Ever meet someone and you just ‘click’?! Well, that’s pretty much exactly how I felt when I got the chance to meet Head Stylist Kyla Page over at Bespoke Weddings and Events!

Kyla had come recommended to me by a fellow Queenstown-based photographer that I’d connected with in Jai Long’s Business Map course. I’d put a call out that I was looking for suppliers to connect with – and when I reached out to Kyla, the whole process was amazing. We hit it off straight away and really vibed together over our shared love of all things wedding. The more I learned the more I discovered. Kyla has done a little of everything! From graphic design and event coordination, to managing festivals and sporting events. The best part is she’s taking all that knowledge and putting it into her passion – weddings. It was so incredible to collaborate with her on this shoot because her passions match mine. I can’t wait for the next opportunity to work together again! 

Until then, we sat down to talk about everything! Like how much we love being able to work floral and botanical styling into our shoots! (No seriously, give us all the flowers.) Or what our favourite spots are for your perfect New Zealand destination weddings. And, of course, we talk about what it takes to be a New Zealand destination wedding photographer (flora, fauna, a keen sense of style and a sharp eye, you know the basics!)

Are you intrigued? Inspired? Excited? So many things at once?! Honestly. Same. Let’s go!

IT STARTS WITH STYLE: EVENT STYLING IN QUEENSTOWN

Maegs: Thank you so much for sitting down with me to talk about this. I think I’m just going to jump right in. How do you personalise your styling to suit each wedding and couple? 

Kyla: I like to work with each couple in the consultation process to find out their style, flower and colour preferences, so I can custom design florals to suit their style and budget. It’s important to me that I create their dream look on the day. I like to work with a lot of image references and refine the style with image proposals until we get the overall design exactly how the couple wants.

M: Have you noticed any exciting wedding flower trends coming for 2023? 

K: I really love wedding florals with no foliage (or minimal/more structural foliage) and flowers en masse. I especially love super bright and colourful florals or, the total opposite, black and white. It’s great seeing more creative designs and colours and I’m super excited for next season as these styles are becoming more popular.

THE BEST NEW ZEALAND ELOPEMENT AND DESTINATION WEDDINGS

M: As a local, what would you say makes New Zealand such a great elopement/destination wedding choice?

K: Queenstown in particular is stunning in all seasons! There are these dramatic landscapes and so many incredible heli destinations for elopements and intimate weddings. Nothing really beats mountaintop wedding photos!

M: What would your ideal New Zealand elopement/destination wedding look like? 

K: Oh I would absolutely love to do a really creative feature-floral set-up at Earnslaw Burn or Lake Erskine for an elopement. A couple who are creative and happy to do something a little different with flowers would be the ideal. 

WEDDING FLOWERS, WEDDING FLORISTS, AND ELOPEMENT BOUQUET IDEAS IN QUEENSTOWN, NEW ZEALAND.

M: What should couples look for in their New Zealand adventure wedding flowers?

K: It’s important when planning wedding flowers in Queenstown to be flexible on flower varieties and to plan in advance. It can be tricky with supply – some varieties need to be booked months in advance and we still can’t always guarantee we will get everything. Always check with your florist on seasonal varieties and trust them to work with your colour and style preferences.

M: How can you keep your bridal bouquet looking its best on an adventure elopement?

K: Always keep your flowers in a cool place out of direct sunlight until you head off for your ceremony, and while transporting it either take it in the bouquet box that it’s supplied in with tissue, hold it, or place it down resting on the backside so the front won’t get damaged. Remember white flowers bruise really easily so be careful to not bump the front of the bouquet!

M: What did you love about working together on our recent Queenstown shoots?! 

K: I loved how incredibly easy you were to work with! How fun, passionate and excited you were to create something special. I really enjoyed the creative process – deciding what florals we both loved, what would suit the look of the shoot, and what we both wanted to capture from it. It was super exciting to create some florals in the styles I love. I can’t wait to work together again! 

…it probably goes without saying, the feeling is mutual! I’d like to take a moment to thank Bespoke Wedding and Events Head Stylist, Kyla Page for sitting down with me to do this interview. One of the best things about having passions is being able to learn more about the passion as time goes on, and being able to work together with Kyla was such an amazing chance to do that. Oh! And a shout-out goes to Jai Long and his Business Map for bringing us together! 

I am ready to get out there and be a part of your dream New Zealand wedding. I can come to you. You can come to me. We can make the magic happen together! So make sure to reach out and let’s make your amazing wedding adventure come true. Whether you want to run barefoot on a beach, soar above a snowy mountain peak in a chartered helicopter, or jump in a van, throw out the map, and make the wedding road trip of your dreams come true – I want to be there with you!

Check out Kyla’s beautiful work over on her website or Instagram:

https://www.bespokeweddingsandevents.com/

https://www.instagram.com/bespokeweddingsandevents/