ANDREA | JOSH
Set on a windswept hill overlooking the sea in Northland, New Zealand, this heartfelt, entirely DIY wedding was a true labour of love - brought to life with the help of family, friends, and a whole lot of soul. From homemade florals and cake to live music and giant pans of paella, every moment of Andrea and Josh’s wedding was infused with joy, connection, and an unforgettable sense of togetherness.
The Love Story:
“It was the most incredible day, with the ceremony held on a grassy hill overlooking the sea at my parents' farm in Northland, New Zealand. We did the whole wedding DIY, and it was so beautiful to see it all come together on the day, with so much love and help from all our family and friends. A Spanish dude whipped up three giant pans of paella, I arranged the flowers and made the wedding cake (inadvisable, but fun!), and Josh's brothers and sisters played the guitar and sang us down the aisle to "You are the best thing" by Ray La Montagne. There was so much love beaming between Josh and I and from us to our family and friends and from them back towards us, it was the most amazing feeling we've ever experienced. One friend said of our wedding ceremony: it was like being on MDMA, without being on MDMA!”
Tell us about your journey to finding your dream gown:
“Anna Campbell was the first of five dress fittings I'd booked, and the Billie dress was the first dress I tried! I had said there was no way I wanted a strapless dress, so I really only tried Billie on as a wild card for fun. My Mum cried so much when I came out wearing it, and for the rest of the 4 boutiques we went to I compared every dress to Billie and they all came up short. Eventually I showed the designer at another boutique the Billie dress and despite being it not being in her interests at all, she said "Wow, that is the one!" I loved how the dress made me feel, it was so light, and so comfortable to wear. I loved how the light shone through the layers making for incredible photos, and I absolutely loved that I could switch into party mode with the shorter skirt for our first dance.”
Favourite moment of the day:
“Walking back down the aisle hand in hand with my favourite person, feeling so full of joy, with all our family and friends cheering and throwing rose petals on us. It was the most tangible feeling of being surrounded by love that we've ever felt.”
How was your experience with the Anna Campbell team?
“Incredible! Mehnaj was so helpful and patient at my first fitting, Franky was so helpful and patient at my second (just making sure!) fitting, and it was such a joy to meet Anna and have her help me with my fittings. I felt really taken care of the whole time, and the team were so happy to make changes and suggest ideas to make the dress exactly as I'd hoped.”
Photographer @jess.burges.photographer
Hair @laurelstratford_hair
Makeup @kaseygeorge_makeupartist