95. Flaxmere House Wedding with Bride Steph Cooke, Founder of Bridal Fusion

In today’s episode, I’m chatting with the lovely Steph. Recent bride and the founder of Bridal Fusion, where she offers a beautiful collection of bridal dresses, veils, accessories, and traditional Asian wedding attire.

Follow Steph: ⁠@bridalfusionbysteph⁠

⁠Steph’s Wedding Budget & Forecast Template

In this episode, she shares her own love story, how she and her husband Nick blended their Kiwi, Chinese, Vietnamese, and British cultures on their big day, and how wedding planning inspired her to start her own bridal business!

Steph takes us behind the scenes of her rustic, nature-inspired wedding at Flaxmere House and shares some super practical advice, from managing cultural expectations to tracking your wedding budget like an absolute boss (hello, Excel spreadsheets!).

She also spills her best wedding planning tips, the trends she's loving right now, and what it’s really like starting a small business alongside a full-time job.

In this episode, we chat about:

💜 Steph and Nick’s romantic proposal on the Queen Charlotte Track 🥾💍

💜 Planning a cross-cultural wedding and blending traditions (including their tea ceremony and Chinese banquet)

💜 Her top three wedding priorities: food, dancing, and quality time with loved ones

💜 Why she chose to wear three different dresses on the big day - including a Cinderella-blue number!

💜 Budgeting advice from an accountant (plus a free budget tracker you can download!)

💜 Bridal style tips - starting with the dress and accessorising from there

💜 The trending bridal looks she’s seeing in 2025: parasols, textured veils, and high-neck scarves

💜 How her post-wedding blues sparked the idea for Bridal Fusion

...and so much more.
Check out photos from Steph’s wedding and Bridal Fusion’s gorgeous collection over on Instagram: @thekiwiweddingpodcast

Wedding Vendors:

Photographer & Videographer: @hollowandco

Venue: @flaxmerehouse

Makeup: @jessnealebeauty 

Hair Stylist: @amyryanhairandmakeup

Dress: @bridalbrilliance (reception & wedding dress) / @bridalfusionbysteph (tea ceremony)

Tea ceremony accessories: @bridalfusionbysteph

Veil / Hair accessories: @bridalfusionbysteph

Shoes: @ninewestaus / @mi_piaci

Eyelash extensions: @toplashes_and_brows

Earrings: @meadowlarkjewellery

Rings: @diamonds.co.nz

Perfume: @chanelofficial

Groom & Groomsmen's Suit: @connor_clothing

Bowtie: NZ Ties

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