Rotorua New Zealand Wedding | Kiriana+Jack

Newlyweds hug in the Rotorua Redwoods Forest after their Under the Sails wedding ceremony in Rotorua, New Zealand.“I knew early on that Kiriana was the one, but I couldn’t choose where to propose – So instead I bought Kiriana a special bracelet and then a charm in every location that we visited over five years to eventually spell ‘Marry me?’ (which Kiriana caught onto and figured out pretty early on). That way I didn’t have to choose, and spread the proposal from New Zealand to the Amazon rainforest and from Paris to the Galapagos Islands.”

If that’s not the perfect combination of romance and adventure, I don’t know what is! Kiriana and Jack’s Rotorua New Zealand wedding was straight out of a fairy-tale book. The details at their Rotorua Redwoods Under the Sails wedding ceremony were absolute perfection, the Redwoods Forest and Treewalk divine, and the Skyline Rotorua wedding reception venue completed the day with just the right amount of adventure–a gondola and luge ride to welcome everyone in to a night of dancing and celebration! This was definitely a wedding day to remember, and I am so honored Jack and Kiriana chose me to capture their wedding day.Wedding details during the Rotorua, New Zealand wedding.Wedding details during the Rotorua, New Zealand wedding.Wedding details during the Rotorua, New Zealand wedding.Wedding details during the Rotorua, New Zealand wedding.Wedding details during the Rotorua, New Zealand wedding.Wedding details during the Rotorua, New Zealand wedding.Wedding details during the Rotorua, New Zealand wedding.Groom getting ready during his Rotorua, New Zealand wedding.Groom getting ready during his Rotorua, New Zealand wedding.Groom getting ready during his Rotorua, New Zealand wedding.Groom getting ready during his Rotorua, New Zealand wedding.We began the Rotorua New Zealand wedding day with Jack’s getting ready photos.  Groom getting ready during his Rotorua, New Zealand wedding.Groom getting ready during his Rotorua, New Zealand wedding.Wedding rings during a Rotorua, New Zealand wedding.Wedding rings during a Rotorua New Zealand wedding.Bride getting ready for her Rotorua New Zealand wedding.Bride getting ready for her Rotorua New Zealand wedding.Up next was Kiriana’s getting ready photos.Bride getting ready for her Rotorua New Zealand wedding.Bride getting ready for her Rotorua New Zealand wedding.Bride getting ready for her Rotorua New Zealand wedding.Bride getting ready for her Rotorua New Zealand wedding.Bridal details at Rotorua, New Zealand Wedding.Bride getting ready for her Rotorua New Zealand wedding.Bridal details at Rotorua, New Zealand Wedding.Bridal details at Rotorua, New Zealand Wedding.Bridal details at Rotorua, New Zealand Wedding.Bridal details at Rotorua, New Zealand Wedding.Bridal details at Rotorua, New Zealand Wedding.Bridal details at Rotorua, New Zealand Wedding.Bridal details at Rotorua, New Zealand Wedding.Kiriana gave all her bridesmaids matching rings.Bride getting ready for her Rotorua New Zealand wedding.Bride getting ready for her Rotorua New Zealand wedding.Bride getting ready for her Rotorua New Zealand wedding.Bride getting ready for her Rotorua New Zealand wedding.Wedding ceremony set up at RotoruaThe wedding ceremony was held at the Redwoods Under the Sails Venue, which was perfectly selected not only for the theme of the day, but was brilliant in allowing an outdoor wedding to continue, regardless of Mother Nature’s rainy plans for the day!Wedding ceremony set up at RotoruaWedding ceremony set up at RotoruaWedding ceremony set up at RotoruaKiriana and Jack included two colored ribbons on their wedding arch to represent their fathers who weren’t able to be with them.Wedding ceremony set up at RotoruaWedding ceremony set up at RotoruaWedding ceremony set up at RotoruaWedding ceremony set up at RotoruaWedding ceremony set up at RotoruaWedding ceremony set up at RotoruaRotorua Redwoods Forest Under the Sails wedding ceremony.Rotorua Redwoods Forest Under the Sails wedding ceremony.Rotorua Redwoods Forest Under the Sails wedding ceremony.Rotorua Redwoods Forest Under the Sails wedding ceremony.Rotorua Redwoods Forest Under the Sails wedding ceremony.Rotorua Redwoods Forest Under the Sails wedding ceremony. The duo’s ceremony consisted of lots of laughter, tears, and love.Redwoods Forest, Rotorua, wedding ceremony at the Under the Sails wedding venue.Redwoods Forest, Rotorua, wedding ceremony at the Under the Sails wedding venue.Bride reading her vows at her Rotorua Redwoods Under the Sails wedding ceremonyBride and groomBride and groomBride and groom walking down the aisle at their Rotorua wedding ceremony.Bride and groomBride and groom walking down the aisle at their Rotorua wedding ceremony.Bride and groom walk together through the Rotorua Redwoods Forest in New Zealand.Bride and groom walk together through the Rotorua Redwoods Forest in New Zealand.The bride at the Rotorua Redwoods Forest.“Kiriana had two lockets on her bouquet which included photos of her father, nana and poppa who weren’t with us for our wedding day.”The bride at the Rotorua Redwoods Forest.The bride at the Rotorua Redwoods Forest.The bride at the Rotorua Redwoods Forest.Bride and groom walk together through the Rotorua Redwoods Forest in New Zealand.Bride and groom walk together through the Rotorua Redwoods Forest in New Zealand.Bride and groom walk together through the Rotorua Redwoods Forest in New Zealand.Bride and groom walk together through the Rotorua Redwoods Forest in New Zealand.Bride and groom walk together through the Rotorua Redwoods Forest in New Zealand.Bride and groom walk together through the Rotorua Redwoods Forest in New Zealand.The bride at the Rotorua Redwoods Forest.Bride and groom portraits at their Rotorua Redwood Forest wedding in New Zealand.Why did Kiriana and Jack choose the Rotorua Redwoods Forest and Skyline Rotorua for their wedding day?

“We wanted to share our special day in the venues of Redwoods and Skyline, as we both love the combination of nature and adventure. The outdoor venues provided the perfect combination of natural New Zealand beauty in an environment we absolutely love, in addition with an opportunity to share adventure and fun with all of our guests being able to have a gondola and luge ride. Kiriana had always wanted to get married in a forest, and as soon as we saw the venues we knew they were perfect for us.”Bride and groom portraits at their Rotorua Redwood Forest wedding in New Zealand.Bride and groom portraits at their Rotorua Redwood Forest wedding in New Zealand.Bride and groom portraits at their Rotorua Redwood Forest wedding in New Zealand.Bride and groom portraits at their Rotorua Redwood Forest wedding in New Zealand.Bride and groom with their wedding party during their Rotorua New Zealand wedding.Bride and groom with their wedding party during their Rotorua New Zealand wedding.Bride and groom with their wedding party during their Rotorua New Zealand wedding.The wedding party matched Kiriana and Jack’s fun and adventurous personalities, and everyone’s outfits stood out wonderfully against the Rotorua Redwoods Forest.The groom with his groomsmen during his Rotorua New Zealand wedding.The groom with his groomsmen during his Rotorua New Zealand wedding.The groom with his groomsmen during his Rotorua New Zealand wedding.The bride with her bridesmaids at her Rotorua Redwoods in New Zealand wedding.The bride with her bridesmaids at her Rotorua Redwoods in New Zealand wedding.The bride with her bridesmaids at her Rotorua Redwoods in New Zealand wedding.The bride with her bridesmaids at her Rotorua Redwoods in New Zealand wedding.The bride with her bridesmaids at her Rotorua Redwoods in New Zealand wedding.The bride with her bridesmaids at her Rotorua Redwoods in New Zealand wedding.What were Jack and Kiriana’s themes or inspirations for their Rotorua New Zealand wedding?

“Outdoors, adventure, fun, nature (and some sneaky Twilight, Lord of the Rings and Game of thrones themes!). I always wanted to be a princess on my wedding day, but I didn’t want to be too over the top so I felt like this was a good in-between. I felt like a woodland princess!”The bride with her bridesmaids at her Rotorua Redwoods in New Zealand wedding.Bride and groom with their bridal party walking in the rain with umbrellas in Rotorua, New Zealand.Bride and groom with their bridal party walking in the rain with umbrellas in Rotorua, New Zealand.Bride and groom snuggling at the Rotorua Redwood Forest.Bride and groom snuggling at the Rotorua Redwood Forest.Bride and groom snuggling at the Rotorua Redwood Forest.Bride and groom snuggling at the Rotorua Redwood Forest.Bride and groom snuggling at the Rotorua Redwood Forest.Bride and groom snuggling at the Rotorua Redwood Forest.Bride and groom snuggling at the Rotorua Redwood Forest.Newlyweds holding each other at the Rotorua Redwoods Treewalk. After the ceremony and wedding party photos, we proceeded to take photos at the Rotorua Redwoods Forest Treewalk, comprised of suspension bridges allowing people to walk through the redwood trees, while suspended between 20 and 40 feet up in the air. Add that to the list of unique wedding photos locations!Newlyweds holding each other at the Rotorua Redwoods Treewalk. Newlyweds holding each other at the Rotorua Redwoods Treewalk. Newlyweds holding each other at the Rotorua Redwoods Treewalk. Newlyweds holding each other at the Rotorua Redwoods Treewalk. Newlyweds holding each other at the Rotorua Redwoods Treewalk. How did Jack propose?

“I knew early on that Kiriana was the one, but I couldn’t choose where to propose – So instead I bought Kiriana a special bracelet and then a charm in every location that we visited over five years to eventually spell ‘Marry me?’ (which Kiriana caught onto and figured out pretty early on). That way I didn’t have to choose, and spread the proposal from New Zealand to the Amazon rainforest and from Paris to Galapagos Islands.

On Valentines day, exactly six years from the time I asked Kiriana to be my girlfriend, I drove her to seven special locations in New Zealand and gave her a photograph and the charm from each country. Our final stop was the back of my parents’ farm where I proposed to her at the location where I first asked Kiriana to be my girlfriend.”Newlyweds holding each other at the Rotorua Redwoods Treewalk. Newlyweds holding each other at the Rotorua Redwoods Treewalk. Newlyweds holding each other at the Rotorua Redwoods Treewalk. The bride and groom hugging on a bride at the Rotorua Redwoods Treewalk.The bride and groom hugging on a bride at the Rotorua Redwoods Treewalk.The bride and groom hugging on a bride at the Rotorua Redwoods Treewalk.The bride and groom hugging on a bride at the Rotorua Redwoods Treewalk.The bride and groom hugging on a bride at the Rotorua Redwoods Treewalk.Bridal bouquet with red and white roses, eucalyptus, and other florals in Rotorua wedding.Kiriana’s wedding bouquet was a perfect combination of wild and classy, colorful and elegant.Bridal bouquet with red and white roses, eucalyptus, and other florals in Rotorua wedding.Bride and groom walking acorss Redwoods Treewalk bridge in the Redwoods Forest during their Rotorua New Zealand wedding day.Bride and groom walking acorss Redwoods Treewalk bridge in the Redwoods Forest during their Rotorua New Zealand wedding day.How did Jack know Kiriana was ‘The One’?

“Kiriana is the only person who complements all of my strengths and weaknesses, is the perfect combination of gorgeous, crazy and loving, and pushes me outside my comfort zone to make sure I experience life to the fullest.”Bride and groom walking acorss Redwoods Treewalk bridge in the Redwoods Forest during their Rotorua New Zealand wedding day.Gondolas at the Skyline Rotorua.The gondola ride up to the Skyline Rotorua wedding reception venue offered gorgeous views of Rotorua, even on a rainy day.Wedding party photos at the Rotorua Skyline wedding.Bride and groom looking over the view from the Skyline Rotorua wedding venue. Bride and groom looking over the view from the Skyline Rotorua wedding venue. Bride and groom looking over the view from the Skyline Rotorua wedding venue. Bride and groom looking over the view from the Skyline Rotorua wedding venue. How did Kiriana know Jack was ‘The One’?

“Jack is the only person I have met who is the same amount of crazy and quirky as I am. We have the same passion for adventure and for discovery. Jack has always given me the confidence and motivation to chase my dreams. We have a lot in common, but enough differences to continuously be pushing each other outside of our comfort zones to try new things. Jack is my best friend and I wouldn’t be half the person I am today without him.”Bride and groom looking over the view from the Skyline Rotorua wedding venue. Bride and groom looking over the view from the Skyline Rotorua wedding venue. Bride and groom luging down to their Skyline Rotorua wedding reception.Bride and groom luging down to their Skyline Rotorua wedding reception.“Its really hard to choose which the most unique part of the day was, but I think it must have been luging down to our reception. It was so much fun, and something that took the nerves away before we walked into the Skyline Rotorua wedding reception. It was also something fun that our guests could do too!”Bride and groom luging down to their Skyline Rotorua wedding reception.Wedding reception details at Skyline Rotorua wedding venue.Wedding reception details at Skyline Rotorua wedding venue.Wedding reception details at Skyline Rotorua wedding venue.Wedding reception details at Skyline Rotorua wedding venue.Wedding reception details at Skyline Rotorua wedding venue.Wedding cheese cake made by Kapiti at a Rotorua New Zealand wedding.Wedding cheese cake made by Kapiti at a Rotorua New Zealand wedding.Wedding cake made by Sweet Bites Cakes and decorated by Little and Friday at a Rotorua New Zealand wedding.Wedding cake made by Sweet Bites Cakes and decorated by Little and Friday at a Rotorua New Zealand wedding.Wedding cake made by Sweet Bites Cakes and decorated by Little and Friday at a Rotorua New Zealand wedding.Wedding reception layout at the Skyline Rotorua wedding venue. What was the couple’s favorite part of their Rotorua New Zealand wedding day?

“From the start of the ceremony to the last song of the reception, every single part of the wedding was wonderful, it would be impossible to pick a favourite part. But my favourite part definitely wasn’t when my driver got lost on the way to the ceremony!”Wedding reception details at Skyline Rotorua wedding venue.Wedding reception details at Skyline Rotorua wedding venue.Wedding reception details at Skyline Rotorua wedding venue.Wedding reception details at Skyline Rotorua wedding venue.Wedding reception layout at the Skyline Rotorua wedding venue. Wedding reception layout at the Skyline Rotorua wedding venue. Wedding reception details at Skyline Rotorua wedding venue.Jack and Kiriana continued their forest theme with appropriate moss, pine-cones, wood, and greenery decor at their Rotorua New Zealand wedding reception.Photos of the wedding rings in the bridal bouquet during the Rotorua New Zealand wedding.Photos of the wedding rings in the bridal bouquet during the Rotorua New Zealand wedding.Bride and groom cutting the cake at their Skyline Rotorua wedding reception.Bride and groom cutting the cake at their Skyline Rotorua wedding reception.Bride and groom cutting the cake at their Skyline Rotorua wedding reception.Bride and groom cutting the cake at their Skyline Rotorua wedding reception.Wedding reception layout at the Skyline Rotorua wedding venue. Bride and groom portraits during their Skyline Rotorua wedding reception.Bride and groom portraits during their Skyline Rotorua wedding reception.Bride and groomBride and groomBride and groomBride and groomWhat are the two most looking forward to as a married couple?

“The rest of our lives together; supporting each other to grow our careers, start our family and share in endless adventures in New Zealand and around the world.”Bride and groomBride and groomBride and groomThe couple continued to enjoy their Rotorua New Zealand wedding and danced the night away along with their guests, while enjoying the sounds of the band!Guests dancing during the Skyline Rotorua wedding reception.Stay tuned for photos from Kiriana and Jack’s Day-After wedding photoshoot!

Wedding Professionals

Getting Ready Location: Wylie Court Motor Lodge

Ceremony Venue: Redwoods Under the Sails Venue

Reception Venue: Skyline Rotorua

Photographer: Karen D Photography

Hair & Makeup Artist: Face Me Makeup

Florals: Bloom Art

Officiant: Natalie Barrett Celebrant

Band: Hatchton

Wedding Cake: Sweet Bites Cakes

Wedding Cake Decor: Little & Friday

Cheese Cake: Kāpiti

Bridal Shop: Felicitys Bridal

Wedding Gown Designer: Stella York

Bridal Shoes: Shoes of Prey

Groom’s Shoes: Number One Shoes

Wedding Rings: Hart Jewellers LTD

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