - a happy, relaxed, fun and romantic day. It was incredible seeing everything come together.

The flowers (by Hawke’s Bay florist, Magdalen Hill) and the music that we chose for our ceremony signing were especially important to us. We chose specific songs that were significant to Tim's father and my grandmother, who were our witnesses.

We fell in love with the aesthetic of Church Road Winery in Napier. One of their wines was also one of the first bottles of wine we shared together when we started dating and we've loved it ever since.

Eva: What was the highlight of the day for each of you?

Samantha: Tim loved the whole day. He said it was the best day of his life! For me, the ‘First Look’ was one of the many highlights. Walking into the Cuve Room at Church Road and seeing Tim standing there with his back to me gave me butterflies, the same ones I had when we first started dating.

I was so excited to see him and I knew he was going to look so handsome. I'll never forget the look he gave me when he turned around. I think we both blew each other away. In that moment, it just felt like it was him and I, and no one else around. It was an incredible feeling. I was so happy that I got to marry him and keep him forever.

It was also amazing seeing everything come together. Everything had its place and it all fitted. It was an upbeat, happy party vibe from start to finish. It meant so much to both of us to share our day with our closest family and friends.

Eva: Tell me about some of your favourite details incorporated into the day…and was it just unbelievably fun pulling all of them together?

Samantha: I am all about the details, the sparkle and I had an absolute blast choosing all my pretties. There was a reason behind every choice.

I loved both my Trish Peng dresses. I just knew I had to have wings and a long train. The wings were three metres long and I loved the way they elevated my wedding gown. The custom split added a bit of fun. I loved the way that every part of the dress sparkled in the light.

I was always going to have two pairs of shoes - a pair for pre-photos (Harlo Australia) and a pair for our ceremony (Jimmy Choo). The JCs did not disappoint! I loved the bows because it added a point of difference.

A tiara was definitely on the list and I still can't believe how beautiful it was and the way the jewellery I chose complimented my gown. Heather at Eden Luxe Bridal was really helpful as it was hard to choose a statement making piece.

My Louis Vuitton clutch has my new initials stamped on the strap. It’s is my favourite handbag.

I thought the hand painted champagne bottle would be a lovely keepsake for Tim and I. All I did was provide the colour palette for our florals and Emma at Inkberry Calligraphy created a masterpiece. It was beautiful.

My something old, new and blue was a gorgeous bracelet that Tim had surprised me with last year. Inside the circle it has one of the last images I had taken of my grandad and nana when they were at the local Farmer's Market selling honey. My grandad passed away November last year so it meant so much being able to wear that.

Eva: What advice do you have for brides planning a wedding?

Samantha: One of the best decisions we made was to completely trust our vendors and to give them all creative freedom. We didn't even see our cake until our reception! But wow…all our vendors certainly created magic.

If you can invest in really good photography and videography, do so. We're so glad we did both because we've already had so much enjoyment reliving our wedding day and sharing the images with our nearest and dearest.

Also…don't stress - even if the weather doesn't play ball. We packed the umbrellas, made Plan B our Plan A earlier in the week, took advantage of outside photographs when there were breaks in the weather, had a venue that was amazing in the rain and we had SO much fun!

Thanks to Samantha, Tim and Lockie for allowing me to share their beautiful day with you all. And thanks also to their Dream Team of top vendors who all helped make this Hawke’s Bay wedding look so amazing:

VENUE: Church Road Winery, Napier.

CATERING: Orton Tailored Events & Cusine

PHOTOGRAPHERS: Eva Bradley & Linda Baylis

VIDEOGRAPHER: Grant Mayer Cinema

DRESSES: Trish Peng

FLORALS: Magdalen Hill

HAIR: Abby Schofield

MAKEUP: Candice Dear

SUIT: Crane Brothers

SHOES: Jimmy Choo & Harlo Australia

CELEBRANT: Heather Fletcher