Let's head to the Island

Photo by Wildfolk Photography

With wedding season in full swing we thought we'd catch up with those in the thick of it. Waiheke Island has many vineyards, restaurants and beautiful venues and is just a short ferry ride from Auckland City, it is a hugely popular wedding destination. Making planning that much easier is the The Island Collection.

The Island Collection is a full-service wedding and event company, based on Waiheke Island. Founded and operated by Sarah and Nick just over three years ago, The Island Collection offers planning, styling, furniture and sound hire, as well as live music options. With Sarah's love for style and organising, along with Nick's musical and building talents, The Island Collection has grown into a stylish and affordable events company. We asked Sarah Fraser for her insight into weddings in this crazy year of Covid.

What are some of the key trends you're seeing for Waiheke Island weddings this season?

1) Smaller weddings and more elopements.  COVID is restricting overseas friends and family from attending, so couples aren't having as many guests or they are choosing to elope.

2) A classic, elegant style. White, Gold, Black and Monochrome are popular, with pops of colours through florals and linen.

3) Outdoor lounge areas.  While sit down receptions are still what most do, couples are adding spaces for guests to mingle and lounge during the afternoon and evening.  It might be on bar learners during canapes, or a lounge set up next to the dance floor.

www.ludopetrikphotography.com

What are your most popular props and why?

For the ceremony, our Hexagon Arch is very popular.  It's a mahogany colour and looks stunning with or without flowers.  Some couples like to move it behind their head table for the reception, which makes sense as you get to use it for the whole day/night then!  Also our Champagne Tower has been a hit. Creating a moment after the ceremony or before cutting the cake. It’s lots of fun and great for photos.

For the reception, it would have to be our Hurricane Vases and Candles.  Many of the venues on Waiheke are all naturally beautiful and often don't require a lot of props, but candles work well as they add soft lighting and ambience.

We recently added a White Bar to our collection, and this is already booked out many weekends this summer.  It works in well with our large umbrellas and outdoor furniture.

How has this changed since you started?

When we first started the business a few years ago, the style was more rustic and boho.  We're seeing couples wanting a more simplistic, but elegant look now.

Frank & Penny

Where do you find your inspiration?

I get inspiration from my couples and their story.  I always try to incorporate aspects of this in their day. For example, if the couple loves to drink wine I might suggest they box up a bottle from their venue, add in with letters to each other and open it on their first anniversary. Or the other day for a Russian groom, we incorporated the Russian tradition of smashing a champagne glass from the Champagne tower.

From a styling point of view, I get inspiration from the beautiful Island we live on - the beaches, the ocean and vineyards, those colours, textures and shapes.

Tell us how you go through the process with a stylist / planner or the couple?

If I'm the planner/stylist, I always start with a phone catch up with the couple.  This allows us to get to know each other a bit and also I can gauge what their vibe is and what's important to them.  If they are keen to go ahead with me, they fill out a short questionnaire and then we start the planning process. They can be involved as much or as little as they would like, but we are in touch throughout the process so they are on board with everything.  I'll send them through the initial design concept, before sourcing items to fit the design.  A couple of weeks prior to the wedding, I pull together the final run sheet which is shared with the other vendors to ensure we are all on the same page.  Everything is confirmed before the wedding day (including wet weather back up plan!) so the couple and their families can relax and just enjoy the day.

Are you seeing more micro weddings now as people tentatively tie the knot in the Covid era?

Yes, many intimate weddings of 10-40 people, as well as elopements.  We've put together some packages with some of our favourite local vendors especially for these clients.

What advice would you give to those at the start of their wedding planning journey?

There's so many aspects to a wedding that it can get overwhelming.  A planner can help you right from the start saving you time, stress and money.  I'd also recommend writing down what are the 3 most important things for your wedding to you are and get your finance to do the same.  Then compare lists and come up with your combined top 3 priorities.  It's easy to get carried away with everything, so having the list to refer to of what you care about most can be really helpful.

What are some easy mistakes to avoid?

Make sure you have one run sheet for the day that all vendors go off.  That way everything is in one place and everyone is looking at the same timing and information.  Have all vendors contact details on there, so if any issues or questions come up they can easily be contacted.

If you were to get married in a month’s time what kind of ceremony and reception would you have and where / how?

I’d have a weekend celebration with 30 close friends on Waiheke.

We’d start off the weekend with a wine tour around my favourite vineyards, followed by welcome drinks at a private beachfront house on the Friday evening.  Cocktails and Canapés would be served by one of the Island's amazing private chef's and Live Music played during the evening.

The next day, I’d have a hilltop ceremony over looking Onetangi beach followed by canapés and champagne, then have the reception at a winery. World class food and award winning wine would be served, followed by dancing with a live band.  The tables would be set with lots of flowers, candles and beautiful linen.  We'd finish off the weekend with a recovery picnic and mimosas on the beach, complete with swimming and beach games.