Bride Feature: Karen Sturman Vermunt
Nemo Featured Bride
Karen Sturman Vermunt
A Vision, 25 Years in the Making
Karen's dream wedding dress was more than just a garment; it was a cherished vision she'd nurtured for over two decades. Inspired by Princess Diana's iconic vogue cover dress, it epitomised timeless beauty, and we were honoured to bring this clear vision to life for Karen’s special day.
Karen embraced the full spectrum of Nemo B&C services, from crafting her Made-to-Measure Dress to Vintage Fur Hire, all the way to On-The-Day Dress Assistance, even bringing our talented designer Trudy to Invercargill for those finishing touches.
Her love story with Paschasius is a tale of serendipity and adventure, filled with riddles, roses, and treasured memories. Their July '23 wedding in Invercargill perfectly embodied the themes of "simple and elegant" and "warm and inviting."
Karen's unique love story with her Nemo bridal experience highlight the essence of celebrating love, craftsmanship, and individuality, and we think her story is worth sharing…
HERE AT NEMO WE BELIEVE THAT A WEDDING DRESS IS SO MUCH MORE THAN THE MATERIAL AND THE THREAD THAT MAKE IT…
It’s first and foremost about the love story that brought you here.
It’s about the moment your man asked you to be his bride.
It’s about the way it makes you feel when you think about wearing your dress on your Wedding Day.
It’s about all of the things that inspired you to choose your dress design, the patterns & materials, and what they all mean to you.
It’s about the merging of your families into one and the way you want to celebrate all of the above.
…We want to tell your dress story!
Your Name: Karen Sturman Vermunt
Your Partner’s Name: Paschasius Mathys Sier Vermunt
PRE-WEDDING STORY
How and when did you meet your partner?
Sier’s daughter Gabby and her business partner Allie set them up in July 2021. Allie is Karen’s good friend and Karen had done some business mentoring for their business. A long time before that Karen actually taught Gabby when she was a teacher and Gabby was a student. She also taught Gabby’s sister Libby and so Karen and Sier actually first met at Parent Teacher interviews but Sier can’t remember that! Karen referred to him privately as “Gabby’s hot Dad!” Oddly enough both Gabby, Allie and Tara (the office Manager) all separately thought they would make a good couple but they were too scared to say anything to one another! Fortunately for Karen and Sier they finally did.
What is the story of when your partner proposed?
Well actually he didn’t. Karen did! However there is a back story. 2022 had been a rough year with the death of Karen’s beloved Mum. Sier said to Karen, “I know it’s been a tough year, with your Mum and all, and because of our age there is no rush, so when you are ready, and there is no pressure, you are going to have to propose to me. And when you do, I am going to say Yes.”
So Karen surprised Sier with a proposal that resembled “The Great Race”. He turned up to her house to ‘let in the builder and architect’ while Karen was at work to find there was nobody to let in. But he was greeted by a red rose and a beautiful Labrador card. In the card was a riddle which sent him to their favourite chocolate shop. When he was there, he picked up some chocolates and another red rose and Labrador Card. The next stop took him to his favourite menswear store where he chose a shirt for his special night out. He also got another red rose and Labrador card. Off he then went for a coffee at their favourite café followed by a long Thai hot stone massage where he promptly fell asleep. After receiving another red rose and Labrador card he went home to change and then off to Queens Park for a competitive game of “Poo sticks” at ‘their’ stone bridge. It is there that Karen proposed with a red rose of course! And he did indeed say YES! Karen may have lost poo sticks but she won the bigger prize. Dinner out at their favourite restaurant topped up a very magical day. With a red rose and Labrador card of course!
What are some of the things you love most about your partner?
He’s not only intelligent but he has street wise smarts. He’s practical and down to earth. He is empathetic with great EQ. He’s a natural born leader and they can have a conversation on anything!
How would you describe your wedding style in 3 words?
“Simple and elegant” and “Warm and inviting”. - I know that is 4 words but they were our 2 themes that ran through the whole wedding.
What do you look forward to the most on your wedding day?
He aha te mea nui? Māku e kii atu, he tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata (“What is the most important thing in the world? It is people, it is people, it is people!”)
What was your inspiration when designing this bridal look?
I have loved this dress design for over 25 years. I just kept coming back to it. Diana Princess of Wales wore it for the cover of vogue magazine and I actually saw it in Wellington when her dresses went on tour. The back of it was stunning too. Designed by Catherine Walker. I also really liked it because it wasn’t a wedding dress and therefore the ability to wear it again was really important for me. I did wonder if it was outdated now, but I am a 55 year old bride and I didn’t want to look like a 20 or even 30 something year old bride. Those styles make the menopause middle look enormous! I am so glad I stuck with this.
Is there one (or more) element of design that you're most excited about with your dress?
The ‘sash’ really was stunning. We went with ivory silk crepe and this is where Trudy and Kirsten used their magic and made it look exquisite! Trudy described the fabric as “lush”. It obeyed their every command and the dress truly was genius craftsmanship. Even though we had been working with the dress right up to the day, it still took my breath away when I opened the cover when it was fully complete. I was also really pleased about adding sleeves, after all it was a winter wedding and I just loved my fur that I hired! It just topped it all off. Now the dress has no sleeves and the hem is shorter – cocktail length, all ready to go with other accessories for its next outing with my new short modern, edgy hair cut! A totally different look.
After-Wedding Feedback:
What was the date & location of your wedding?
It was a beautiful, magical day committing our future together with the man I love with the people we really care about.
Given one sentence, how would you describe your day?
Actually saying my vows to my husband. The dress and the venue were the next best!
What was the best feature of your day?
Actually saying my vows to my husband. The dress and the venue were the next best!
Did you use a wedding planner or self style?
Self-style and the venue owner of The Church 1914 Sharyon Ralph had a big say.
What companies would you like to commend for their services on your day?
Definitely Nemo Bridal & Couture!
The Church 1914 was exceptional. It makes an enormous difference when the people who own it and run it.
Ethan Flack who was in charge of the food. Delicious!
Debs the florist who replicated my late mother’s bouquet,
The Seriously Good Chocolate factory who did our icecream cake wedding cake with a diary free top layer! Talk about dedication, Jane was placing the chocolate shards on it the day of the wedding and she had broken her shoulder 2 days before! She was in a lot of pain.
How was the service Nemo and the girls provided for you?
Exceptional. I just loved how both Trudy and Kirsten problem solved together. They made it so easy. I am glad Trudy got me to stay with my vision when I was wavering. The dress was beautiful and beautifully made. We also got the right fur with it. Number 5 is exquisite. Plus I am really glad I got Trudy to come down for the dress on the day. It just couldn’t have been better.
Would you recommend other brides to have their dress made at Nemo?
Absolutely. I just knew I wanted something a bit different. When you are a bit older, it is really important that it fits you well and so there’s nothing like having a dress made to measure. It is far better than buying something and taking it in. It was beautiful to wear. So comfortable and easy.
Whats one piece of advice you'd give to anyone planning their wedding?
Set a budget from the start and stick to it. They do not have to be expensive. Identify what is important to you and what is less important and save money on the less important things. Keep things simple.
