A Stress-Free Wedding Day: Love and Laughter at The Canyon

Shay + Caleb | The Canyon, Central Otago | May, 2024

When Shay and Caleb had their stress-free wedding at the stunning Canyon in Tarras, Central Otago, their day was filled with joy, laughter, and a beautifully relaxed vibe. They put so much heart into planning their wedding, adding personal DIY touches that made everything feel uniquely them. With their adorable dog Harley by their side and a trusted team to bring it all together, they soaked in the love and happiness. It was a kick-ass celebration, and I had the honour of helping them pull off a day that was totally them—no stress, no compromise!

What was your favourite part of the day?

“We both loved our first look. It was so special having that moment just with us and then spending some time together before the ceremony. It also helped get some emotions out before walking down the aisle. Although I still cried walking down the aisle too haha).”

Shay and Caleb chose to have their first look at a location away from their ceremony/reception venue, making it part of their stress-free wedding experience. The stunning spot in Wanaka, referred to by locals as Jason’s Clearing or Bull Ridge, provided the perfect backdrop for this special moment. They allocated about two hours in their timeline to ensure they had enough time to get their whole crew there for the first look and subsequent photo shoot. This genius decision freed up their time later in the day, allowing minimal time away from their guests for bridal party photos!

Were you nervous? How did you squash the nerves?

“I was nervous things wouldn’t go to plan or be how I imagined them. But again because we had Kirsty there on the day she kept everything running to schedule. She made everything even better than how we imagined it. Neither of us were particularly nervous about the actual wedding. We were both just so excited to be finally getting married and excited to have the best day with all our friends and family. But of course a glass or two of bubbles always helps to calm the nerves as well!)”

One of my favourite parts of Shay and Caleb’s wedding day was the role their dog, Harley, played in the ceremony. Having their fur baby with them genuinely contributed to the relaxed atmosphere of their stress-free wedding and helped keep the vibes fun. I’m a BIG FAN of pets being part of wedding days (where appropriate), so I was thrilled to learn that Shay had trained Harley, a Retriever/Lab cross, to be the ring bearer. I watched in awe at the rehearsal as Harley calmly walked down the aisle with the basket of rings in her mouth, sitting at Shay and Caleb’s feet and delivering the rings like a “good girl.” Of course, she wasn’t quite so perfect on the big day! But those perfectly imperfect wedding moments are always the best and most memorable, and I will always cherish Harley’s performance!

How did you feel at the end of the day?

“Like we had had the best day ever! I thought I was going to be sad it was over, because we had spent a year planning the day and so many years imagining it and looking forward to it. But honestly we were both just so happy because we had the best day ever and even though things went wrong the day was still perfect and so much better than we could have imagined. Both of us and all our guests are still buzzing from how much fun it was and how lucky we were to have such a perfect day.”

He tangata, he tangata, he tangata. It is the people, the people, the people. Shay and Caleb focused on surrounding themselves with THEIR PEOPLE. They picked an epic crew for their bridal party, who stepped up for all the good times and mahi (work) needed to make it the stress-free wedding they deserved. Shay and Caleb also set up a timeline that allowed them to spend quality time with their guests and each other. Putting the focus where it should be – on having a kick-ass celebration with all the people (and fur babies) that you love.

What advice would you give to future couples?

“Don’t stress about the things you can’t control, and allow yourself to be as present as possible on the day. You only get one day so just relax and enjoy yourselves. Focus on the reason why you are getting married. Also book Kirsty!!! This part is essential. She is truly the best and made our day so stress free so that we could actually enjoy ourselves on the day.”

Planning your wedding in Wanaka or Queenstown is exciting! But having someone you trust to handle the details means you can fully relax and enjoy your special day. Shay and Caleb brought me on as their coordinator six months before their wedding at The Canyon. I took over the logistics four weeks out to ensure a stress-free wedding day. Let me bring your wedding vision to life and make your day effortlessly stress-free, just like I did for them. So you can focus on celebrating your love in the stunning landscapes of Central Otago!

What did you like most about working with Kirsty?

“We loved every part. We cannot speak highly enough of Kirsty and the service she offers. She is so professional and such a fun person to work with. She goes above and beyond in every situation. All of our guests raved about Kirsty and her fantastic service throughout the night, and said she was such a memorable part of our wedding. Kirsty made our day stress-free and enjoyable, and helped us so much leading up to the day. Honestly if you are not sure if you need a coordinator, please take our advice and book Kirsty. You absolutely will not regret it.”

What vendors would you like to give a ‘shout-out’ to?

• Our amazing photographers Charlotte and Bruno at Charlotte Kiri Photography were the best to work with. They produced the most stunning photos (you should also book them – they are the best).
• The Canyon at Tarras Vineyard was our incredible venue. We honestly think it is one of the most underrated venues in central Otago. Hayden, the owner, is amazing to work with and accommodating to any needs. The venue is absolutely stunning. When our guests arrived, they were all blown away by how beautiful it was.
• Our celebrant Simon Patterson was amazing! So organised and well spoken. We loved every part of working with him (he is Dunedin based but traveled over).
• Our amazing catering from Big Fig and served by Sonya from Girl on the Ground. Our guests still rave about how yummy the food was.
• The most delicious wedding cake from Sophie Rosanna Cakes. Not only was it beautiful it was also the best cake we have ever eaten. Sophie was fantastic and gave great advice about what size cake we needed and we had the exact right amount. Although the cake was so delicious we wished we had a bigger cake to have leftovers.
• Wedding dress from Trish Peng. This was the best experience. My family and I had so much fun trying dresses. The girls at Trish Peng are amazing to work with and so accommodating.
• Lighting from Visual Events. We booked this last minute and Mike was amazing fitting us in and getting us the perfect lighting set up!
• Hair was by SKP hair and makeup. Shannon did such an amazing job of everyone’s hair and is such a lovely person!
• Makeup was Janine Joseph MUA and she was amazing! She made me look so much better than usual and was also amazing to work with.
• Our bus company, Yello!, was also fantastic to work with. The bus was clean and comfortable and got our guests to and from our ceremony on time.
• Dried Meadow did our ceremony dried flower arrangements, and these were beautiful!

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All fantastic images captured by the very talented Charlotte Kiri Photography