Barefoot, the rain pummeling down outside, your favourite people surrounding you in a fairy-lit room. If there was a perfect kind of wedding for the blustery, weather-loving folk, this would be it.

Christine and Dave, who ditched their big wedding thanks to COVID, had plans to marry on a secret ledge overlooking the Blue Mountains at sunset, but with thunder, rain and lighting the theme of Mother Nature that one Spring day, their friends and family hustled, pulling together a cosy indoor ceremony, that was, if you ask us, even more, special than any view Mother Nature could provide. And these two? They happen to agree. “At the end of the day, we wanted it to feel like all of the most important people in our life were there with us. Our ceremony was so beautiful and intimate, we loved that we didn’t need microphones or speakers. It felt like our family was there with us and holding the space with us, that was magical.”

Making his long overdue Polka Dot Wedding debut today, Sam Wyper was the one behind the camera. The moments from the pre-wedding card game, the intimate indoor ceremony, and the misty, barefoot portrait session on top of the mountain, all an utter delight.

Handing over to the couple’s chosen celebrant Fiona Mason as we steal her words for the story of how Christine and Dave came to be; “This love story began through a mutual swipe right on Tinder, which led to a coffee & brekkie date at a Café in Paddington, Brisbane, on the 15th May 2015. At the time, Chrissy and Dave were both in their early 20s, studying at Uni, and working in hospitality. Dave arrived on time for this date, however Chrissy is chronically early and maintains that Dave was late. The date ended with a hug and the flame was sparked. Dave was smitten despite Christine’s garish bright pink cardigan. Chrissy went home and told her housemates “I like him but he has an annoying voice”.”

Dave decided to pop the question on Christine’s birthday even in winter 2019. Again, Fiona tells the story “Dave proposed to Christine on the 28th of June 2019, the day before her 26th birthday. It was a very romantic and special surprise proposal. Dave had led Christine to believe that he was taking her out to dinner to celebrate her birthday, and she had to be home by 5 that evening. She was running late, and she was planning on getting ready very quickly to make up for lost time.

However, when she walked in the door, the table was set, and a bottle of champagne was open. Dave had spent the whole day cooking a four-course meal, an absolutely unique meal as each dish had its own story. Chrissy was absolutely blown away that Dave would go to so much effort for her birthday dinner. Little did she know that he was really planning to propose. When it came to dessert, he asked her to close her eyes so he could assemble the next course. Chrissy obligingly did as requested, and Dave began his proposal. Chrissy didn’t realise until he was about halfway through his speech that he was proposing, and when she opened her eyes, there was Dave on one knee with a ring….”

Christine went for sparkle, her champagne toned gown named the “Shimmer Daisy” by UK designers Needle & Thread.  She tells “I wanted something that complimented the beautiful surrounding nature we intended on being married in. The dress was stunning, better than I anticipated! So many delicate details, it was perfect for our wedding.” Her sisters wore similar gowns from the same brand. “We didn’t have a wedding party as we only had 20 guests,” explains Christine, “however both of my sisters wore Needle and Thread dresses as well to compliment mine.”

There was just Chrissy’s bouquet and Dave’s boutonniere for the floral details. Both were made by Fleur de Flo. Says Chrissy “We asked for ‘Wild and Native’ and he delivered perfectly.”

Dave was dressed in pieces from Peter Jackson. “Dave wore a light blue check suit jacket with a beige colour through the check. Matched with a white linen top and beige linen pants. At first, we thought that the pattern jacket would clash with my beaded dress, ” says Christine “but it actually turned out really nice.”

The pair made sure to honour loved ones’ past and present throughout their day. “Dave lost his sister unexpectedly in 2017 in an effort to keep her present with us, Dave carried a photo of Colette in his pocket and Chrissy had one of her necklaces wrapped around her bouquet.
Chrissy also had a tiepin on the back of her dress from her recently deceased Grandfather and family Rosary beads around her bouquet that all the women in the family have had on their wedding day.”

The couple headed out, bare feet and all, to the misty mountain top for their portrait session. Their choice of photographer is one that Christine highly recommends. “Our photographer, Sam Wyper, was just amazing. He braved the rain and storm with us and was so adaptable to all the changes of our wedding. He gave us the most beautiful and captivating photos we could have asked for. It was cool how Sam has this gentle guiding hand in directing our photos and ideas for photos. He dreamed big but also allowed space for our ideas as well. Sam was warm and calm, we couldn’t have asked for anyone better.”

Chrissy and Dave give you this advice. “Don’t stress about the wedding planning, nothing ever actually goes to plan, just enjoy the day.”

Chrissy walked down the aisle with her dad to ‘All I want is you’ by Barry Louis Polisar.

Although the indoor ceremony was into what they planned, we’d say it was actually more perfect. Christine and Dave explain “Once we realised that the ceremony on the rock was not possible, while we were getting photos in the rain our wonder family went to our accommodation and moved around furniture, found some fairy lights, arranged rugs and reused flowers from the day before (from a flower crown workshop) to make the most magical place. All was last minute and almost seems perfectly curated!”

The couple were married by Fiona Mason Celebrant. “Both of us wrote our vows independently and privately, and somehow we both ended them the same way by saying ‘Every day forever’, a kind of mantra for our relationship we’ve developed over the years. Fiona made the whole ceremony and lead up to the ceremony so special. She walked us through everything and gave us so many ideas for the ceremony. Fiona is so kind and gentle and made our day feel magical.”

The couple chose two readings, that they read to one another:

Soul Mates by Lang Leav (read by Dave)

I don’t know how you are so familiar to me—or why it feels less like I am getting to know you and more as though I am remembering who you are. How every smile, every whisper brings me closer to the impossible conclusion that I have known you before, I have loved you before—in another time, a different place, some other existence.

Extract from ‘Captain Corelli’s Mandolin’ by Louis De Bernieres (read by Chrissy)

Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being in love, which any fool can do. Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident. Those that truly love have roots that grow towards each other underground, and, when all the pretty blossoms have fallen from their branches, they find that they are one tree and not two

After the ceremony, the newlyweds celebrated with a delicious dinner. “After the ceremony, we had Smile Catering by Grant King cook an amazing five-course meal for us. the catering was just amazing, it was such a treat that we could give our family a really spectacular dinner (not something we ever thought we could do). Our favourite dishes were the ‘Liquid Pumpkin & Parmesan Gnocchi’ and the ‘seared scallops & king prawns with green apple, coconut and kaffir lime’. The meal was just incredible.”

The couple celebrated their new status with a five-course dinner, so good it made them forget their first dance says Christine. “We didn’t end up having a first dance! (oops!) we were so tired after a 5-course meal that we went to bed!
But we had planned to have “to be alone with you” by Bob Dylan as our first dance. Instead, we danced to it a lot on our honeymoon, which was just as nice! We didn’t enjoy much of the planning (thanks to COVID we had to replan over and over again). But there was something really fun about creating our playlist and dancing to it often leading up to the wedding.”

The biggest of congratulations to you both Christine and Dave. Your wedding balm for the soul and so incredibly beautiful. Thank you both and thank you to Sam Wyper Photography for sharing today’s celebration with us.