Natalie and Layton 

"It was like love at first sight."

Read on to hear how the couple met, when Layton knew Natalie was "the one" and how they created their magical wedding day at St Matthew-In-The-City, Auckland.

Congratulations on tying the knot! Tell us about how you met.

Natalie: We met at a pub in Dunedin in 2016 called Ratbags. I just remember seeing Layton, and his beautiful eyebrows and hair.

Layton: I saw Natalie five minutes before she saw me. She went upstairs, then I said to the lads... “Let’s check out upstairs.” I went up to Nat and ask if she wanted to dance with my friend, she said “No, I want to dance with you.“ And that was that!

Natalie: We both knew straight away... It was like love at first sight, if that’s what you want to call it! We started dating from that first night.

Layton, when was the moment you knew Natalie was “the one?” 

I have always loved Natalie, but the moment I knew that I wanted to marry her was when she made me salted caramel from scratch with French toast, ice cream and raspberries for breakfast. It was the most amazing thing I have ever had! It was a turning point for me. 

Alex: I guess the way to a man's heart truly is through his stomach! (Laughter)

 

What was important for you both on your wedding day?

Layton: Making sure Natalie was as happy as possible. There was a lot going on that day so I just wanted to make sure Natalie was calm and happy.

Nat: The walk down the isle was a big moment for me, being in the bridal industry, I had thought about it a lot. The ceremony was really important to me too.

What made you decide on your particular wedding rings?

Layton: Simplicity for me. Something well made that I could have on my finger for the rest of my life. I’ve never had jewellery before so I wanted something elegant that would go with everything.

Natalie: I had seen a custom wedding ring on your Instagram that you had made for a client that had rubies in the band. It was a lightbulb moment for me seeing the coloured gemstones in a wedding band because I had never seen it before. I wanted something quite "boujee" that brought in my love of pink, which felt really unique to me.

 

 

Why did you choose bespoke and how was your experience?

Natalie: Honestly I had no idea how jewellery was made. When I first came across Aurea’s instagram page, it was the first time I had seen anyone make jewellery. Through education from following you and learning how much more hard wearing hand made jewellery is, and seeing the love and attention to detail that goes into a bespoke piece sold it for me. There’s so much significance to wedding bands, so for me it made total sense.

I found that there’s not that much of a difference price wise when comparing your work to other competitors that mass manufacture rings, so why wouldn’t you go for something that’s made by a creative soul.

Layton: The workmanship and craft of making a ring is amazing. When you’re wearing a ring for the rest of your life, why would you not have a story like that behind it. The process was seamless, personal and efficient. I didn’t do a very good job of explaining what I had in mind, but Alex knew straight away what I was after and made exactly what I wanted.

 

What are you most looking forward to about marriage?

Natalie: I’m looking forward to all the adventures we’re going to have, and to see where we get to in life. I feel like with marriage, time resets for you as a couple and you get to write your next novel, as opposed to just a chapter.

Layton: I am so excited to create new memories and to grow old together. I think of all the great memories I have with my mum and dad, and can’t wait to create new ones with our future children.

 

How did you decide on your wedding aesthetic and vendors?

Layton: I’ll answer this one Nat, “Well my vision was…” (All laugh.)

Natalie: I honestly feel like my wedding aesthetic has been something that’s been inside me since I was very young. I’ve always had a vision, fast forward to owning a bridal shop and becoming more knowledgeable, I was able to expand on that vision to create the dream. The colour palette was lots of light blush tones with a dark violet accent. I’ve always wanted my wedding to feel like a fairytale, but refined and elegant with a dark, moody touch. There were gothic touches in terms of the dress, some of the décor, the venue was neo-gothic architecture.

Being in the bridal industry, I have so many great contacts that made choosing our vendors easy. The girls from Whipped Cakery made us a metre high cake!

Sarah my florist was a stand out. She was the only florist that I spoke to that actually made me feel safe. With the florals being of large scale, I felt like other people didn’t care enough to execute exactly what I wanted. When I spoke to Sarah, I just knew that she was a true creative and master, that she would be able to achieve what I wanted. I felt completely confident to let her take full control on the florals.

Florals: Faux and Thorn the Unruly Fleuriste

Cake: Whipped Cakery

Photographer: Haute Weddings

Dress and Bespoke Alterations: Natalie Rose Bridal, Fritz and Sarah.

Venue: St Matthew-In-The-City, Auckland.