Before I knew it, we were down by the estuary, no one around & Shane got on one knee – my car sickness quickly changed to excitement & I was so so happy!!
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
Emma – I’ve always had a creative eye, working within the textiles and apparel field. At uni a friend and I screenprinted t shirts & started a side hustle plom&balle which then funded a trip to Europe, where I met Shane! I guess I will always be grateful for those t shirts, which led me to meeting my forever person.
Shane – I’ve always had a passion for horse racing & have worked in the industry since the age of 16. After meeting Emma I began looking at jobs in the industry in NZ & was fortunate to find a role in racing media at Trackside NZ, which I love.
Friends and family are incredibly important to us, which has its challenges given that one of us is always living away from ‘home’. It was truly incredible to have everyone together on our wedding day, which was the most special thing for us.
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
We met in Barcelona on a bus tour in 2015 & immediately kicked it off. Being from New Zealand & Australia, one in the middle of a four-year uni degree & the other in an established career within a niche industry – we knew it wouldn’t be easy, but we had to make it work. After several moves across the ditch & we got married in NZ in March 2024. At first impressions, Shane couldn’t understand my Kiwi accent & I couldn’t look past the fact he was wearing a ¾ track pants, so it wasn’t exactly love at first sight. However, a couple of cocktail buckets later in Cinque Terre, it was all on, and we have been together ever since.
When did you first realise that this was someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?
Emma – We met overseas, having less than 2 weeks together before heading home to different countries. This meant we knew pretty quickly that we wanted to see each other again. Just a month after getting home from Europe, I booked a trip over to Sydney for my uni break. I had to break the news that I was not coming home to see my family in the holidays, but I was going to spend my break & limited money with my newfound European x Aussie lover. This trip locked in our love story and we have been all in and committed ever since. We have never made being from different countries a challenge, taking it in our stride & have always put our relationship & being together first. We have bounced between living in Sydney & Auckland over the years, currently very settled in Auckland, NZ.
Shane – Knowing all the effort we both went to from the beginning to see each other & be together – I knew we had something very special early on.
Was there a proposal? Tell us a little about it…
Emma – We were living in Sydney at the time & had booked a quick trip home to see family. We had a weekend away with Emma’s mum, dad, sister & brother in law in Whangamata planned. When we arrived, I was feeling a bit carsick, so Shane & I went for a stroll along the beach for some fresh air. Before I knew it, we were down by the estuary, no one around & Shane got on one knee – my car sickness quickly changed to excitement & I was so so happy!! We had left Auckland towards the end of COVID-19, so we didn’t have a leaving party & had our “leaving drinks that never happened” planned with friends on a Sunday – this then turned into engagement drinks – sharing the news as our friends arrived.
What was one element you were happy to splurge on?
For us, our main thing was having everyone we love in one place. We had over 60 people travel from Australia, London, and Bali to be there, which was so special. We wanted drinks to be flowing & a fun vibe – Sam Jones, the Sax man set an awesome tone for the day & we danced until the very end.
Did anything happen on your wedding day that you laugh about in hindsight (even if it was stressful at the time)?
No! We were very lucky, nothing went “wrong” – but we are pretty relaxed & not too particular.
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, is there a story?
Emma – I knew I wasn’t one to wear something super traditionally ‘bridal’. I had seen Rachel Mills ‘Jillian’ dress, thinking it would be stunning in white & when I tried it on in a sour green apple colourway & I fell in love. Rachel was so lovely, having the perfect ivory white fabric at the ready to bring the dress to life. It was the first dress I tried before going down the more classic route at bridal shops, where the dresses were beautiful – but not really me. Having a more fitted dress with a split back, I knew my shoes would be seen & I was struggling to decide what route to go down for style. I walked into the Dove Hospice shop on my lunch break & I spotted the J’adore Dior slingbacks in my size. It was one of those moments when you look around – thinking, “Am I being punked?”!!? To that person who donated near the new Dior – I will forever be grateful. The dress, paired with my mum’s pearl necklace & earrings, a simple pleat veil & the black slingbacks, was just perfect. It was so special to wear my mum’s pearls on the day, too & completed the look.
LOCATION The Hunting Lodge, Waimauku, Auckland, @the_hunting_lodge PHOTOGRAPHER Danni Bishara, @dannibisharaaa FLORIST Floralcentric, @floralcentric CELEBRANT Dylan Patel ENTERTAINMENT Sam Jones, @goldmansax_ CATERING The Hunting Lodge, @the_hunting_lodge WEDDING BANDS Guys Gold, @guys.gold ENGAGEMENT RINK Cerrone, @cerronejewellers CEREMONY OUTFIT Rachel Mills, @rachel__mills ACCESSORIES Pearl necklace & earrings – Bride’s Mum; Handbag – Passed down from Bride’s Granny MAKEUP Mindy Ryan-Kidd, @makeup_bymindy HAIR Beauty on Demand, @beautyondemandnz SUIT MJ Bale, @mjbale GROOM’S SHOE Florsheim, @florsheimaus ACCESSORIES Oyster Vintage Watch – Rolex, @rolex GROOMSMEN SUIT MJ Bale, @mjbale BRIDESMAIDS DRESS Significant Other, @the.significant.other
