Dreams Do Come True…

DREAM WEDDING DESTINATION

Lake Wanaka, in the South Island of New Zealand, is the tenth most romantic destination in the world.

Your wedding is one of the most important days of your life, so be sure to make it your own. If you have always dreamed of being barefoot on the beach – do it!…..or if you’d rather exchange your vows on top of snow-capped mountains – why not? It can be a simple ceremony or an extravagant affair, as long as it’s the right option for you and your partner – remember, it’s all about you!

Every bride wants to look totally beautiful on her wedding day, and it’s hard enough shopping for that perfect pair of jeans, let alone your perfect wedding gown!  So have patience….consider your options…. perhaps you could have your gown custom-made….more importantly, give yourself plenty of time and don’t settle for a gown that you’re not 100% happy with.

 

The Ball Gown

Typically a fitted bodice with a waistline, perfect for pear shapes, full and thin figure.

The Empire Gown

High waistline sitting under the bust falling to generally a slimmer skirt

The A-Line or Princess Gown

A classic and flattering design for most body shapes with vertical seams from the shoulders to a flared skirt

The Sheath Gown

This style follows the silhouette of the body and is most suited to those who want to flatter their figure

Photographs are considered by most of us to be our most treasured possession, so the importance of your wedding photographs goes without saying.

Your photographer will want to find out more about you and your partner so your personalities can be expressed through the photographs. It’s important you have a good relationship with your photographer, so you can work together to create the perfect snap shot of your wedding day.

Before you start the search for the perfect photographer, consider the styles of photography on offer -

 Traditional – classic and timeless, planned and posed

Illustrative – creative and artistic, light composition, relaxed and unscripted

Photojournalism – the very popular candid shots covering events of the entire day

One tip – avoid having your photographs shot in black and white. It’s easy to change a colour photo to black and white, but it’s not so simple the other way round.

When choosing your bouquets, corsages and table arrangements, flowers bring style, colour and fragrance to your wedding. There is no denying the beauty and scent of a fresh bouquet. Your flowers should compliment your gown and it’s best to choose those in season. Talk to few different florists about the look and style you have in mind and ask to see examples of their work.

Whatever the style or size of your wedding, you’re sure to find a nearby venue to cater for your needs. From a traditional church ceremony in a chapel by the lake to a relaxed garden wedding set amongst the grapevines or a year round evergreen native garden, this region has it all.

Finally, not all of us can afford to jet off to Paris or cruise the Greek Islands on our honeymoon.  But with so many amazing destinations in our own backyard, there’s really no need to leave New Zealand.  Whatever you do, just enjoy sharing every minute of your new life together……

Have a Wedding Day filled with treasured memories.

Bridget Jones

http://www.hawkshead.co.nz/

Flavours of Central Otago

MT DIFFICULTY WINES

Wine buffs can now experience the Mt Difficulty Tasting Room – their Cellar Door and Cafe commanding grandiose views of the stunning Central Otago landscape.

Just two of the Mt Difficulty range are the Riesling to match New Zealand freshwater prawns with West Coast whitebait and the Pinot Noir to match local wild venison seared with New Zealand black truffles.

A wine is only as good as the people behind it and in this regard, Mt Difficulty stands out from the crowd. They have a strong point of difference but never boast or brag about their accolades.

Like other wineries in historic Bannockburn, Mt Diffficulty is blessed with a distinctive micro-climate and mixed soils of stone, gravels and clay which results in a perfect foundation to grow the worlds best Pinot Noir as well as exciting Chardonnay, fine Pinot Gris and mineral Riesling.

The 2008 Pinot Gris is vibrant and bouncy with aromas of white stone fruit and fresh pair and the palate lingers onto a crisp dry finish. Very well structured, balanced and drinking magnificently, the wine is superb on its own but would be an excellent food wine.

The Roaring Meg 2008 Pinot Noir is the sister wine to Mt Difficulty with a faultless balance of floral and rich in berry fruit and spiciness.

The 2008 Mt Difficulty Pinot Noir steps up a notch from the Roaring Meg. This wine is rich, concentrated with full ripe plum and cherry. There is a lot that goes on in the mouth which continues streaming a long spicy, slightly herbaceous finish, celebrating the initial flavours. This Pinot Noir is stupendous.

The 2007 Long Gully Single Vineyard Pinot Noir is their top shelf Pinot Noir. The bouquet is excellently aromatic and instantaneously reflects the expectation of something special about to happen to your palate. The wine is rich, complex and perfectly balanced. The flavours of dark cherry, black cherry and spice linger in your mouth and you would have to search long and hard to find such perfect texture. The finish can only be described as velvety and intense.

They make wines to suit both your budget and taste and are a Central Otago success story.

Next time you’re in Central Otago, Mt Difficulty is certainly worth a visit and in Autumn is just spectacular!

 

Mt Difficulty

Felton Road

Bannockburn

03 4453445

info@mtdifficulty.co.nz

Party Time….

YOU’RE ENGAGED!!

Your decision to marry is the most important and exciting turning point in your relationship.

You’ve chosen the ring and remember, if your choice is a diamond, be familiar with the four “C’s”….

Cut    -   it’s about the quality of the cut – the better the cut, the greater brightness, fire and sparkle

Colour  -  the most sought after and most expensive diamonds have no colour

Clarity  -  imperfections are invisible to the naked eye – the less imperfections the more valuable  the diamond

Carat   -  a diamond’s weight is measured in carats – be aware of high carat weight but may be badly cut

 

And now it’s time to plan a party to celebrate your engagement…an opportunity for you and your families to celebrate your wonderful news with the important people in your lives.

Keep everything simple.  You may like to choose a local venue, such as a restaurant or bar, or perhaps a private garden for an informal catered barbeque. The main thing to remember is that you already have a really big party coming up so you don’t want to blow your wedding budget on your engagement celebration. No one will be expecting a formal affair – it can simply be a casual barbeque lunch, an afternoon garden party or evening drinks around the pool.

Hawkshead Lodge and Gardens, Lake Wanaka, New Zealand can offer just that.

As with your wedding, you may want to have a theme for your engagement party, which can add to the sense of fun and celebration.

Keep it relaxed and fun and don’t stress trying to do everything yourselves. Enlist the help of your wedding party and friends to share the load of arranging invitations, decorations, food and drinks, and make getting ready for your party enjoyable.

If you are planning a large wedding, you won’t need to invite everyone to the engagement party – keep it to close friends and family and make it an intimate celebration. If you have made it known that you are having a very small wedding – perhaps family only – or if you are getting married overseas or in another town, you may have a longer list of people you’d like to invite to your engagement party.

Engagement gifts are not expected, but many guests may still want to bring you a little something. Etiquette and tradition suggests that gifts be given prior to the party, however if some of your guests do bring them along, be discreet and open them after the event so others don’t feel uncomfortable. And don’t forget your thankyou notes.

The biggest key to having a successful engagement party is to enjoy yourselves. Make the planning and organising part of the fun and think about how wonderful your wedding day will be.

This is just the beginning!!

All you need do is contact me for a chat about having your special occasion here at Hawkshead.

Bridget

www.hawkshead.co.nz

Cellar Door

NORTHBURN

Central Otago is fast becoming a mecca for connoisseurs of New Zealand’s best food and wine.

We have extraordinary people working in Central Otago and such exciting produce – from grapes, stone fruit, saffron and honey through to merino lamb, venison and rabbit, the region certainly has all the ingredients to appeal to both locals and international visitors alike!

Northburn Station has opened a new chapter in its colourful history with the launch of a contemporary cellar door and function centre focusing on the property’s personal wine label.

Northburn was originally settled in the 1850’s and developed by 3 previous owners before being purchased in 1993 by the Pinckney family. Tom and Jan Pinckney still farm 10,000 merino sheep and 120 cattle on the station however their diversification into grape growing just over a decade ago reflects a new direction for the property.

A variety of grapes are grown on the 23ha vineyard overlooking Lake Dunstan. The first wine released by the station was the 2001 Pinot Noir and more varieties have been added to the portfolio over the past 8 years. Northburn Station Pinot Gris, Reisling, Rose and Pinot Noir are all available for tasting at the cellar door and function centre.

The Shed – inspired by the Northburn Station homestead and original woolshed – is a hayloft and stable building featuring Central Otago stonework on the exterior and corrugated iron from the woolshed.

Northburn produces approximately 2000 bottles of wine a year and the cellar door provides the ideal backdrop for hosted wine tastings based on a wine and food match providing a tasty food morsel to help the palate appreciate the wine.

Northburn is the first cellar door operation in this region to provide a truly quality Central Otago experience for visitors from all over the world.

The Shed

Northburn Station

Cromwell Road, Tarras

03 4451743

info@northburn.co.nz