CANTERBURY ELOPEMENT

MARCH 24 - CHRISTCHURCH

I woke in the early morning to a message from Shelly, one of our long-term family friends…

“Hey Vic, as you know Josh and I were meant to get married in two weeks but with yesterday’s news, we have decided to get married today. We would love to have someone there for an hour or two to take photos.”

…and I was instantly wide awake! A different role than usual but a wedding!? A spontaneous elopement?! YES!!!

A little background… Shelly’s parents, Dave and Cindy, and her four siblings, played a significant part in my upbringing - attending netball and swimming tournaments, school events, shared holidays at the beach, and numerous special family occasions. I still remember Dave’s kindness and patience when he taught me to sail at Kawau Island on school camp. As a young child, he helped me to feel brave and capable of anything. My husband, Dan, and I were honoured to have Dave as the MC at our own wedding in February last year and we are exceptionally grateful for the support that Shelly’s family gave us on our special day.

Despite planning a large wedding to be held in April, Josh and Shelly knew that all they wanted going into lock down was to be husband and wife. Thus, a new dream was born - a whirlwind elopement in the Christchurch hills with only their very closest ‘home team’.

Josh and Shelly were married in the shelter of the trees at the Sign of the Takahe. My heart was racing a million miles an hour as Shelly walked down the track on Dave’s arm - I can only imagine how Josh must have been feeling! There is something so precious about the bond between father and daughter, and it was difficult to stop the tears from flowing.

As a celebrant, I love the part of the ceremony when it is time to ask for consent and exchange vows. There was a huge amount of laughter when Josh replied “I do” to Michelle and Shelly said “You’re supposed to look at me when you say that!”.

Josh and Shelly share strong family values, and are blessed that both of their parents have had long, healthy marriages. One of my favourite parts of the ceremony was when the two families joined together in prayer. This was a ceremony full of joy - it was natural, intentional and best of all… it was about two people who just wanted to be themselves with each other.

After the ceremony, we braved the wild winds and rain in the Port Hills. I was hoping we could capture a few moments before Shelly froze in her dress but there was nothing to worry about as this she-warrior didn’t even feel the cold! Talk about a bubble of love… she was on Cloud 9!

Thank you so much for letting me be part of your special day xx it was an absolute privilege.

AROHA NUI,

Vic xxx

New Zealand is now at Alert Level 4 which means anyone who is not involved in essential work needs to stay home in order to prevent the spread of Covid19. Though there may be restrictions in place, CANZ has advised that marriages can take place when we are back to Alert Level 1 or 2. This information is subject to change.

Celebrant - Michelle Diprose

Photographer - Victoria Thomas (woohoo!)