For Dale, he dreamt big for his wedding to Emilia, but little did he know it would come true. “When we were discussing locations for our wedding, we’d recently been rewatching The Fellowship of The Ring – I’d always marvelled at the long, beautiful helicopter mountainscape shots and jokingly suggested we should just go there instead of a large wedding at home. ” The pair, inviting their very favourite people to jump across the ocean with them, to make utter magic and say their vows against the stunning natural backdrop of New Zealand “It turned out great! ” laughs Dale. “Don’t be afraid to throw out wild suggestions – press pause during your favourite film and you too can be wed in a magical place like Mordor, Winterfell or even Under The Sea!”

And so, with The Nature Issue in mind, and Queenstown as the backdrop, this one is just the right way to kick off a Tuesday. Lauren Campbell and Elopement Collective helping Emilia and Dale pull off their dream in stunning, breathtaking beauty (I mean, can we even start with Emilia’s black lac wedding gown?)

Let’s kick off the story with the details of how the pair first came to be.  Says the bride “We met through mutual friends amongst the Brisbane music scene – we’d known each other for quite a few years before we started dating, seeing each other at gigs around Brisbane.” That easygoing, vibe, carrying over to the moment the couple became engaged. “We got engaged at the Melbourne Comedy Festival before going to see The Book of Mormon.”.

Dale and Emilia drove to the ceremony together and walked hand in hand down the aisle together. It was a day, filled with togetherness. “Our wedding party were our closest friends, and they chose their own outfits. Dale and I, our guests, family and friends spent the morning getting ready together.”

The couple were married by the water, by Josh Withers, says the bride “Our amazing wedding celebrant found our ceremony location the morning of our wedding on the shore of the beautiful Lake Wakatipu in Queenstown. we read our own vows surrounded by friends and family.”

The flowers for the day? They were styled by Crimson Wedding Flowers and included the bride’s favourite flower. Emilia noting “Our amazing florist created a beautiful bouquet of classic white flowers with a moody twist, featuring my favourite ranunculus.”

Emilia and Dale didn’t have to worry about a thing, they enlisted Elopement Collective to take care of it all. “Every one of our vendors was amazing, however, none of it would have been possible without the elopement team that brought it all together for us, Britt & Josh at The Elopement Collective.”

“Being surrounded by the people we loved, amongst the mountains” was Emilia’s response when asked her favourite part of the day. “We loved the time alone together at the peak after the ceremony, taking everything in the view and experiencing the epic landscape and adventure together.”

“Don’t be afraid to try something a little different and a little more personal” advises Emilia, ” bringing a small group of loved ones with you to a place you love can be a unique and memorable experience for everyone involved.”

The bride wore black, her incredible lace gown designed by Aluuna.  “I had a custom couture gown made for me by designer Nicola from Aluuna. I rarely wear anything that isn’t black, and couldn’t imagine wearing or feeling comfortable in a dress that wasn’t black. I wanted something subtle and sweet, that felt very me. Nicola created my dream dress complete with hand-dyed black lace.”

The groom was dressed by Politix. Says Emilia “Dale wore a three-piece suite from Politix that complimented his own style while being warm enough for a mountain top in New Zealand!”

Post ceremony the day was just beginning. “Following the ceremony we took a helicopter to Cecil Peak for photos overlooking Queenstown with our amazing photographer Lauren Campbell. We then went to an intimate banquet-style dinner at Sherwood, sharing amazing food and drinks in front of a fireplace. Sherwood grows, forage and buy local all their food, which made their menu really special and memorable.”

One of the most special memories for Emilia? “Experiencing the helicopter trip from our ceremony to our photo location, stepping out to the edge of the peak to take it all in, the view, and that we were finally married!”

“Our photographer Lauren was absolutely amazing” exclaims Emilia. “She felt like a friend straight away, making us feel very comfortable and relaxed, and captured photos better than we could have ever dreamt – her aesthetic fit our day perfectly.”

A big congratulations to you both Emilia and Dale. What an honour it was to be able to share your story today. Thank you also to Lauren Campbell for working with us on this one and sharing her beautiful images!