Cameron Graves
Kiwi wedding designer Trish Peng has dressed more than 1500 beautiful brides for their big day. Ordinarily, she quietly works her magic behind the scenes, but the in-demand couturier will soon take centre stage when she finally gets to wear one of her own creations.
“Having been a special part of so many wonderful clients’ weddings, I feel like I’ve been a bridesmaid a thousand times over,” says newly engaged Trish, whose eponymous bridal brand is celebrating nine years in business.
“When you’ve been entrenched in the world of weddings for so long, you can’t help but wonder when it will happen for you. I’m the girl who has always dreamed of her wedding day. It’s surreal to think I’m about to get my happily ever after.”
Trish’s love story has been beautifully swift, with fiancé Tim Begg, 33, popping the question on Christmas Eve, just 18 months after their first date.
“People say when you know, you know, and we just did,” tells Trish, 32, of their whirlwind romance, which began when the pair stumbled across one another on a dating app.
Tim’s face was a welcome blast from the past for the successful designer, who knew the landscaper from her university days in Auckland.
“I’ve known Tim for years, but we’d only ever been friends. We happened to bump into each other a couple of years earlier backstage at New Zealand Fashion Week and here we were meeting again – it felt like fate, so I went for it.”
An instant match, the pair took their conversation offline, wasting no time meeting up for drinks in a local boutique bar.
“We just completely hit it off,” smiles Trish, who describes Tim as the most genuine, gentle man you’ll ever meet. “He was always the shy guy, but with a bit of liquid courage, we ended that date with our first kiss and things have been magical ever since. It’s crazy to think he was right there all along.”
No sooner had they made things official when Auckland’s second lockdown hit, meaning dating was fast-tracked for the newly minted couple, who joined each other’s bubble. To add to the pressure of moving in together so early in their relationship, they were rooming at Trish’s family home – with her parents!
“It’s a pretty unconventional way to meet the in-laws, but it worked,” says Trish, who was in between homes, having recently returned from living in the States, growing the wholesale arm of her interests.
“Mum and Dad absolutely adored Tim,” she enthuses. “He’s a great chef, which is a handy skill to have in lockdown when all you do is eat!”
As the owner of a booming bridal business, the topic of weddings – and the couple’s own nuptials – would often crop up in conversation. But on the day Tim popped the question, which also happened to be Trish’s birthday, she was caught off-guard.
After brunch in the city, Tim blindfolded his bride-to-be and whisked her off to a secluded spot at the Auckland Domain, where an alfresco picnic was waiting. Under the ruse of a birthday surprise, Trish
was gobsmacked when she removed her eye mask to find Tim down on one knee.
“I was trying to take it all in – the ring, the gorgeous picnic and there was Tim on bended knee, smiling up at me, visibly shaking. The whole thing was so sweet and just absolutely perfect.”
Trish’s special birthday picnic was the perfect time for Tim to propose.
As for their wedding, it probably comes as no surprise the couple are moving swiftly, with plans to tie the knot in December of this year. Trish has no shortage of experience and local vendors to call on,
but says when it comes to planning her own do, her profession has its pros and cons.
“I’ve worked in the wedding industry for almost a decade and feel like I’ve seen it all, so it’s tricky to find those special touches that feel really unique to Tim and me,” tells Trish. “But I’m blessed with the dress, which is arguably the most important part of all.”
So what does New Zealand’s best-loved wedding designer wear on her big day? Trish is careful not to give too much away.
“I certainly have some ideas in mind, but I’m excited to give myself the full Trish Peng experience – the champers, the showroom, the consultation with my bridal party in tow… I’ll surely need more than one dress to really showcase my work,” Trish hints with a smile.
“I’m definitely feeling a bit of added pressure to create the ultimate gown, but I’m marrying Tim, so already the day couldn’t get any more perfect.”
