We worked with Ed a few years back to create the perfect diamond engagement ring, for his beloved Elizabeth, who he married recently in a fun and sophisticated wedding at the iconic Pah Homestead in Auckland.
The stunning couple where London based at the time, so there where many a zoom call, gem viewings and chats to get all the details for the engagement ring right, we loved Ed's attention to detail and dedication to creating something really meaningful for Elizabeth and that he embraced bullet cut diamonds to compliment her brilliant cut centre stone. Later we collaborated with Elizabeth on the couples wedding band, creating a stunning set that signify a deep love and friendship.
We caught up with them recently in their post wedding love bubble, with Ed and Elizabeth answering our Q&A from an airport lounge, en-route for their rather exciting honeymoon!
Read on to find out where they are off to...
CP - Where did you guys get married?
E&E - Our wedding was at Pah Homestead in Auckland – we love the art and sculptures around the garden, and the big old homestead reminded us a little of an English country house, which felt fitting as we live in London. The ceremony itself took place in Monte Cecilia Park in front of Pah, with the reception back up on the grounds and in the homestead.
CP - Did you have a clear vison for the theme or style of your wedding, and how did you come to it, did you collaborate on this together?
E&E - To be honest, we didn’t have a clear vision for the theme at the start of our planning journey! We decided the best route was to choose vendors whose work we love and trusted – like Charlotte Penman, Hands in the Dirt and Lucy Li – so we could work closely with them to develop our theme whilst giving them room to do what they do best. We are absolutely delighted with how the venue looked on the day, and hope it is quite a timeless look. Ed and I worked together closely on all the planning – he is far more organised than me, so was good at keeping the planning process on track! We did our best to enjoy the planning as much as possible, as it is quite a special experience as an engaged couple.
CP - Was there a long period of planning or where you more spontaneous in how it all came together?
E&E - We were engaged for two years, which wasn’t really deliberate, more just how it worked out. Doing things from London definitely slowed things down so the extra time was welcome – and as you may remember from your time designing the engagement ring with Ed, there can be lots of deliberation!
CP - How did you choose your wedding jewellery, and was there a special story behind any of the pieces?
E&E - Ed worked closely with Charlotte to design my beautiful engagement ring. I love how it is modern but classic at the same time, and the art deco feel. I had no idea Ed was going to propose, so Charlotte and Ed worked in secret! I knew that I wanted to work with Charlotte to produce a ring that complemented but didn’t overpower all the love and attention that had gone into my engagement ring. My wedding band has little accents to fit in with my engagement ring and I’m over the moon with how it turned out.
CP - Was there any unexpected or surprising moments during your wedding day that have come fun memories?
E&E - Yes! Our day was full of fun and surprises – some planned/known by us, others that came as surprises to us too. We surprised our guests by performing a first song rather than a first dance. The slight complication was that neither of us are musically talented, but I dusted off some childhood piano and Ed sang/yelled Walking on Broken Glass – not the most typical of first songs but one of our favourites. The real surprise though was that all four of our parents also took it upon themselves to surprise us – by doing a dance to Never Gonna Give You Up right before ours. Writing this down now, it shouldn’t have worked or been ok – but somehow it was. We also had a surprise after party for our guests, whisking them off in a bus at the end of the night. It was bizarre and brilliant – as was the whole day.
CP - What song did you choose for your first dance, and why does it hold special meaning for you both?
E&E - Oops – please see above! Walking on Broken Glass is an old classic for us and although its lyrics aren’t entirely suitable to a new marriage, we love the song and enjoyed our chaotic performance of it. The band did a great job of masking our poor performance!
CP - Did you go on a honeymoon and if so where to?
E&E - How well timed – we didn’t know this question was coming up and have just sat down to answer these questions from Gatwick Airport as we head off for our delayed but extended honeymoon! We’re off to Turkey to see some family, before heading on to India, Mexico and the US for a road trip. Very lucky people and we love our rings!!
