Naveya and Sloane have a reputation for beautiful bespoke engagement rings. It is a top of the range kind of place and the thought and craftmanship that go into their rings is obvious. If your beau has a healthy bank balance this is definitely the place to take him. You’ll end up with a timeless piece that you will love for a lifetime.

Walker & Hall have a great selection of rings from top of the range to those for a more modest budget. My husband and I brought our wedding bands here and the service was great and we were able to lay buy which suited us perfectly. Very happy with the rings we brought from here!

Zoe & Morgan are a talented family who design modern and timeless pieces. I was delighted to see that they have started to design engagement rings too. I have fallen in love with with the Sitara engagement ring but will have to save the $11,000 to get it! It epitomises the style of Zoe & Morgan - luxury jewellery with a rock and roll edge. I could never tire of the Sitara ring….

If you’re after a vintage piece Abbey Antiques in Remuera might just have a ring you’ll fall in love with. They have a great selection of vintage and period pieces. This is the kind of place you could find a real bargain and something that will appreciate in value. A must see for the thrifty vintage bride to be.

Louis is a swiss trained Goldsmith who has an impeccable eye for detail, style and quality. He is also a lovely chap and you’ll enjoy the whole process of getting the perfect ring for you. For those chaps brave enough, like my husband, to pick out a ring themselves, Louis is the perfect person to help you find the perfect ring for your fiance.

I love this beach. It’s wild and desolate and typifies a west coast beach. I enjoy the walk from the car park to the beach and always feel invigorated by a plunge in the rough and ready ocean. Not a great each for little ones but the estuary is fun for kinds to play in and much safer. If you’re here on a Friday night or over the weekend pop into the Bethells Caravan for a delicious vege or beef burger and a nice block. Anna and Jim who run this food truck are a lovely couple and the food is great.

This is a great east coast beach just 10 minutes from the central city. It’s a nice beach to lie in the sun and read a book and to have a swim. It’s great for the kids too. Not too rough and plenty of shallows to play in before it gets too deep.

This one of my favourite museums. It is a grand building in the Auckland Domain and has magnificent views of Auckland. The exhibits are great and there is always something new to discover. It is a place I never get bored of visiting. And best of all it’s free for Auckland residents!

What better way to celebrate the beginning of spring than re-visiting one of New Zealand's best galleries. The Toi Aotearoa exhibition begins on September 3 and you’ll be able to see works from artists like Ralph Hotere, Colin McCahon and Goldie. Seeing this array of incredible NZ artists all under one roof will certainly put a spring in your step!

Give yourself a little spring clean with a visit to East Day Spa. I can highly recommend the exotic moisture dew facial to revive your tired winter skin. The wonderful therapist will deep cleanse your skin then saturate your with moisture rich ingredients to have you looking your best. You’ll feel like you’re transported to Ubud Bali rather than central city Auckland.

Treat yourself and your beloved to a spring getaway and re-visit the beautiful Waiheke Island. The Boatshed is five-star boutique accommodation and the whole place is decorated in understated Cape Cod, nautical elegance. You’ll be sure to relax and enjoy the beautiful meals cooked by The Boatshed’s private chef. The Boatshed has had a little break too over winter and will be opening again just in time for spring. I can highly recommend this place and couldn’t think of anywhere better to recommend for a pretty weekend away, close to Auckland.

What a perfect way to begin the day than by visiting La Cigale. Nestled at the base of Parnell the market is a lovely upmarket market with great coffee and gourmet food. You can also buy a great selection of fresh produce here too. Come hungry and with the cupboards bare - you won’t be disappointed!

Pack a picnic lunch and take it to the Auckland Domain. Sit among the daffodils and enjoy the romantic, spectacular view of Auckland Harbour from the Domain. It really is one of the best places to see the city from. Enjoy a stroll around the beautiful expansive grounds or bring your bike. There’s plenty of space for walking and cycling too. Bring it on spring!

Yoga academy is an oasis of calm in the central city. I love their Hatha and Astanga Yoga classes. Regular visits here keep me feeling healthy physically and mentally all winter long.

Rosana from Aroha Healing is a miracle worker! Her healing massages are amazing. She also gives wonderful Reiki sessions and sells the most divine candles. I couldn’t recommend this place more highly to keep you feeling happy and healthy.

Harvest has a great range of healthy food, great natural skin products and an extensive range of vitamins. There is always an in-store naturopath to give you advice too. I love popping in here to get healthy treats and top up on my vitamins. Definitely one of the best health food stores in the country.

There are now 2 locations for Little Bird Unbakeries - Kingland and Ponsonby. Both have a delicious range of healthy guilt free treats. You can also get beautiful lunch specials and their tea selection is extensive. One of my favourite healthy eatings spots in Auckland.

This is the closest things to the American Wholefoods Supermarkets I’ve found in NZ. They have an amazing cafe with a great selection of vegetarian food. They also have a huge selection of vitamins, skin care range and organic produce and groceries. A haven of health in Newmarket.

This is where I brought my wedding dress from. Elizabeth was amazing! I made an appointment to try on lots of dresses and found one that suited me perfectly. I fell in love with it! Elizabeth helped me accessorise and decide what to do with my hair and what kind of shoes to buy. She even gave me a list of shoe shops to try. I couldn’t have had a better experience!

I love this store and was delighted to discover they also do bridal wear. Turet has a wonderfully simple elegance in all her designs. And if you do decide to buy your wedding dress here you’ll be delighted by the price tag too.

If you wanted to check out a vintage option try Tango. Although there is no guarantee you’ll find something to fit it is definitetly worth trying. I fell in love with a 1930’s dress that was a bit too small. However I managed to get some gorgeous accessories that I love and wore on the day. Driss, the owner of Tango, has an incredible eye and won’t let you leave the store with anything that you don’t look amazing in. He styled my mum for my wedding too. She looked gorgeous and was really happy in her kimono jacket and pearls.

I had already brought my dress when I discovered this gorgeous boutique. I was looking for shoes and stumbled across Rue de Seine. I fell in love with this store and couldn’t believe what a gorgeous collection they had. From vintager reworked gowns to new dresses. This store is a stylish bride’s dream come true!

Santos are famous for their World Cup Party atmosphere and for screening all the Brazil games. It is a fun and entertaining place to watch a Brazil game. And you an get a great breakfast and a perfect coffee to help you through an early game. I can only imagine the party atmosphere at Santos will be ramped given that Brazil are hosting the World Cup. Love this place and I'll definitely watch a Brazil game or two here.

Conch have a great selection of Brazilian music with Kiwi collaborators. Their menus is also South American themed too. And they’ve been screening World Cup Football too! Count me in for the next Brazil game!

Forget Samba - Zouk is the hottest latin dance around! At 9:30pm every Monday night at Candi Soo Fitness you can join a Zouk practise class for a coin donation. Teachers Shannon and Trajano have developed a passion for Zouk whilst on their travels performing and competing in Salsa teams overseas – and have become aficionados ever since. Trajano, the latin half to this duo, has strong training in Brazilian Capoeira, Martial Arts, and Salsa and acting. Shannon’s background is American Jazz, Cuban and Linear Salsa and is influenced by her passion for Hip Hop and street latin dance. I highly recommend checking this duo out!

If you want to try Capoeira or Brazilian Ju Jitsu this is the place! Based in Parnell they offer a free introductory lesson. It is a friendly fun environment where everyone makes an effort to know your name. If the bodies of the people here are anything to go by I’ll have a 6 pack by Christmas!

Wildfire Churrascaria is meat lovers heaven! This Brazilian style barbeque is a lively restaurant and then turns into an even livelier bar with a DJ. My only issue with this place is that I didn’t exercise much self control and ate too much. Make sure you come hungry!