Our Marquee Wedding in Akaroa: Editorial Romance Meets Real-Life Chaos

WeddingsMarqueesReal Weddings
Written By Fallon Broadley

Let’s be honest—writing about your own wedding is weird. Especially when you’ve styled hundreds of events and are usually the one orchestrating someone else’s dream day. But here goes nothing.

After years of running a business, raising kids, and (let’s be real) waiting for the proposal, our own marquee wedding finally happened—on a tucked-away property just outside Akaroa. The goal? Contemporary, sophisticated, a touch of fun... and totally us.

Styling a Stylist’s Wedding: No Pressure!

You’d think styling your own wedding would be a breeze. Spoiler: it’s not.

I can translate someone else’s vision in five seconds flat. But my own? Cue decision fatigue. We went with what we love—moody meets minimal. Think mocha napkins, chocolate signage, and stationery we custom-designed in-house (and yep, just a year later, “Mocha Mouse” was dubbed the Pantone wedding colour of the year—just saying).

The florals were soft, sun-kissed shades of nude, beige, peach, and rust, with more dahlias than I could count—a quiet nod to my late mum, who adored them. Our marquee had a 10m-long greenery wall bursting with blooms, plus a custom-built arch from Christchurch that brought my Pinterest dreams to life.

Stationery brought the party vibes—bold fonts, die-cut folded menus tied with silk ribbon, and just enough luxe to make the details pop.

The Week Before: Plot Twist Central

You know how we always say to expect the unexpected? Yeah… we lived that.

From unnecessary family tension (no comment) to both main roads closing the night of our wedding (sorted after frantic phone calls), we were in full plot-twist territory. Then came the marquee install drama—chiller trailer issues, soggy grounds, and rain that turned white flooring into a mud bath. Oh, and a fallen tree blocking our way to the Airbnb. At that point, all we could do was laugh.

The Day: Worth Every Hiccup

Despite wrangling vendors to a new getting-ready location and rain playing musical chairs with our timing, the day itself? Magic.

Walking into our marquee wedding setup felt surreal—like stepping inside my own brain. Everything we’d envisioned was there, in full bloom and full beauty. That space, those textures, the vibe… it was ours.

We married early, headed into the hills for photos, then returned to mingle and move into the evening. Speeches, dinner, dancing—and me sliding down a muddy bank at 11pm (yep, the dry cleaners came through).

No fancy getaway cars. Just us, our kids, and our guests piling into the buses like one big, happy chaos crew.

Marquee Wedding Takeaways

Would I recommend a marquee wedding? Wholeheartedly—yes. There’s something unmatched about transforming a blank canvas into a space that’s entirely your own.

But also? Have a team that gets it. Who’ll fix the flooring, move the chairs, troubleshoot the trailers, and still make it look and feel like Vogue meets down-to-earth joy. To chat about your own day and create your own magic - book in a consultation here.

Our Marquee Wedding Dream Team

 
 
Fallon Broadley
Previous

Events in Christchurch: The Midwinter Session Platinum Lounge Glow-Up
Next

Te Pae Christchurch – A Gathering Place for Meaningful, Magnetic Events