Emma & Grant
“Emma and Grant are so perfect for each other, it pours out of their aura,” says their wedding photographer, Esther of The Love Archives. “They’re private but bubbly and confident. They’re loved by many and love to keep their affections close to their hearts. They had a stunning first look prior to the ceremony where they read each other their vows (this was a tearful moment for all four of us) and they went and got married on a pier over the crystal clear blue water of Vanuatu.” Below, Grant details how his and Emma’s elopement at Ratua Island Resort unfolded.
Emma and I met on Tinder. When it came time to propose, we were scuba diving. I had planned to propose to Emma underwater… but we got separated. When Emma surfaced, I was there waiting for her and surprised her with a wedding proposal (still in the water) – in front of her father who had remained on our boat.
We were married on the private island/resort of Ratua in Vanuatu on March 1, 2020. We had planned to have a wedding celebration party shortly after we returned from Vanuatu, however we have moved the party to our first wedding anniversary in 2021, due to COVID-19 and lockdown etc.
Emma looked absolutely incredible wearing a beautiful white dress by Wilkins Bridal.
Just before we did our vows – Esther (our photographer) made me wait with my eyes closed. Then I heard Whitney Houston playing. Emma had Whitney playing on her phone (which was in a pocket of her wedding dress) to help keep her relaxed and smiling. Esther then told me to open my eyes once Emma was in front of me and I have never seen such beauty and happiness at the same time – all while Whitney Houston was playing!
I wore a suit that consisted of a white shirt, a green jacket and matching shorts. It was far too hot to wear trousers and shoes!
One of the things that made our elopement so special was that we could pause proceedings at any stage of the day to reset and compose ourselves – I was very emotional!
The venue, Ratua, is a small private Island that is located near the island of Espiritu Santo in Vanuatu. We wanted our wedding to be special yet relaxed and informal. We didn’t want everyone to be staring at us (like conventional weddings) and we wanted it to be just about us… and it was. Ratua nailed it!
We did not choose any music, however the resort put on the Ratua string band. Emma walked down the aisle by herself (with the Ratua string band following her).
We had no say in the flowers – they were a surprise and were perfect, lush and very vibrant and tropical.
We wanted our day to be exactly was WE wanted it. We didn’t need to think about other people, there was no stress about where other guests might sit (there weren’t any), we didn’t have to worry about the food or any allergies (it was just the two of us). It was just the two of us and that made it all the more magical.
Our photographer Esther Boyd from The Love Archives was amazing and had such a relaxing manner.
It was hot and humid, very hot and humid. We were able to pause throughout the day to keep cool and calm because it was just us, and we were doing exactly what we wanted to do. We loved that we had the ability to do that. Then of course the swim at the end! We didn’t have a first dance on our wedding day, but perhaps our first dance was without music when we danced together in the ocean still wearing our wedding attire?
Incorporating our honeymoon and our favourite recreational activity (scuba diving) in to our wedding trip was also a highlight. We didn’t just get married, we experienced some of the best diving on the planet and also had an amazing honeymoon!
Emma & Grant’s Vanuatu Elopement (Feb 2020) The Love Archives from Esther Boyd on Vimeo.
Join the conversation