Wendy & Ben
“The Luxe Package”
Love Story
Wendy and Ben first met in middle school in Gainesville, Florida, where they bonded over their shared love of Lord of the Rings. For three years, Wendy carried a quiet crush on Ben. But when she moved away after 7th grade, they lost touch, and twenty-four years passed with separate lives in different cities.
Then one night in 2022, Wendy had a random dream about the boy from middle school who loved the same stories she did. On a whim, she sent him a Facebook message, thinking he still lived in their hometown while she was settled in Savannah. When Ben replied, he had a surprise: he’d moved to St. Pete, the very same city where Wendy had opened a branch of her elopement photography business two years earlier.
They met for dinner and talked for hours, lingering at the restaurant until the bar closed. Three weeks later, Ben visited Wendy in Savannah, and they both knew this was it. The connection they’d missed all those years ago had been waiting for the right moment. After a year of long distance, Wendy moved to St. Pete in 2023, and they’ve been inseparable ever since.
Now their weekends are filled with slow mornings and coffee on the couch, paddleboarding through Florida waters, and cooking dinner together after a day of house projects. They compete fiercely at Mario Kart, laugh through mini golf games, and seek out any excuse to be outdoors and adventuring together.
For their elopement, they chose to fly to the place that sparked their imaginations all those years ago. Not a middle school hallway, but the mountains of New Zealand, the land of Lord of the Rings. Just the two of them, saying their vows in the epic landscape they’ve always dreamed of seeing together and beginning their marriage the same way they’ve lived their love story: on an incredible adventure.
Accommodation: Moke Lake Glamping Site
Ceremony: Lake Lochnagar
Couple’s Photos: Coromandel Peak
Picnic: Coronet Peak
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On the day
Wendy and Ben travelled all the way from Florida to New Zealand, ready to say their vows in the land that had captured their imaginations since middle school. As big Lord of the Rings fans, they couldn’t imagine a more perfect place to begin their marriage.
We met them at the Moke Lake Glamping site, where they were getting ready separately. Wendy had created something truly special for Ben. A beautifully bound leather book filled with Lord of the Rings paintings, Mario drawings, and photos from their relationship. She carried a stunning wildflower bouquet bursting with colour, and after capturing their getting-ready moments, we headed to Heliworks to take to the skies.
The weather had us shifting plans slightly, but it worked out perfectly. We flew first to Coromandel Peak for their couple’s photos, then headed to Lochnagar Lake for their ceremony. The setting was breathtaking! Even though it was nearly summer, snow still clung to the peaks, creating a moody, dramatic scene as they exchanged their vows.
After the ceremony, they headed up to Coronet Peak in Annie the defender Jeep for a luxe picnic. They truly experienced all four seasons in one day! The moody clouds rolled in, and they got to soak up sunshine earlier, getting the full New Zealand experience.
It was an incredible adventure from start to finish, exactly what Wendy and Ben had dreamed of.
Vendors:
Planner: Lost in Love | @lostinlove
Photographer: Kate | @lostinlove
Videographer: Tom | @lostinlove
Celebrant: Emily O’Leary | @emily_oleary_celebrant
Flowers: Kyla Page (Bespoke Weddings & Events) | @bespokeweddingsandevents
HMUA: Georgie Henderson | @georgie_hair_makeup
Heli Hire: Heliworks | @heliworks
Picnic: Picnique | @picniquenz
Car Hire: ZQN Defender | @zqn.defender
