Better Together

Some love stories begin with fireworks. Others start with something quieter, like the warmth of a shared laugh on a beach at a friend’s party. For Milly Hewat and Ollie Wall, it was the latter. “Ollie was funny, warm and had this familiar feeling about him,” says Milly. That night ended with a room full of people sprawled across the floor and a fleeting moment of hand-holding. “So funny, I die,” Milly chuckles, reminiscing.

Weeks later, they went on their first proper date. “I was two martinis deep and feeling quite sassy by the time he arrived,” she says with a self-deprecating smile. “And I proceeded to interview him. It was so embarrassing,” she laughs, “and he loves bringing it up.” She clearly made an impression, because that early flirtation evolved into a connection that has now lasted 13 years. “There was definitely a bit of cat and mouse at the beginning,” Milly admits. “But we both knew it was something special. We were so drawn to one another.”

"We’ve navigated a lot together, from our late twenties through nearly all of our thirties. It’s almost been cyclical, discovering each other, then ourselves, then coming back together to build something lasting."

Since those early days, Milly and Ollie have built a life rich in love and laughter and predicated on a deep friendship. “We’ve navigated a lot together,” Milly says, “from our late twenties through nearly all of our thirties.” She pauses, “It’s almost been cyclical, discovering each other, then ourselves, then coming back together to build something lasting.”

Particularly after welcoming their first daughter, Coco, Milly explains how their relationship has had to move into a new era. “We’ve had to learn how to communicate better and how to navigate the tough times, alongside making the most of the good ones.” Here, Ollie jumps in, "I feel like Coco unlocked a whole new level of love for us. There's more to navigate but the reward is infinite."

To their friends and family, Milly and Ollie are a magnetic force that draw people into their orbit; a world that is fun and fizzy, brimming with connection and culture. Where Ollie thrives as a charismatic master of ceremonies, Milly is the unifying glue that holds everyone together. Her friends would describe her as understated and undeniably chic, perpetually in-the-know and always on the move. Together, they are a dynamic duo in the truest sense of that often-used trope, each feeding off the other’s energy to create a life that is full and fulfilling, underpinned by the kind of depth and understanding that can only grow with time.

Their engagement came (rather unexpectedly) one summer in Hawke’s Bay when the couple were staying with Milly’s family. “I’d dropped some pretty big hints over the years,” Milly laughs. “Everyone was expecting it, parents, friends. And then the hype kind of died down, so when it did happen, it was a total surprise.” Ollie proposed casually, sitting beside Milly at a winery after lunch. “I just laughed in shock,” she says, “then the tears came.” The ring he chose was a heart-shaped, button-back Jessica McCormack diamond, “my dream,” Milly says, showing me.

It followed then that the wedding would take place in Hawke’s Bay too, despite the couple explaining how an elopement to Venice had been on the cards for a moment, “it was a romantic idea,” Milly says. But ultimately, the pull of home, and the idea of a big, joyful celebration won out. “We wanted it to feel non-wedding,” Ollie tells me. “A big long Italian-style lunch followed by a wild party, with amazing food and music.” Milly adds, “Black Barn was the only place that we felt could accommodate everything we wanted to achieve… it’s so special to us, and my family has long-standing ties to it.”

Planning came easily for Milly, a publicist and creative, who leaned on her contacts to execute her vision. “I had no planner, but I didn’t need one. I was casual about it, but also very clear on what I wanted.” With February heat making florals tricky, Milly abandoned her idea of a hydrangea wall and instead styled the space with towering olive branches in Grecian urns and rustic market-style elements. “The venue itself was the styling,” she tells me, “it didn’t need more.”

Her gown was couture perfection: icy pink silk dupion with a full corset and tulle underskirt, designed by her friend Georgia Currie and made by a Parisian couturier. “I’d had this anti-bride fantasy… then watched Dior and I on a plane and everything clicked. Raf Simons’ lines, that softness and structure, I knew that’s what I wanted to feel like.” She paired it with burgundy velvet Miu Miu platforms, a headband veil, and Jessica McCormack jewels from Simon James.

The ceremony took place on a hillside overlooking the vineyards, with the bride, her man of honour (her brother, Henry) and her flower girls transported via golf cart up the steep incline. “It was hilarious,” she says. “But it worked.” Milly ascended the aisle to James Blake’s 'Retrograde', a song that delivered a palpable emotional impact. “Seeing Ollie, our friends, family waiting for me was overwhelming in the best way,” she says.

They shared vows and tears, then descended to Black Barn’s sun-dappled market square for a European-inspired lunch under towering trees. Milly’s brother delivered a powerful speech, naming her his “hero” in te reo, "takutoa", and gifting her an inscribed necklace. Later, Ollie surprised everyone by joining a friend in a live performance of 'Foolish Game' by Chris Isaak, drawing the entire crowd in. “It was magical. Everyone left their tables and just gathered around.”

The reception then moved into the sunken courtyard of the Black Barn bistro. And after a quick dress change and some bubbles, (“just the two of us, upstairs at the barn,” Milly says) the newly married duo danced their way back into the party which continued on into the wee hours.

"We really invested in the music,” Milly says. “In the early days of our relationship, Ollie and I bonded over our music tastes and so when it came to the wedding, we spent hours pouring through our favourite songs to underscore the day.” From her moving aisle song to Roy Orbison’s ‘You Got It’ for the first dance to calling on the musical expertise of Nathan and Jaimie Haines, to having a close friend, Alex Jeffery, sing some covers over lunch, to ending with a DJ set by Soraya LaPread, Milly and Ollie’s day was defined by the soundtrack that shaped the most memorable moments. “It was everything,” Milly tells me, “and it was so worth it.”

Looking back, there’s nothing they would have changed. “Just make it last longer,” Milly laughs. “But we did take little moments together to soak it all in, and I’ll always remember those.”

Now, with a second daughter and more than a decade of love behind them, Milly and Ollie embody a quiet strength that keeps them going. “We’ve had to keep choosing each other,” Ollie says. “Not just in the easy moments, but when it really counts.”

Their relationship has grown with them, from playful beginnings to something deeper and more resilient. It’s in the small things now: the everyday moments, the silent support, the way they move through life as a team. Not perfect, but present, and real. “We’ve grown up together,” Milly says. “We’ve witnessed each other’s evolution and we’ve built something that is ours… that will always feel like the greatest thing.”