Divine spot to say 'I do'

Fiona De Barre (finalist for The Love Light, Outstanding Hire & Theming), Greg Miller (winner of Outstanding Wedding Venue, Reception), Hope Rogers (finalist for Outstanding Celebrant category, ).

THE LOOK on Greg Miller's face in the photograph "says it all".

The photo was taken at the Wedding Industry Awards of New Zealand, held in Rotorua in July just after Valley d'Vine was named Outstanding Wedding Venue (Reception) .
"I was shocked but at the same time thrilled," Greg said.

He, along with business partners Karen and Graeme Jones, have owned Valley d'Vine for seven years. They were nominated by several brides and Greg says the secret to their success when it comes to weddings is "the personal touch".

"We sit down with the bride and groom-to-be and work out a personalised wedding that matches their budget. Our aim is to make it as stress free for the wedding party as possible."

One of the brides had this to say about her wedding: "Your wedding day can be the most stressful day of your life, with so many factors that could go wrong or not being absolutely perfect. But with the right venue and team, they will take care of you. That is exactly what Greg Miller and the team did at Valley d'Vine at Linden Estate for my wedding day.

"Planning a wedding from Australia was meant to be difficult however with a team of vendors and Greg's ideas and support helped make the planning simple and stress free.

Greg gave us choices for our reception layout and ceremony locations, and sequenced our day and night based on photography timelines with ease. The wedding package including food and alcohol in one set price, allowed my husband and I to budget without any hidden costs and pay off the wedding in advance. With endless choices for the rehearsal and reception dinner, Greg enabled us to cater for children and adults of all dietary requirements.

"With the perfect venue, in summer, during a heatwave, Greg went above and beyond when it surprisingly rained on our wedding day. The day ran smoothly with a last minute decision to move the ceremony and Greg and his team made this happen, moving guests, chairs and providing umbrellas without the bride stressing! I would highly recommend Greg and his team at Valley d'Vine for personalised touch to suit your dream wedding and more importantly a stress free day for you and your groom to enjoy!"

Peter and his wife Valeta Duncan, founders and directors of The Wedding Guy Company in Rotorua, started the Wedding Industry Awards in 2014. Peter, who is the event co-director, says Valley d'Vine's entry this year is reflective of the passion, commitment, and sheer tenacity of purpose a business can have in a highly competitive market.

"The quality of entries and calibre of the properties made it a difficult task to select the ultimate winner in this highly contested category. We look at each entry from a customer centric perspective, giving special attention to the end-to-end journey of a client's interaction with a business.

"From the glowing nominations, Greg's entry, and a number of other factors we look at (including social media reviews and other portals), Valley d'Vine was an absolute standout.

"Congratulations to all our 2019 winners," Peter says.

"There are some extremely talented people in the NZ wedding industry and they all deserve to be recognised. Selecting winners is never easy for the advisory panel, and this year was no exception.

"While not a new concept overseas, up until 2014 New Zealand didn't have an event that formally recognised or celebrated wedding industry professionals with a physical award at a presentation ceremony. We wanted to create a forum that pays tribute to people and businesses that stand out in the field. It's fantastic to play a role in showcasing the NZ wedding industry."

Greg says these days wedding can be more of a relaxed affair rather than a formal sit down for five hours type. "Although we cater to whatever you want. It's your day and our job is to make it perfect."