Featured Bride: Emma & Mike
THE DETAILS
Wedding Date: 18.11.2023
Location: Winterhome Garden, Kekerengu
Catering: White Tie Catering
Stylist/Furniture: Hayley & Co
Marquee: Silk Estate
Bride’s Gown: Custom Trish Peng
Makeup: Stacey Banfield
Groom’s Attire: Sergios
Rings: Diamond Specialist, Sydney
Photographer: Susannah Blatchford
Videographer: Grey Area Productions
Flowers: Native Botanics
Stationary: Vanilla Hayes
Cake: The Cake Eating Company
Photobooth: My Glam Booth
Hair: Ashliegh Jane
Wedding song: Aisle: The Vow - RuthAnne; First Dance: Nervous - John Legend
Tell us the story of how you met.
Mike and I met in January 2017 at our mutual friend's wedding - Mike was a groomsman and I was a guest. We didn’t really speak to each other at the wedding but kept catching each other's eyes throughout the night. Mike then sent me a DM and we started chatting and eventually started getting more flirty. After a few months we went on our first date and instantly hit it off and chatted for hours. That day I knew the connection that we had was something special. Sitting at that cafe is when our love story began and we have pretty much been inseparable ever since.
Tell us about the proposal story…
Mike proposed to me on my 30th Birthday which was the perfect way for me to be completely surprised! We had lunch at the cafe where we had our first date, then for a drive and ended at a gorgeous Canopy Camping Escape in Pigeon Bay. I walked in the door & there were rose petals on the floor and flowers/decorations/balloons (set up by our friends, who were in on it all!) and our dog was even there dressed in a little suit! I just thought he was being really romantic and thoughtful for my birthday! I was opening a present and it was a box, inside a box, inside a box and when I got to the last one there was a handwritten love letter from Mike & when I looked up from reading his letter he was on one knee! It was absolutely perfect!
What was your biggest source of inspiration when planning your wedding? Did you have a specific theme/aesthetic?
I have been lucky enough to have worked in events since I was 15 and then worked as a wedding planner so have been involved in hundreds of weddings so I had seen it all! I knew that I always wanted something that was classic and timeless, but elevated. It was also important to me that I didn’t get married anywhere that I had previously worked. When we found our venue, a formal garden on the coastline (a truly beautiful sanctuary) I knew that a classic colour palette of neutrals and shades of white and cream would be idyllic. I loved how it came together on the day!
What was your most memorable moment from your wedding day?
It is so hard to pick, we just had the most wonderful day and want to do it all over again! I think walking down the aisle would be one of the most memorable moments. We had quite a long aisle, & walked myself down the aisle so I thought it would be really overwhelming but instead it was so incredibly special and a surreal moment. We had done a first look earlier in the day so it wasn’t the first time seeing each other but walking down the aisle felt so much more intense, and will be a feeling I will never forget. Our first dance was also one of our favourite moments, it was so much fun! We had done a couple of lessons and would practice each night leading up the wedding. It had become a fun activity to unwind and laugh during the stressful lead up to the wedding. Getting to do our dance infront of our loved ones cheering us on was such a cool moment!
Tell us the story behind your dress. Did you always know what you wanted it to look like?
I felt a lot of pressure to have that moment everyone talks about when you find the dress! I had tried on a few styles and although I liked some, there wasn’t the feeling of the one! When I flew up to Auckland and went and saw Trish the first time we tried on a few different styles & ended up deciding on a custom piece as I loved elements of multiple dresses and also wanted to add a few extra touches to make it more me. When I tried on my custom dress in our first fitting, I felt that moment I had dreamt of instantly! Trish was an absolute delight & was one of my favorite parts of the wedding planning process. Walking through those pink doors always felt like a pinch me moment, and I absolutely adored the process with Trish and loved every visit. I absolutely adored my dress and veil, I have never felt so beautiful ❤ It was everything I had dreamed of and more! The whole experience was magical!
Did you have a honeymoon after the big day? If so, where did you go?
Yes we did! My parents met & fell in love while they were both working on Hayman Island in the Whitsundays. I always knew that I also wanted Hayman Island to be a part of our love story too, so it was an easy decision for it to be where we went on our honeymoon. It was such a special place with that connection to Mum and Dad and the most beautiful & relaxing place to reminisce on the wedding weekend.
What piece of advice would you give to future brides who are planning their special day?
It is so easy to get caught up in the noise when planning your wedding. There is so much content/ideas/opinions and it is hard to not get caught up in that or want to do everything. So it is important to circle back to the things that are actually the most important to you as a couple and just make decisions with only those important factors in mind. My on-the-day piece of advice would also be to make sure that you block out some time, even just a few minutes, to take a moment just the two of you to soak it all in. The day goes by so fast and is such a beautiful whirlwind that those little moments together are really important.
