MORE REGIONS
A HELICOPTER ride with her treasured dress was not on the wedding checklist for Invercargill bride KhellseyAnna Atley.
When she started to plan her big day two years ago, she might have expected the odd hitch — but not one of Southland’s biggest ever floods.
Mrs Atley had her dream wedding yesterday in Invercargill after a couple of ‘‘stressful days’’.
Two days before she said ‘‘I do’’, she and fiance Alex Pemberton were unable to get to Dunedin due to road conditions.
Even more problematic . . . the dress was also stranded.
She said her final fitting was in Dunedin on Tuesday this week and she had driven to the city on Monday to be early for the appointment.
But on the return journey she ‘‘got stuck’’ in Fortrose.
‘‘We tried several different routes but everything was closed. I could not believe the major flood in the region was happening in the week of my wedding.’’
Mrs Atley decided wait for ‘‘things to calm down’’ but the whole picture was not looking good.
On Wednesday, her prayers were answered when she met a couple from Te Anau who owned a helicopter.
‘‘I did not think twice. I just wanted to be back to Invercargill where my wedding would be happening in few days.
Her dress even got a ‘‘VIP seat’’.
While she and her gear arrived safely on Wednesday night, the journey was not over.
‘‘I forgot my veil in the car in Fortrose so my fiance’s father had to drive there.’’
She missed other wedding appointments, including the hair appointment, but all the professionals made an effort to help her.
Due to batteries being flat on
their phones the pair could not take pictures of the whole saga, she said.
‘‘I’m really gutted. We just took one selfie.’’
Before she walked down the
aisle, Mrs Atley said she was feeling ‘‘pretty relaxed’’.
She said it made her realise people ‘‘shouldn’t sweat the small stuff in life’’.