Desirée & Oliver
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIRI MARSTERS PHOTOGRAPHY
A swipe. A match.
Six and a half hours of conversation on a first date. For Desirée and Oliver, what began with a dating app quickly revealed something special, two people whose lives had quietly circled each other for years, finally meeting at exactly the right moment. They were married at Orakei Bay on a summer's day, surrounded by family and friends who had travelled from ten countries to be there.
ABOUT THEM.
Desirée teaches high school English to Year 9-13 students, a role she loves for what it gives as much as what it asks. Outside the classroom she's a reader, a movie watcher, a concert-goer, and an enthusiastic traveller who has travelled to 33 countries and counting. Oliver is an IT technician by day and, by his own quiet admission, a secret DJ. He runs, lifts, reads, and plays computer games, and describes his favourite way to spend time as simply being with Desirée.
Travel is the thread that runs through both of them. On their very first date, both mentioned a love of France. A year and a half later, it became the first country they visited together.
“On our first date we said we both love France. Sure enough, a year and a half later, the first country we visited together was France..”
— DESIRÉE
HOW THEY MET.
They matched on a dating app, exactly one week before Desirée's birthday. Oliver, she says, turned out to be the best birthday gift she's ever received. Their first date was at Auckland Museum, to see Peter the T-Rex, and it lasted six and a half hours.
As the conversation unfolded, something else became clear: they had crossed paths many times before. As children at Numberworks, as teenagers, at university, at friends' parties. The city had kept putting them in the same orbit for years. The app finally made them look up.
“We walked all around the domain for hours and found out we had just about everything in common.”
— OLIVER
WHEN THEY KNEW.
For Desirée, it wasn't one moment but many - the accumulation of Oliver's quiet, consistent love. The favourite food he'd bring home without being asked. The notes left around the house for her to find. The patience he showed when she wasn't always patient with herself. The meals prepared ahead of time so she'd have something to eat while he was away on work trips and think of him.
For Oliver, it was a specific evening. After a Christmas carol concert, he found himself reflecting on the night they'd shared and realised he wanted every night to feel this way. He had already fallen for her before then, but this was the moment the thought became something permanent.
“All of those things, the big acts of love and the small ones he thinks have gone unnoticed, made me want to spend the rest of my life with him.”
— DESIRÉE
THE PROPOSAL.
Desirée is, by her own description, a wonderful planner. So when Oliver, who had never once offered to book a trip, suddenly announced he would organise everything for a visit to Queenstown, she knew something was coming. What she didn't know was the date he had quietly chosen, or the meaning behind it.
He had already asked her parents for their blessing. They were thrilled and emotional when they gave it. Oliver had also surprised Desirée at the airport on her return from an overseas school trip, flowers in hand, a gesture she hadn't expected, and one that meant everything.
The ring itself had been designed together: a custom sapphire, ethically sourced, chosen because the next chapter of their story should be something they had created as a pair. The trip took them through Queenstown, Arrowtown, and finally Wānaka, a place Desirée had always loved. On a peaceful, sunny bench by the waterfront, with no one else around, Oliver got down on one knee.
THE VENUE.
With guests travelling from ten countries, accessibility mattered. The couple wanted a location that was central, easy to reach, and versatile enough to hold a summer ceremony outdoors while offering a beautiful indoor contingency. Orakei Bay ticked every box in that brief.
The garden ceremony space beside the bay was exactly what they'd pictured for a summer wedding. The large glass windows in the reception and upstairs areas sealed it, flooding the space with light and keeping the waterfront present throughout the day. The catering team had already won them over at a previous event held at the venue, by the time they sat down for the food tasting, their minds were essentially made up.
“From the moment we arrived, the staff made us feel looked after. And after the food tasting, we were completely convinced.”
— OLIVER
THE DAY.
Oliver heard the music before he saw her. He was already in tears by the time Desirée appeared at the top of the aisle, and didn't stop for the entirety of her walk towards him. Standing together in the garden, facing each other, he describes it as transcendent.
“We cried with joy on the dancefloor after our first dance, holding each other tight, knowing we'll be dance partners for life.”
— DESIRÉE
For Desirée, the moment she'll carry longest is simpler: seeing Oliver's face for the first time that morning, the blue eyes and the smile that had caught her attention on their very first date. Then his hands in hers.
Both Desirée and Oliver had listed dancing on their dating profiles from the very beginning. By the end of the night, with guests from ten countries filling the dancefloor, it was exactly the celebration they'd hoped to give them.
SUPPLIERS.
VENUE: Orakei Bay
FLORALS: Bloom in Krazy
CELEBRANT: Michelle (Family friend)
PHOTOGRAPHY: Kiri Marsters Photography
DRESS: Grace Loves Lace, Felicity Bridal
ALTERATIONS: Alter Me Bridal
TUXEDO: Suit Up NZ
HAIR & MAKE-UP: Made Up by Naeema
CAKE: From Sugar
CATERING: Collective Hospitality
DJ & MC: Mike Steffens DJ
