Friday Night Cocktail Hour Wedding at Hotel Britomart
Let me tell you about a Friday night in downtown Auckland that felt like the whole city was in on the secret.
Black tie was the dress code and the guests were ready to party as soon as they walked into The Hotel Britomart at 5pm and the champagne was flowing. Friends and family had flown in from Ireland, the States, and everywhere in between - because when Shauna and Connor throw a party, people come. They had first look photos as a family with their three kids before the celebration got underway - and after the ceremony and a speech that brought the room to tears (including me!) from their eldest girl at cocktail hour - the kids were whisked upstairs to their own suite when the party kicked in. Honestly the best idea any couple has ever had!
These two have a love story that begins on a long dark driveway in Coatesville - Connor arriving at what he genuinely wasn't sure was a first date or the opening scene of a true crime podcast. It was neither. It was the beginning of everything. They talked until 4am. By the following weekend Connor had already introduced Shauna to his parents. When you know, you know.
And then there are the green cargo pants. Present at their first date. Present at the birth of their first child. Their second. Their third. Three children in three years - different countries, a pandemic, a move back to New Zealand, and beautiful chaos at every turn - the cargo pants a constant, faithful witness to every significant moment in their story. But not tonight. Even they couldn't get past the black tie dress code!
Hotel Britomart is one of those venues that does something extraordinary - it shapeshifts. Candlelit ceremony to sexy cocktail hour to heaving dancefloor, all in one night, all in the same space, each transition feeling completely natural. It holds a Friday night wedding like it was born for exactly that. And honestly - why wouldn't you get married on a Friday night? I absolutely loved the vibe of this wedding. The energy was fizzing and palpable right from the start. The guests knew they were there to party. And they did. Right after the first dance, the dance floor was heaving for the rest of the evening.
Shauna and Connor - what a night. What a wedding.
Jaq x
Photography - Aysha & Hamish
Venue: Hotel Britomart
