Tayla and Cody were married at Black Walnut, choosing the venue’s Tree Church for their ceremony, where sunlight streamed through the branches creating an atmosphere that felt both intimate and surreal. Surrounded by their closest friends and family, the moment they saw each other everything felt calm, setting the tone for a day that unfolded naturally and effortlessly.
From the beginning, the couple wanted their wedding to feel like a big celebration with the people they love most. After the ceremony, guests gathered in the Glass House for dinner, where laughter filled the space, glasses were raised, and the atmosphere was warm, energetic, and full of joy.
A standout part of the day was the ceremony itself, delivered by their celebrant Jaimee, who helped keep Tayla calm before walking down the aisle and coordinated seamlessly behind the scenes while also stepping in as MC for the evening. Her presence helped create a ceremony that felt heartfelt, personal, and truly reflective of the couple.
As the night went on, the celebration only lifted. With DJ Sam bringing out the sax and the dance floor quickly filling with friends and family, the reception became exactly what Tayla and Cody had hoped for, a huge party. One of the most memorable details was the addition of a tattoo artist for guests, giving everyone the chance to leave with a small, lasting reminder of the day.
From start to finish, it was a celebration full of energy, emotion, and the kind of moments that will stay with everyone who was there.
Venue: Black Walnut Venue
Celebrant & MC: Married by Jaimee
Photographer: Erica Jane Photography
Videographer: Maea Media
Florist: Sweet Scents Floristry
Hair & Makeup: Yvanna Sanders & Laura Jane
Catering: Johney's Dumpling House
Music: Goldman Sax - Sam Jones (Alto Events)
Tattooist: By Kaysey
Content Creator: Real Vibes
01. How would you describe the overall vibe or feeling of your wedding day?
The overall vibe of our wedding day felt relaxed and easygoing, we wanted the day to feel like a big party for everyone to enjoy. From start to finish, there was such a genuine sense of happiness, you could feel how excited everyone was to be there celebrating with us. It felt so special, the whole day just flowed so naturally. We really wanted it to feel like us and it truly did. Having all of our favourite people together in one place meant everything and it turned into the best kind of celebration. We honestly didn’t want it to end.
02. Where did you get married, and what made you choose this venue?
We got married at the Black Walnut Venue. We chose this venue because we loved the modern, stylish feel of the venue and how it offered both indoor and outdoor spaces. There were so many incredible locations to choose from for both the ceremony and reception and the onsite accommodation made everything so convenient for the bridal parties. It felt like the perfect mix of stylish and practical and we knew it suited our vision without needing to change much.
03. How did you meet, and when did you know this was your person?
Cody and I actually knew of each other from high school and would see each other out and about over the years. One day he messaged me on Instagram and we ended up chatting for a month or so before organising a time to hang out. Since then, we haven’t really looked back. It always felt easy being around each other and over time it just became clear that we brought out the best in one another. We balance each other out really well and it felt like we were meant to be.
04. What did you enjoy most about planning your wedding?
I honestly loved listening to the Kiwi Wedding Podcast every week to hear from New Zealand brides about their personal weddings, tips and tricks as well as their budgets. It gave me so much insight for what to expect. I also loved creating our vision for the wedding day, bringing in so many parts that had meaning to us.
05. Was there anything that surprised you along the way?
What surprised me was how worried I was in the lead up to the day, I was so worried to have everything perfect, I was so nervous about the amount of people there and having to say our vows in front of everyone but as soon as I walked down the aisle all my worries went away, everything felt so calm from that moment and nothing else but being present with all our friends and family around was the only thing that mattered.
06. What elements of your wedding mattered most to you both?
What mattered most to us was the overall experience and making sure the day truly reflected who we are as a couple. We wanted everything to flow well and feel relaxed rather than rushed so our guests could genuinely enjoy themselves. Good food, good music and having all our favourite people together in one place were really important to us. We also cared a lot about the meaningful parts, especially writing our own vows and creating moments that felt personal and authentic. For us, it was less about formality and more about how the day felt.
07. Were there any standout vendors you’d recommend in a heartbeat? Why?
I honestly can’t rave about our celebrant and MC, Married By Jaimee enough. We actually got in touch with her only 3 months out from the wedding and we’re so grateful it all worked out the way it did. From our very first chat, she just got us, she understood exactly the kind of ceremony we wanted and made the whole process feel easy and personal.
On the day itself, she was incredible. She coordinated seamlessly with all of our vendors, made sure everything was running as it should and somehow managed to keep me completely calm before walking down the aisle. Her presence was so grounding and reassuring which meant more than I can explain. She delivered our ceremony so beautifully and made it feel heartfelt, genuine and completely us. I absolutely adore her and truly couldn’t imagine the day without her. Jaimee is an absolute vibe and literally everyone at our wedding loved her!
08. What were the one or two things you were happiest to invest in?
We were really happy to invest in our tattoo artist (@bykaysey) because we wanted our guests to have a blast and leave with something meaningful and lasting, a small reminder of a day that meant so much to all of us. It was such a fun, unique touch and ended up being one of the biggest highlights of the night. People loved it and it created this extra layer of memories and stories that we’ll always laugh about. Cody & I also got a “C“ and “T“ behind our ear which is another little piece we can treasure from our wedding day.
We also wanted to invest in our photographer because photos are one of the only tangible ways to remember your wedding day once it’s over. Capturing the real moments was important to us and we’re so glad we can relive it all through such beautiful photos.
09. What were the biggest highlights of your wedding day?
There are so many highlights from the day. One of them was being with Cody during the cocktail hour right after getting married catching up with everyone, hearing their congratulations and just being in that little love bubble together. Our vows were incredibly special and being on the dance floor with all our friends while our DJ played the sax was such a fun, unforgettable moment. The speeches in the Glass House were another standout so emotional and meaningful. Honestly, there were so many highlights and the whole day felt like a celebration of love with the people who matter most.
10. Was there a favourite moment you’ll always remember?
Both of our favourite moments were the ceremony, it felt so perfect and all our nerves disappeared the moment we saw each other. Being in the Tree Church made it even more special, it was the perfect location. The sun streaming through the branches created the most incredible atmosphere and it felt completely intimate and surreal. It was one of those moments that didn’t quite feel real in the best way and it set the tone for the rest of the day.
Another favourite moment of ours was walking into the Glass House for the reception, our DJ was playing the sax, the vibes were high and everyone was waving their napkins with our celebrant and MC Jaimee announcing us as Mr & Mrs Elliott, it was iconic.
11. What advice would you give couples currently planning their wedding?
Make sure that both you and your partner have at least 3 days off before the wedding together, this is when the stress is high and you’re wanting someone to lean on the most. Cody worked all the way up until the wedding and I feel like I would have been less stressed if he was around helping me with last minute things and keeping me calm in the chaos! I also didn’t expect there to be so many questions in the week leading up to the wedding so I’d definitely recommend passing that responsibility on to someone who really knows the ins and outs of your day.
I would also absolutely recommend hiring a content creator!!! The videos we received are some of our all time favourites. Even just watching the short clips now takes us straight back to exactly how we were feeling in those moments. It’s like reliving the day in real time. Having our entire wedding captured in little snippets is so special plus having something to look at once the wedding is over before you receive all your photos back is so fun.
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