Bam’s big day
Words Nikita Oliver Metcalfe
Photos Jacinta Childs
An intimate getaway surrounded by much-loved family and friends made for the perfect wedding day for this local baker and her husband.
“Don’t expect a big wedding cake!” said Bam, owner of Bam’s Bakery in Warkworth, when she opted for a low-key affair for her own wedding in Taupo, with just close family and friends. “It was such a special, intimate moment between all of us,” Bam says about sharing their ceremony with only 20 guests.
Bam and Kyran quickly became inseparable when they started dating in 2019 and are both self-confessed homebodies. So when it came to their big day it was only fitting that they decided on an out-of-town wedding week, staying with friends and inviting family to join for their backyard ceremony at the end of the week.
A relaxing and enjoyable day for all meant minimal decorations; paper lanterns adorned the trees and the couple went foraging for wild flowers to decorate the aisle. The celebrations were self-catered with finger food and drinks after the ceremony, allowing guests to soak in the lush garden surroundings. Bam carried a dried floral arrangement crafted by Jo at The Florist NZ, who supplies florals for all of Bam’s clients' wedding cakes. “I love it because it’s dried. I get to keep it forever,” Bam says.
For her ‘something borrowed’, the bride used her sister's veil to complement her rented wedding dress and enjoyed a special moment with her mum and sister doing a first look before she said I do. The couple enjoyed speeches from their parents, including a beautiful poem, and when the celebrations continued later into the evening they shared some private and emotional speeches with their close friends.
While Bam and Kyran set up their wedding space, a fantail joined them, flitting around the trees all morning. It then returned during the ceremony and stayed in the tree above them for the duration of the ceremony, a special moment they were later told is a sign of good luck.
Bam points out that at a larger celebration the couple are hosting at the end of the year, to mark the occasion with all of their family and friends, she will be crafting the best wedding cake they’re ever seen!