Backyard DIY Wedding - Bay View and Waipatiki Beach, Hawke's Bay
Weddings are by nature a formal event. Throw in an elegant venue and a bunch of other luxe elements and all of a sudden you have a dream wedding….for some people. But what if you’re a couple who loves backyard cricket, relaxed, unfussy good times with mates and no fixed schedules or curfews? Hayden and Hayley’s backyard DIY wedding in Bay View, Hawke’s Bay, was created entirely on their terms and was a stylish but also very down-to-earth reflection of who they are and what mattered to them in a wedding celebration.
Hayley’s childhood home is on a small vineyard tucked away behind Bay View, 10 minutes north of Napier. It features a lawn big enough to bat and bowl on and a large but very functional tin shed filled with a lifetime of Dad’s weekend projects. It seemed hard at the time to imagine the space becoming a beautiful wedding venue but I’ve worked with enough creative couples during my long career to know what imagination, hard work and a whole lot of love and support from friends, family and Hawke’s Bay’s amazing wedding vendors can do.
Just like a picture says a thousand words, I think words straight from the couple (rather than me!) give so much more insight into how to pull off an awesome wedding. A lot of planning went into creating the chilled-out vibe of this Hawke’s Bay wedding day and Hayley explains how they did it:
“We wanted a really rustic, laid-back type of wedding, where we could have time to really celebrate and spend time with all of our guests. When considering the home wedding option we did a lot of comparisons of costs with other venues including wineries. As an accountant, Hayden was in his element with the spreadsheets! At the end of the day the costs were fairly comparable, which surprised us. However for the type of space, celebration and vibe we wanted to create, the wedding-at-home option won out.”
Hayden and Hayley decided to have their photos taken before the wedding, which meant we were able to be a bit more adventurous with our photography locations. Since the boys were already staying out at Waipatiki Beach, I suggested we join them once the girls were ready. A 30-minute drive from Bay View in Dad’s trusty old Zephyr, Waipatiki is a beautiful, wild Hawke’s Bay beach with golden sand and a magical little Nikau forest. It was the perfect place to make some memories and for Hayden to check out his foxy soon-to-be-wife.
Even though the light can be challenging to work with in the middle of the day, there are lots of good reasons for couples to get their wedding photos done earlier. And far from taking away from the ‘big moment’ later on, I describe it as ‘wedding foreplay’…a chance to share in the build-up to the ultimate climax of any relationship…exchanging your vows.
Says Hayley: “We are so happy we went with the option of a 'First look'. It was so special to have that moment to ourselves before walking down the aisle. I feel like our reactions were more honest and authentic as we didn't have a crowd of people that we were conscious of. It also didn't diminish from the impact of actually walking down the aisle either.”
“Photography was our top priority and the first thing we booked. We wanted to ensure that at the end of the day, when the wedding was over, we had quality images that captured the special moments. We did a lot of investigation into different photographers and fairly quickly made contact with Eva. Even though we were based in Australia, she made the whole process really easy. We had a Skype call and then were able to meet in person on a brief planning trip to Hawke’s Bay. We had a lot of confidence that we had chosen the right person to capture our day.”
The guests had all arrived while we were away taking photos, and reality hit as we turned up the driveway and saw them waiting. There was a quick chance to touch up makeup and mentally prepare for what was next and before we knew it, Mr. & Mrs. Vowell were hitched!
“After the wedding, we had different areas and activities which helped for people to breakout and relax into. We had a marquee for shade and shelter, a couple of games spots and an area with bean bags and rugs for people to sit down and enjoy a wine in the sunshine. I also think that having our main photos before the ceremony helped because it meant we had a lot of time to spend time with our guests before the reception started and get involved in the games ourselves. We also had a drinks caravan which fitted perfectly with the vibe we were trying to create.”
In an industry where lots of money gets spent creating ‘rustic’ spaces from scratch, it was absolutely awesome to see a wedding setup that was authentically simple and foraged, from the beat-up old Massey Ferguson and wooden pallets nailed to the walls, to the wooden school chairs borrowed from the community hall in Bay View. You had to have seen how it looked before to truly grasp how much imagination and effort had gone into transforming the family shed into a reception venue.
If you’re a regular follower of my blogs, you’ll be sick of hearing me harp on about ‘alone time’ but seriously….if there’s one thing you’ve gotta do on your wedding day, it’s take 10 minutes together during the reception to reconnect. Try hard to zone out the sound of your wedding photographer whooping loudly and dropping joyful F-bombs due to the epic light and just be in the moment together.
As Hayley and Hayden’s wedding day drifted into night, the disco lights went live and a Hayden got all Patrick Swayze with his dance lifts. The crowd poured onto what was once Hayley’s makeshift Basket Ball court and my work there was almost done.
A big thanks to Hayden and Hayley for letting us share their awesome Hawke’s Bay wedding day and also for sharing their experience working with us…
“Hayden and I were so happy we chose Eva and Andrew to be our photographers. Eva had a strong vision for what she wanted to capture and I think that really shows in the photography. She provided really great direction and managed to wrangle our large bridal party with ease and made sure we ran on time whilst enjoying the experience.”
Hayley & Hayden’s Hawke’s Bay Dream Team:
Photographers: Eva Bradley & Andrew Caldwell
Venues: Waipatiki Beach & Bay View - Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand
Dress: Mariana Hardwick
Suits: Thomsons Suits, Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand
Hair & MU: Fergus George & Holly Daley Artistry, Napier, Hawke’s Bay
Florals: Belinda Kelly
Celebrant: Jane Grant
Hire: Empire Event Hire, A Touch Of Elegance
Videography: Mayer Wedding Films, Hawke’s Bay
Cake: Cindy’s Cakes, Hawke’s Bay
Food & Drink: Raymond’s Gourmet BBQ, Darcy The Caravan Bar