Lucy and Dai’s perfect wedding day.

Lucy had a very clear idea of the sort of wedding dress she wanted and knew her only option was to have a bespoke dress made for her.

We were thrilled that she chose us to design and make her dress and we were very excited about creating a dress that was totally unique.

Lucy wanted a dress, with a medieval feel and it had to have bell sleeves, the bigger the better! Lucy also wanted a gold embroidered lace which would complement the stunning tradition Maori marriage cape that she would wear during the ceremony.

Tell us about the journey to your wedding day?

We drove up the day before as we had the venue for the whole weekend. We had a lovely day setting up with family and friends, then had dinner and a few drinks once we were done.

Tell us about your wedding day. What was your theme? Did it all go to plan? What was your most memorable moment?

We didn’t really have a theme! Our colours were gold and purple, but we took a very casual approach to it.

Everything did NOT go to plan, but it worked out better in the end. The registrars arrived about half an hour before the ceremony was to begin, and told us we couldn’t get married in the room we had chosen! So the Groomsmen quickly moved some chairs and we ended up getting married under a pergola which was really lovely. There was a lot more room and it was cooler too. Everything else went off without a hitch.

During the ceremony, Dai’s mam performed a Maori incantation called a Karakia to bless our marriage. She then gave Dai a type of cape called a Korowai which he then wrapped around me and tied into a knot. The Korowai symbolises Dai’s love, and how it will surround me for the rest of our lives.

We felt really blessed to be able to incorporate this part of Dai’s heritage into our ceremony. Unfortunately, none of Dai’s NZ family were able to come to the wedding, but having a Karakia made us feel close to them regardless of the miles between us.

With the connection to New Zealand and our love of the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings our ringbearer Hugh, dressed in a cape and donned some Hobbit feet and presented us our rings to the theme music of the Lord of the Rings, it was hilarious, everyone laughed.

My most memorable moment was when my new husband and I snuck off for half an hour. We sat together and had a cup of tea and a rest. We’d been awake since 5am so we were both knackered!

Would you do anything different? What tips would you give couples from your experience of planning your wedding and the day itself?

We wouldn’t do anything differently; it was our perfect day. Our advice to couples is relax! Planning a wedding doesn’t have to be stressful. It’s your day, don’t be afraid to do what you want to do, rather than trying to please everyone else. Let any family drama pass you by. And take some quiet time to be together on the day, you’ll be glad of it!

Tell us about what you had in mind for your wedding gown?

I knew I wanted big sleeves, and beautiful lace, and not white. I remember meeting Lynette and Luci for the first time, trying on different dresses and talking about what I liked, and Luci said “something like this?” and showed me a drawing she’d done. It was perfect, I was so excited.

Tell us how you found Boho Bride.

I knew I wanted a dress that was a bit different, so I was looking for places that specialised in unique dresses. I found Boho Bride on Google. Check out the Boho Bride Freedom Collection page for more unique wedding dress inspiration

Tell us about your experience with Boho Bride.

Lynette and Luci were both fabulous, I felt so safe and supported by them both. Lynette is very experienced, and I felt like she only needed to take one look at me to know what sort of thing would suit me best! Luci is an amazing designer and the attention to detail on my dress was exquisite. Read what other brides have said about us

Tell us how you accessorised your wedding gown.

I wore a gold crystal crown and an ear piece that had gold crystals hanging down. I also wore my Grandma’s amethyst and pearl necklace, which matched my engagement ring. I also wore my other Grandma’s eternity ring (on my little finger, it’s very small!) and a piece of purple wool that I cut off something she was knitting when she died. I wore white and gold Gola trainers (I am a comfort queen) and changed into blue, green and purple crocs for the evening and not forgetting my beautiful handmade traditional Maori cape, which was so special.