Georgina and Matthew’s Wedding
Pemberton Gardens
Images by Bethany Howarth Photography
‘On our first date Matt’s card declined and he was so mortified he instantly oered to pay next time, so it was always destined to be more than just one date. Looking back our second date was really special because we went up the gondola and now we live underneath it!
‘After that second date, the view from the Port Hills out to Lyttelton and over Christchurch became something really special to us and somewhere we would go often, so I thought nothing of it when Matt took me up there for a walk on a Monday night.
‘Turns out he had it all planned that he would propose that week ahead of dinner with my family that coming weekend. After looking at the forecast he realised the only night he could do it would be Monday. Which was also cricket night – so after getting down on one knee, me saying yes and a quick celebration, I was left home alone while he went to cricket practice!
‘Finding a venue was our biggest challenge as we had a large guest list. Right from the outset we knew that we loved the look and feel of Pemberton, and when we met event manager Sarah, we knew it was for us.
‘We didn’t really know when we wanted to get married, nor did we have a date in mind, so when Sarah said she had a cancellation we took it. It meant we only had 10 months to get everything sorted, but otherwise due to the Covid backlog it could have been years.
‘Ease of mobility and lightweight were my only requirements when it came to the dress, and my bridesmaid Sarah knows me so well that when she saw an advert for a Juliette Hogan Bridal sale, she instantly knew it was the one for me. My sister and I ended up being the first ones at the sale and thank goodness, cos it was chaos! We went straight for the Cordelia dress from the advert, and it was perfect!
‘For Matt, being from the UK and with Covid, the wedding was the first time he had seen his family and friends for nearly three years, which was really special. Looking back on the day, there were so many special moments: our maid of honour rapping, the band, the vows, the people … it all goes so fast. It is so important to find a moment together to soak it all in and enjoy it.’
Q&A
Any advice for other couples?
Choose your celebrant wisely. They are such a key part of the day and for us it was important it was someone who knew us. My sister Emily was ours and Matt still laughs that if it wasn’t for her reminding him to breathe, he might have passed out waiting for me. Also, make it about you as a couple. We had friends and family travelling from overseas so had a number of other events happening around the wedding – a pre-wedding cricket match (England vs New Zealand), drinks in Lyttelton and a very casual day-after, so that we had lots of time to catch up with everyone.
