Nicole Warne and Luke Shadbolt, New Zealand

Nicole and Luke’s fairytale wedding was an ode to their long friendship and inevitable romance.

‘Gary Pepper Girl’ blogger Nicole Warne tied the knot with her longtime love Luke Shadbolt in an intimate ceremony at Rippon Hall in Lake Wanaka, New Zealand.

Nicole and Luke met through mutual friends at a Christmas party. They fell madly in love and even went skydiving on their very first date. Eight years later, Luke proposed on a spontaneous trip to Tokyo during cherry blossom season.

For the big day, the two decided on a place called Rippon Hall in Lake Wanaka, New Zealand—a biodynamic vineyard. The couple made sure their wedding complemented the location’s natural surroundings by using materials like timber furniture, grass floors, and an abundance of flowers styled to look like they were growing from the earth or spilling onto the floor.

Over three days of festivities, the bride wore five custom looks, each one more beautiful than the last, starting with a top and pants by Australian designer Toni Maticevski for the couple’s waterfront cocktails held the night before the ceremony. For the wedding, the bride opted for a custom lace Valentino gown with an ab-baring cut-out and veil. For the reception, she wore a custom white velvet Oscar de la Renta dress, then a white satin dress by Dion Lee for the after-party. The Oscar de la Renta dress was a recreation of Brie Larson’s 2017 black velvet gown.

Nicole Warne and Luke Shadbolt, New Zealand