Phillippa + Mark | A Love Story 17 Years in the Making

From Te Anau to Christchurch, Mount Cook to Hanmer Springs - this one’s been a long time coming...

There’s a pretty good argument that Phillipa & Mark had already done the hard yards before they ever got engaged.

They first met around 17 years ago when Mark moved to Te Anau - Phillippa’s hometown. There was a brief Year 7 dating experiment, followed by five years of ignoring each other. Then came the Year 13 formal, where they went as friends.

That was the end of that.

They’ve been inseparable ever since - university in Dunedin, moving to Christchurch, long-distance, their first flat, building their first home and welcoming their furry family member, Rocket.

So when Mark proposed in Mount Cook Village earlier this year, just shy of their ten-year anniversary, it felt pretty fitting. Mount Cook is Mark’s hometown, and the mountains have always felt like home to them both.

Apparently Mark had given himself a deadline.

Romance with project management.

When Mark and Phillippa first got in touch with Weka Films, they wanted one thing above all else - great vibes. They wanted to bring together friends from all the different chapters of their lives, get married somewhere close to the mountains and, once the band started, have absolutely no intention of leaving the dance floor.

They found the perfect setting at Amuri Estate in Hanmer Springs.

The morning started with Phillippa and her bridesmaids getting ready, with Courtney Smith on makeup and Marque Morehu on hair. Phillippa wore her first dress from Wilkins Bridal, her bridesmaids were dressed by Billy J Bridal, and Mark and the boys were suited up by Sergios.

Mark, meanwhile, spent part of the morning doing what any sensible groom would do before his wedding - playing golf with the boys.

Back at Amuri Estate, Rosa Reed's flowers and Black Bird Hire's decor brought everything together before the day really got underway.

Then came the first look in the vineyard beside the estate - one of the moments Mark and Phillippa had specifically asked us to capture.

After nearly ten years together, Mark finally turned around to see Phillippa in her wedding dress.

Later, with Phoebe Voice as their celebrant, Mark and Phillippa finally made it official, surrounded by their families and the friends they'd brought together from all the different chapters of their lives.

Then it was time to party.

The Social Platter Co looked after the catering and, importantly, the tiramisu tower, while Addison East kept things moving as MC through the speeches and celebrations.

There was a slightly choreographed first dance - apparently "nothing spectacular", although we're not entirely convinced - followed by dessert and a secret Phillippa had been keeping from almost everyone.

She had a second wedding dress from Angelic Bridal Brisbane waiting in the wings. Surprise achieved.

And then came the moment everyone had been waiting for. Black & Gold hit the stage.

The dance floor filled, the energy went up a few notches and Mark and Phillippa got exactly what they'd hoped for - a wedding where the party didn't really stop.

Adding to the chaos were Logan and Matt, our Retro Camcorder Crew, armed with a vintage camera and instructions to capture the wedding like it was 1997.

There may have even been a GoPro duct-taped to the bottom of a bottle of Fireball...spoiler alert!

We chose our angles a little more carefully.

What made Mark and Phillippa's wedding so good wasn't just the beautiful setting or the incredible details. It was the story behind it - 17 years of knowing each other, nearly ten years together, a proposal in the mountains, a vineyard first look, emotional parents, golf with the boys, a secret second dress and one seriously committed dance floor.

When they first contacted Weka Films, they told us they loved our films because we capture "the vibe, the passion and love" as well as the banter - and because each film is "a little bit cheeky."

We reckon this one delivered on all three.

And after all those years, Mark and Phillippa finally got their day.

Mountains nearby. Their favourite people around them. And absolutely no intention of leaving the dance floor.

🎧 ‘It Takes Two’ - Sheffield; ‘Give’ - Layup
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