London-based opera singers Isabella Moore and Benson Wilson got married in a fairy tale vineyard, where a string quartet played Morgen! by Richard Strauss. Here, Isabella details their special day, from her two showstopping dresses to their planner, cake and signature pink cocktail.
THE VISION
Benson and I had quite
In terms of our vision for the wedding, we weren’t fussed on how it looked but more about how it felt. We wanted people to feel the love and for the day to be a true celebration of us as a couple and the uniting of our two families.
Being performers, we wanted our wedding to be relaxed and not like we were on show, for the day to flow and feel easy; more party, less stress. One decor element that made the day unique to us was our subtle opera theme.
Our programme said “Act 1″ for the ceremony and we labelled the tables as “boxes” to reflect seating in opera theatres. It was a nice touch that felt authentic to us.
THE CEREMONY
We chose Markovina Vineyard Estate because not only is it beautiful (and the food is amazing) but we could also have the ceremony and reception in one place, and it could handle our guest numbers. The ceremony was my favourite part of the day. Other than being a teensy bit nervous to walk down the aisle, I was so comfortable and totally present.
We had a wonderful celebrant (Natasha Bowen) who tailored our ceremony so perfectly to us and captured us as a couple. We had our family get involved with readings from our parents and a beautiful blessing from Benson’s stepfather. His family sang him and a few important women in our lives down the aisle as part of a pre-ceremony tradition from Benson’s family.
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Advertise with NZME.Arcus string quartet played Morgen! from Opus 27 by Richard Strauss for my bridesmaids; a piece that is special to me, as it was one of the first German lieder I ever sang and that Strauss composed for his soprano bride-to-be. I walked down the aisle to an arrangement of Des’ree’s Kissing You which featured in Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo and Juliet (better known as “the fish-tank scene”). I recorded this song in 2019 in London when Benson and I first started dating. The ceremony was perfect and I loved every second.
THE PLANNING
We had a wonderful wedding team led by our friend and the best wedding planner out there, Netia Goode. We originally attempted to plan it ourselves from overseas but realised that that was most definitely NOT a thing as we started to feel too far away.
My dad suggested Netia, an event planner who is a family friend. We had a Zoom meeting and knew straight away she was the one. She has such a great energy and I felt I could trust her immediately.
She took away all our stress and handled everything so professionally and with so much care. All we had to do was share some of our ideas and Netia made it happen.
THE DRESS
My friend Katie Yeung from Hera Couture designed and made two beautiful dresses for me: one for the ceremony and one for the reception. The ceremony gown is very elegant and grand. It is an off-the-shoulder gown made from mikado fabric. I’m a huge fan of an off-the-shoulder gown; that style is one of my favourites for my operatic performances/concerts.
I wanted something slightly more dramatic though, so I asked Katie to give the shoulders more volume and drape. The gown also has an extremely long train. I absolutely love it.
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Advertise with NZME.The reception gown is robe-style, with a plunging neckline, low back and wrap-style waist tie. While the ceremony gown screams princess, the reception gown seductively whispers goddess (haha!). The material of this gown has a shimmer/shine to it that catches and reflects light very subtly and beautifully. For the reception, I wanted something a bit more relaxed and easy to move around in; something I could really let loose and party in.
THE SUIT
Benson’s wedding jacket was made by Mochee Kent in London. He wore their signature jacquard jacket in ivory, which has a light and subtle damask print effect. He paired this with black trousers and a white shirt from Johnny Bigg.
We didn’t co-ordinate or discuss what we were wearing as we wanted to surprise each other. In saying that, we know each other very well, so we made some guesses that turned out to be accurate. He looked so handsome and stylish standing at the end of the aisle waiting for me.
THE FOOD AND DRINKS
The food was one of the most important elements of the day. One reason we chose Markovina was because of how highly people spoke of the food. We decided on the buffet option with two tables for our older guests set up with their own miniature family-style buffets. The food was delicious!
Markovina offer a huge selection and can cater to everyone’s dietary requirements. They also cater to Pasifika weddings, so there are options like oka (raw fish), taro and chop suey.
Benson and I had a signature cocktail called L’Elisir d’Amore (the Elixir of Love). Of course we went with an opera title! It was a French 77 cocktail with gin, elderflower liqueur, lemon juice and bubbles. We had it made with pink gin for romantic effect.
THE PHOTOS
We chose Jesse and Jessie: Wedding Photography. I’d worked with Jessie before on shoots for Hera Couture so when it came time to choosing a wedding photographer, I knew who I wanted.
I had never worked with Jesse before, her wonderful and super-talented husband, but I knew that whichever Jesse/ie we got on our special day, the photos would be magic — and they definitely are.
Their images capture the vibe and the feeling of the weddings they photograph, which is a rare skill they seem to have mastered. Working as a model for a few years now, I like to think I have a good eye for photography, and I believe these two are truly amazing.
THE SPECIAL MOMENTS
During the signing, the string quartet played two of our favourite songs: Something Good from The Sound of Music and Can’t Help Falling in Love by Elvis Presley. Benson and I had finished signing and so we got up to let our maid of honour and best man sign as our witnesses.
When we stood up, the string quartet started playing Can’t Help Falling in Love. Benson and I looked at each other when the chorus came around and under our breath sang, “… but I can’t help … falling in love … with … you.”
All of a sudden, our guests started singing along too! This was in no way planned and it was such an awesome and unexpected surprise. They kept singing and we started to hear harmonies as more people began to join in. We all sang together and shared such a beautiful moment that made us feel really connected to everyone in the room. It’s a moment I will always treasure.
