A New Zealand Wedding Honoring the Couple’s Cultures

Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Setting: Vineyard
The number of guests: 72
Wedding theme/style: A timeless, family-oriented wedding with the touch of glam.

Anna and Aabel first met at university through mutual friends and quickly became part of the same social circle for about six months. One day, they had an impromptu carpool karaoke session that sparked a special friendship that eventually grew into something more. It only took them a week to realize they were meant to be together. Four years later, they stood in front of 72 loved ones and shared their love story.

For their beautiful wedding, Anna and Aabel chose Pia Bacino to capture every moment. Known for her ability to capture both editorial photos and candid shots, Pia skillfully documented everything from the wedding morning preparations to the lively celebration, including the moment when the bride cut her hair to add more glam.

Anna decided on three different dresses for her wedding day and happily shared her amazing experience: “I don’t have a particular style, so deciding on the dress was hard, so I ended up doing three dresses to compliment all sides of my personality. I chose an elegant dress for the ceremony that made me feel like a princess, something with a little sparkle for our reception and a dramatic haircut to go with it. Lastly, I went with something a little sexier for the dance floor, a pearl-embellished halter with a fun slit. The team at Alter Me helped me tremendously. They truly made my ceremony dress feel like mine with custom gloves and a 3-meter veil with our names and wedding dates embroidered on it. By far, my favorite sweet detail about our outfits for our day.”

Aabel wore a classic black tux that never goes out of style. The couple chose a classic black and white theme for their wedding, wanting it to stand the test of time. “It was amazing to see all our guests adorning their black suits while the bridesmaids, sisters and mums shone brightly in white. We have some stunning family and friends!” adds Anna.

Anna and Aabel married at Man O’ War vineyard on Waiheke, surrounded by greenery and a gentle breeze that made them feel at home. The vineyard was reminiscent of their home in Kerala, India. As they drove up the driveway, they knew they had found the perfect venue, made even better by the wonderful staff at this vineyard who helped them create the perfect day. It took them over a year to carefully select vendors and details for their wedding. They had a beautiful chapel ceremony officiated by Anna’s childhood priest.

Before the celebration, the newlyweds cherished moments with their loved ones and took some amazing portraits.

Their photographer, Pia Bacino, shared some beautiful additional details about their wedding: “When first meeting Anna & Aabel, I felt they had this perfect balance between total glam beauty as well as this soulful meaningful aspect to them. They spoke about their friends and family 100% of the time, and we came up with the idea to have a MET gala-inspired red carpet interviews for their guests. The idea was simple: we’d lay a red carpet during the cocktail hour, and a professional interviewer would interview everyone as they walked into the reception. The interviews were amazing, with a thousand moments captured of funny stories of A&A, heartfelt messages from the parents and advice from their loved ones dedicated for them to look back on in 10 years. The overall film compilation ended up being more than 1 hour, a testament to how loved they are and how much they love in return.”

It was important for the couple to be intentional and authentic in every aspect of their wedding day. From selecting the order of their marriage, incorporating both Indian and Western cultural elements, to having French fries on the dance floor, they aimed for each detail to reflect their unique personalities. The reception, which took place in the stylish Man O’ War barn, was truly spectacular. To honor Anna’s glamorous side, she surprised Aabel by cutting her hair before the reception. The entire celebration was filled with magic, and the newlyweds received many heartfelt wishes from their guests.

The evening unfolded with the newlyweds and their beloved guests dancing the night away. Having their siblings as the MC for the night made the event even more special.