Chris and Christen

Chris and I met back when we were 14 on a Mt Buller school ski trip with our families. Our parents connected on the bus during the 7 hour drive from Adelaide. They quickly became friends and our 2 families spent the rest of the week skiing together. We lived but 5 minutes away from each other back in Adelaide, so the following years were spent having regular family dinners. It would be honest to say that from very early on I developed a little bit of a crush on Chris, unfortunately, being a teenage boy, he didn’t clue in for about 4 years…

Around the age of 18, Chris and I started having lunch together between work and uni breaks without feeling the need to clue our families in. Soon after we started dating, and we’ve been together ever since.

While Chris’s family were away on vacation last year, Chris convinced me we needed to go and check on his parent’s country property, as trees had recently been planted and some typical Adelaide winter weather could harm them. I didn’t clue in… despite the fact that Chris was 2 hours late picking me up and lilies had been planted all over the property. Amongst a storm and the bitter cold of an Adelaide winter, Chris took my breath away, as he got down on one knee and proposed!

Our wedding was planned for 13 months later, another Adelaide winter’s day – 07/07/2012. This time we were greeted by probably the warmest and most sunny day winter in Adelaide has ever produced – so blessed.

We decided on an elegant theme for our wedding, with black, white and pink being feature colours. My gown was perfect for me; simple, elegant and all symmetrical. The ladies at Bridal on Pulteney were amazing; truly! They always remembered me by name and never failed to make me feel special EVERY time I visited.

As for the bridesmaids, Review, being a personal favourite of mine, was an easy choice. We went with the ‘fairytale’ dress, an A-line, knee length black dress with a lace overlay. These dresses were contrasted perfectly with the flowers Fiona, a very lovely family friend of mine, and I created. Fiona managed to capture my thoughts and make them all a reality! The girls held pink bouquets of carnations, lisianthus, roses and baby’s breath while my flowers were the same just in champagne and cream tones.  Fiona also arranged our church and reception flowers, putting together 12 large masterpieces to match both rooms perfectly! The boys wore classic black suits from Peter Shearer and all looked super handsome!

On the day we engaged the talents of Nicole and Chelsea from 2one7 Stylists for hair and Lauren Parkinson and Anita Johns from Bellezar for makeup. All the ladies made us feel so special and look fabulous, I couldn’t be more thankful!

We were married at Pilgrim Uniting Church by a very close family friend, Rev. Scott Button. My father walked me down the aisle to the Pilgrim Organ playing ‘St. Anthony’s Chorale’. The organ added a traditional touch and was enjoyed by many. It was such a joy for us to see so many of our family and friends together.

Our photographer, Luke Greaves, and his assistant, Derek McClure, made the whole day a lot of fun, very easy and comfortable. With their combined talent as amazing photographers, we’ve gained nothing but incredible photos that make us want to do it all over again!

Our reception was held at Adelaide Town Hall, which is historically elegant like nothing I’ve seen inAdelaide before. Marble staircases, picturesque balconies and ornate ceilings – we were in heaven! Bianca from Encore Group ran the entire show, from start to finish and was always available to answer any questions I had. From the minute we met I had no fear in handing over the reigns, it was clear everything would be perfect. Together with my mum and bridesmaids 100+ personalised gingerbread heart place cards were baked and decorated and were a huge hit with guests! With the room set up and all of our closest family and friends inside, it was a beautiful sight! The night flew by as we chatted and danced with our guests. Chris and I danced our first dance together to ‘My Girl Tonight’ by Jon McLaughlin. We were so nervous, but it was such a special moment.

We had a wonderful day, and will surely look back on it with fond memories. Make sure to enjoy all the planning, to make it your day, to look for fun ideas to make it all your own! All the hard work is soon forgotten and pays off 100 times over!

 

Ms Gingham says: A classic and heartwarming wedding with an equally heartwarming teenage sweethearts story! Thanks so much to Christen for sharing her wedding!

Christen says: ‘I’m an Adelaide girl with a flare for making plans in an overly organised manner. I love all things symmetrical, simple and stunning. Nothing is more important to me than family and good friends so having them all together for a day was a dream come true!’