Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
Matt and I (Emma) live in Narrabri NSW where we both grew up and now have our own home – I am an
accountant and Matt is a farmer.
We are both keen sportspeople and are quite competitive – Matt plays rugby for the local team, and I play
touch and netball. On weekends you can usually find us at the family farm doing jobs, although I did manage to
avoid learning how to drive a tractor until just last year! We both have a soft spot for animals, in particular our
dog Bucky who is 3.
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
We have been together for approximately 10 years, first meeting when we were only 17 and just fresh out of
high school. Growing up in a small country town, where everyone knows everyone, we likely would have
crossed paths before that, however my first memory of meeting Matt is through friends just after we had
finished school. I was on my gap year, and we started dating in November of that year after getting to know
each other as good friends for a few months. First impression – tall, dark, handsome and cheeky! One gap year
turned into two before I went to uni and we did long distance for 5 years. As hard as it was to leave him, he
pushed me to follow my dreams and get my degree and supported me the whole time. I made the move home
4 years ago and the rest is history.
When did you first realise that this was someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?
I wouldn’t be able to pinpoint an exact time but seeing the way Matt interacts with his family, he has a deep
respect for them, and the way he treats animals, I knew that he would be a kind and caring father one day and
we all know there is nothing more attractive than a hot dad!
Was there a proposal? Tell us a little about it…
After being together for 10+ years, I thought it would be hard for me to be surprised by a proposal – but that’s
exactly what Matt knew I would want. He took me completely by surprise on a Friday afternoon at home
(absolutely nothing special about that day). I was sitting on the couch and looked up and there was the ring!
Absolutely perfect.
Tell us about the vision you had for the mood or style of your wedding…
The first thing we decided on when we got engaged was that we wanted to have our wedding locally. Living in a
small country town, a year into COVID, a lot of the local businesses had been hit quite hard by the business
closures, none more so than those in the wedding industry. We used almost exclusively local suppliers (apart
from a couple of things that we simply could not source locally). As we have both grown up here, it was extra
special to have people we had grown up with helping us with our wedding.
The second thing we decided was that we would like to have the wedding at Matt’s parent’s place. They live on
the outskirts of town with a small acreage and a view of the mountains. We had barely gotten the question out
before Matt’s mum started telling us everything we could do in the garden. With a classic theme in mind, we
planted (what felt like) a tonne of white petunias which were absolutely stunning. Paired with white florals and
a green garden, that was all we really needed.
What was one element you were happy to splurge on?
Photography and videography – we knew that we would be looking back on our day for years to come and we
wanted to be able to have the photos and videos match our memories. We couldn’t be more happy with who
we went with and absolutely cherish the photos and memories we have, especially as since our wedding Matt’s
grandma has sadly passed away so being able to look back on the photos with her in them is very special.
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, is there a story?
My dress was made by a local dressmaker who is amazing – Melinda O’Donoghue. Funny story though, the
fabric for my dress arrived 6 days before the wedding. Looking back, I’m surprised at how calm I was, but I
completely trusted her and she delivered my dream dress and more. It could not have been more perfect!
Ceremony+ Reception location: Private Property | Videographer: Red Dot Media | Photographer: Lilly at Dawn | Celebrant: Father Paul McCabe | Entertainment: The Contingency Plan | Styling & Hire: North West Events | Marquee: North West Events | Flora: Blooms on Maitland | Catering + Beverages: Relish Catering & Josephines Drinks | Cake: Robyn Pattison | Stationery: Katie Watson | Attire: Melinda O’Donoghue & PJ Tailors | Ring/s: Armans Fine Jewellery | Shoes: Old shoes | Earrings – Peggy & Twig | Bracelet – (gift from Matt to Emma) – Paspaley | Other jewellery worn – gold bracelet family heirloom (given to Emma’s great grandmother by her great grandfather on their wedding day) and Emma wore her mothers Sapphire engagement ring | Makeup: Bianca Egan | Hair: Moree Impressions Hair Studio | Fragrance: Chanel | Bridesmaid attire: Rat and Boa
