It was a last minute long weekend trip away to the West Coast and we stayed with a family friend who owns a helicopter charter business. After a couple of days of usual West Coast weather, we managed to both get seats on a helicopter flight on the final day of our trip. On the top of the mountain overlooking Franz Joseph and away from the other tourist on our flight, he got down on one knee in the snow and asked me to marry him. Jimmy managed to surprise me completely as our trip up to the mountain was entirely unplanned.
The Day
Our wedding was 21st February 2020 at Pemberton Gardens, just outside of Christchurch. We wanted a beautiful warm summer wedding at a venue where we could hold both the ceremony and reception in the same place.
Inspiration
We were fortunate enough to have Lisa at the Event Boutique to help with all the design details, set up and florals. We wanted a simple modern elegant style that complimented the venue. Our venue was stunning, so we didn’t need to do too much with the decorations, but Lisa was able to produce a cohesive design that was perfect for us. Our colour scheme was soft dusky blush and whites. A lot of our inspiration was from browsing on Pinterest and Instagram.
Expectations and Reality
We are both relatively relaxed people, so we wanted our day to reflect that. We both wanted to enjoy the day, stress free with our closest family and friends. We were surprised how seamlessly every aspect fell into place after months of planning, it was awesome seeing our vision become a reality. A lot of people had warned us that our wedding day would go by so fast, so I don’t know why I was surprised when it did!
From One Bride To Another
Do the research to find great vendors that you get along with, which allows you to place trust in them to make your big day stress free, relaxed and how you envisioned. Having a spreadsheet helped with the planning process and being organised (although not sure if it’s just the Accountant in me). Take time to find small moments throughout the day for yourselves to step back and take everything in, as it does go by so quickly.
Best Moment
Apart from doing the whole day again, it would be walking down the aisle. There were so many emotions going on, the nerves, excitement, making sure not to trip and so much to take in. The best bit was seeing Jimmy at the end of the aisle, smiling at me in the beautiful setting and having all our friends and family around.
Vendors:
Photographer: Sophie Isabella
Venue: Pemberton Gardens
Caterers: Moveable Feast
Stylist & Florals: The Event Boutique
Celebrant: Kate Clarke
Cake: Kates Cakery
Wedding Dress: Lovers Society
Make Up: Stacey Banfield
Hair: Alex Hannah
