From Fax Machines to Instagram: How New Zealand Weddings Have Changed Since I Started in 1999

By Donna-Louise Dohi · 20 June 2026

When I started planning New Zealand weddings in 1999, the world looked very different.

There was no Instagram. No Facebook. No Pinterest. No TikTok.

Couples didn’t spend hours scrolling through wedding inspiration online or creating digital mood boards. Most people discovered New Zealand through travel magazines, brochures, word of mouth, or by stumbling across one of the early websites that were appearing on the internet.

Websites themselves were simple compared to today. Photographs loaded slowly, and many of us were still getting used to the idea of doing business online.

Communication was different too.

International phone calls were expensive, emails were becoming more common, and later on Skype became an exciting way to connect with couples on the other side of the world. At the time, being able to see and speak with someone from another country through a computer felt quite remarkable.

Looking back now, it is incredible how much has changed.

Over the years I have watched digital cameras replace film, smartphones replace many of the devices we once relied on, and social media completely transform the way couples plan their weddings.

Today, a couple can sit in their living room in London, Singapore, Sydney or New York and explore wedding locations across New Zealand within minutes. They can view photographs, watch videos, read reviews, and communicate instantly with suppliers from anywhere in the world.

Technology has changed beyond anything I could have imagined when I first started.

What surprises me, however, is how much has stayed the same.

Recently I found myself spending an evening reviewing my website and thinking about possible changes to the homepage. As I looked at photographs, wording, and layouts, I realised I was asking myself the same question I have been asking for nearly three decades:

“What matters most to couples?”

After all the advances in technology, all the social media platforms, and all the new ways people gather information, the answer remains remarkably simple.

People want to feel understood.

They want someone they can trust.

They want guidance when planning from overseas.

And they want a wedding day that feels right for them.

The mountains, lakes, helicopters, websites and photographs are all important parts of the experience, but they are not the reason people get married.

At its heart, a wedding is still about two people making a commitment to each other.

That was true in 1999.

It is true today.

And I suspect it will still be true many years from now.

One thing that often makes me smile is that while I sometimes reflect on how different things were when I started, I genuinely love the technology we have available today.

I still get excited learning new things.

Whether it is improving my website for New Zealand Dream Weddings, understanding SEO, experimenting with social media, learning new software, or simply finding better ways to communicate with couples around the world, I enjoy the challenge of learning.

The tools have changed dramatically over the years, but the excitement of building, improving and creating something meaningful remains exactly the same.

Perhaps that is one of the reasons I still enjoy what I do after all these years.

The industry continues to evolve.

Technology continues to evolve.

And thankfully, so do we.

As I continue refining my website and adapting to the changing digital world, I am reminded that while technology will continue to move forward, authenticity never goes out of style.

Sometimes the biggest lesson from nearly three decades in the wedding industry is that the most important things rarely change at all.