Held at a popular country wedding venue in Victoria, Erana and Zane’s wedding was the culmination of an epic 10 year romance that began when Erana was just 17.
“We have known each other since I was about 15 years old, Zane’s baby sister was in my class in high school”, says Erana who chose WedShed venue Ace-Hi Ranch for its relaxed vibe and fun western theme.
Spoiler alert: there was no rodeo but there was some of One Big Day and Good Day Clubs‘ ridiculously good-looking vintage furniture to straddle instead.
Tell us about how you met and the proposal?
We have known each other since I was about 15 years old, Zane’s baby sister was in my class in high school. We met at a party when I was 17 and managed to stay together ever since!
Zane proposed the day before our 10 year anniversary on a chair lift in Wanaka. We had been snowboarding all day – the weather was a bit average and he was waiting for the sun to come out – he ended up just asking on the chair right before closing. By the time we reached the top, the clouds had cleared and we managed to get some cute snaps.
What DIY projects did you tackle for the wedding?
Lots of DIY-ish stuff. Or calling in friends to help. We bought all of the crockery, water bottles, napkins and my brother made us a website, did our invites and our placeholders. We sanded and painted old windows for signage (which ended up blowing over and smashing prior to the reception!). We jazzed up our table holders with twine and wrote drinks menus on mirrors with paint pens.
We also hired vintage furniture from all over Melbourne for the reception and velvet couches for our photos.
What sort of vibe were you aiming to create for your wedding?
We were going for a rustic look (it was a horse ranch after all) and a relaxed vibe. No stress was my motto for the day.
What traditions did you involve during your big day?
My mum and dad both walked me down the aisle. That was important to me. Outside of the that, we were pretty standard, didn’t do a bouquet toss or anything a long those lines. Both my father and father-in-law did most of their speeches in Maori which impressed a lot of people ha but that’s about it.
What advice would you give to other couples leading up to their big day?
Take a breath and chill out. It’s meant to be fun! Let the small things go, and have a good time.
What was your favourite moment on your wedding day?
We surprised each other with our wedding vows and Zane wrote a poem. It ended with him quoting Ralph Wigam from the Simpsons “I choo choo choose you”.
Tell us any funny stories that surrounded your wedding?
We took the limo from Melbourne to Cape Schank so the drive was about an hour and 20 mins. We had drunk a lot of champagne by then so we were busting to pee halfway there… There were a lot of eyes on us when a bride and four bridesmaids had to pull over to use the toilets at BP. I think my sister has photos of me struggling with the dress in the public toilets.
How did you find your venue and was the process difficult for you?
Venue was super chill and pretty much let us do whatever we wanted. The process was 90% fun. There was a bit of stress in the last couple of weeks when you had to cross your fingers that everything would come together… and also when you realise just how much money you have spent as you pay off the final invoices.
Ceremony song?
Heartbeats – Jose Gonzales.
First dance song?
Sea of Love – Cat Powers.
CREDITS: Photos Georgia Verrells // Flowers Gold Pop Flowers // Ceremony and reception Ace Hi Ranch // Catering and cake Mr Hall Catering // Stationery Nicolaï Berghan // Bridal gown Rue de Seine // Bridesmaid dresses Boohoo // Grooms suit Cos and Topshop // Groomsmen suits SurfStitch // Braces Zara // Rings Janai Jewellery and Lord Coconut // Hair Crystal Giles // Makeup Isabelle Quinn // Music The Mac Project // Celebrant Rosalie Humbert // Transport Always Cruizin Limousines // Furniture hire Good Day Club and One Big Day Event Hire.
