Hannah + Chris by Susannah Blatchford - Together Journal

Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…

So, we’re both health pros (that’s what the cool kids call it), I’m a nurse and Chris is a Doctor – bit cute eh. We have been together for 7 years and felt like we hardly saw each other in the last 2 due to Chris’ studies, shift work, the pandemic and all that real fun stuff.

We have a shared passion for helping people and our community. We LOVE traveling, tramping and sleeping in. I especially love dancing so it was a non-negotiable that we had a wee dance number for our first dance. Chris really stepped up from his 1.2 step haha

How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?

We met on one of the wards in the hospital. Chris asked me if I could show him how to move a patient up the bed with a sliding sheet. I very unwilling demonstrated because I was about to go on my break and had a million and one other better things to do than help a medical student.

You could say it was love at first slide. I thought it was so nice that he thanked me, using my name (I was wearing a name badge which kinda helped). Chris has mesmerising eye contact and makes you feel like you are the most important person in the room.

C.F – We met on the wards of the hospital when I was a medical student and she was a first year nurse. She was pretty handy with sliding sheet. Through the magic of social media I quickly ascertained that we had mutual friends and, not so surreptitiously, ended up at the same party. I was drawn to Hannah by her ability to spin a yarn, shared values, thirst for getting the absolute most out of life.

When did you first realise that this was someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?

On our official first date, before he took me out to Spagalimis, we hugged under my flat heat pump. We we’re rocking just gently back and forth in this big bear hug for about 12 minutes. It could have been awkward, but I remember feeling extremely exposed but comfortable and safe with Chris.

Chris keeps me grounded. I’m like a kite and he’s the string- he doesn’t let me fly away- and I help lift him up.

C.F – I don’t remember a specific moment but I do know it didn’t take long for me to realise that Hannah was the one for me. I felt we were both really comfortable with each other early on and on the same wavelengths in many ways. I remember that we went to the Gold Coast together quite early on which to the outside may have seemed really fast – ordinarily I would agree, but it was something that just seemed to natural and easy. We haven’t really stopped going on adventures since.

Was there a proposal? Tell us a little about it…

Chris: It was March 2021 with national lockdown restrictions easing. With no immediate foreseeable chance of international travel we embarked on a road trip around the Coromandel. I didn’t have a specific plan, just that I wanted to propose at some point within those two weeks, ideally earlier as the ring was burning a hole in my bag. Hannah had no idea. On day 3 we were walking to New Chums beach and I uncharacteristically suggested we make the extra-journey up to the lookout, it was beautiful sunny day with pretty much had the whole area to ourselves. I dropped a knee – and the rest is history.

Tell us about the vision you had for the mood or style of your wedding…

HF Winter weddings have always been enchanting to me. I love how no one really wants to get married in winter because its cold, moody and isolating. But if you really look hard, you can find the warmth, the sun, and encourage people to party together.

I LOVE winter sweet, its my favourite flower and only blooms in winter- the smell is transporting and the oxymoronic bright yellow is just stunning. So we quite literally based our mood on this flower.

We used warm, yellow and brown tones to pair with the 60s/70s vibe of the church and reception.

All my aunties and mum go married at St Paul’s Tai Tapu church, so I always felt this retro connection to it.

I really wanted an old school three tired white icing bride cake to help sit with our retro wedding feel, and to have a big warm dance party to finish off the night.

We also wanted to pay special tribute to Chris’ Sri Lankan family roots. It was really important bringing our families together, each of us lighting the lamp and knowing today was about two people becoming one family.

What was one element you were happy to splurge on?

H.F The flowers, defiantly the flowers. Alex from The flower press did an AMAZING job. She so gorgeously understood my love for wintersweet and the feel of the wedding. A non-negotiable was also the photography- Susie, she is the best of the best.

Did anything happen on your wedding day that you laugh about in hindsight (even if it was stressful at the time)?

H.F Haha, the big father of the bride dress revel was a non event. I always loved seeing photos of fathers and their reaction to their daughter in the wedding dress. I loved how classic Mark- my dad -just walked right passed me asking if his suit looked good to mum, completely oblivious to my costume change.

It made me laugh.

Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, is there a story?

H.F I was obsessed with Chosen by Kyha Hazel wedding gown but the budget didn’t allow for it. So putting my creative’s mother Irene, and Izzy from Paperswan brides-heads together, they found a sample gown that could be transformed into the Hazel. Only one problem. This was my lovely friend’s wedding dress she is still yet to wear on HER big day! What kind of friend buys her friend’s wedding dress?! Like, who does that!? Well, Me. But… before you eat my head off there was one rule. The dress had to look nothing like hers. After cleaning the dress in the BATH!, yup. Most fearful 30 minutes of my life, it looked bran-spanking new. I then got it altered by a very cleaver lady. By removing the statement lace to revel a gorgeous boning midsection, adding organza bellowing sleeves and organza to the off the shoulder neck line, I had the Hannah. A perfect one-of-a-kind wedding dress.