Emma & chris
10 JULY, 2020
Bride Emma and groom Chris had just gone unconditional on their first home and went to the beach to celebrate with their dog Jack and some champagne.
‘I was looking away and Chris came up behind me for a cuddle and said, “Now that we are going on one adventure together do you want to go on another one with me?” I turned around and he was down on one knee with the ring,’ Emma says.
Having an idea of the kind of dress she wanted, Emma tried on a few options at Brides of Merivale and found one she ‘absolutely fell in love with’. However, it was a strapless gown so it needed some tweaks.
‘With the help of Brides of Merivale and Jessica Bridal I ended up merging two dresses together to make my gown and I absolutely loved it. I didn’t want to take it off at the end of the night. Lisa from Brides of Merivale went above and beyond and is so talented at what she does.’
Chris and Emma were set to get married on 17 April 2020
which was in the middle of the nationwide COVID-19 Level 4 Lockdown. But, there was a bright side.
‘We ended up with a winter wedding and we absolutely loved it. I’d always dreamed that a winter wedding would be pretty magical and Pemberton was the perfect spot for it with the indoor and outdoor fires. They even fulfilled my wish of having toasted marshmallows and churros.’
Emma walked up the aisle to Lisa Lois’ song ‘Feels Like Home’. Chris and Emma shared vows with each other that summed them up perfectly.
‘The vows ended in – “I will forever be there to laugh with you, to lift you up when you are down and to love you unconditionally through all of our adventures in life together.” Our relationship has been a big adventure from the beginning and our favourite movie is UP so it seemed very fitting.
‘Kineta Booker, our celebrant, was beyond amazing. We felt like we really got to know her and this showed in the ceremony as she told our story. So many people have raved about how fantastic she was.’
Another positive about the July wedding was the beautiful winter colours throughout the Pemberton grounds. ‘It is the most incredible venue for that. So many magical spots to have our photos taken.
‘We both absolutely love the outside photo in the dark, with the venue behind us. We love it so much as it tells such a story – a moment for us to sneak away and have some time alone in the evening, and think of all of our guests inside enjoying themselves and celebrating us as a couple.’
Their family friend was the MC for the reception, and choosing someone they knew so well ensured everything ran smoothly. ‘We laughed so much through all the speeches and had a fantastic meal created by Moveable Feasts. Then we danced the night away. ‘We were the last people to leave our wedding reception. Need I say more! It was the best day ever. Beyond what we could have imagined.’
‘We both absolutely love the outside photo in the dark, with the venue behind us.’
Tamara from Koru Photography made the most of the gorgeous winter sunset by whisking the couple away for this magical moment.
Emma wore her nana’s fur coat for the chilly winter’s afternoon photos. ‘My nana wore it to many balls and outings with my poppa back in the day, so it has real sentimental value.’