Bridget dreamed that she would one day get married in the house she grew up in. “Our house is a beautiful Victorian home with an expansive garden that my mum takes a great deal of pride in. In one of the photos you can see my childhood cubby house, now overgrown with Ivy.” And so when she & her beloved Chris, and decided to celebrate their Aussie wedding? Well, there was naturally no other option!

After tying the knot in Bath, where they were living during the peak of the pandemic, the couple celebrated again in Australia, “It was really important for us to have a ‘second’ wedding in Australia to reaffirm our commitment in front of all our Australian friends and family and all the people who are most important to us” explained Bridget, who enlisted dear friend  Simon Pickering Photography to capture their day. And not even Mother Nature, who chose that very day of all days to bucket down with rain, could dampen the spirits of this very special celebration.

Chris & Bridget’s paths first crossed, in the very new-fashioned way of the 2020s – online! “We met online in 2016 – no special story really!” remembers Bridget. “On the day of my 30th birthday we were in Paris and Chris surprised me at the top of the Eiffel Tower by popping the question!”

 

Bridget walked down the aisle with her dad. “My dad walked me down the aisle which was so special. We walked down to “Tea for the Tillerman” by Cat Stevens which has a beautifully joyful swell in the music and was perfect.”

The couple were married by Kathy McCullagh, who worked with the couple to create a short and sweet ceremony, filled with vows they wrote with Kathy’s help.

Bridget chose a cream, floral beaded gown. “Because we wanted a relaxed wedding at home I didn’t want a traditional floor-length length gown. I was immediately drawn to the style of Needle and Thread, an English online dress shop. The dress I chose was un-traditional yet still bridal. I loved the floral embroidery. It gave the dress so much vibrancy and gave me a base to select colours for my bouquet and decorations from.

Chris bought an Italian suit from a store in Bath, England. It was Italian wool with a beautiful relaxed fit. His tie was chosen to match the embroidery of my dress.”

   

Bridget wore the hairpiece her mum also wore on her wedding day. “The headband was the same one my mum wore when she married my dad 35 years previously. Through it, I threaded a blue ribbon so it doubled as my something old and something blue.”

Bridget’s very favourite photo? “One of us looking at each other under the umbrella, my childhood cubby house in the background and Chris has his head thrown back and is laughing. I don’t know what I said that was so funny! But I love how naturally beautiful this moment is.”

The couple counts photographer Simon as one of their dear friends, says Bridget, “We have known Simon for many years because he is married to one of my best friends. He was the obvious choice for us and we are so happy we chose him. Not only is he very talented but he had a way of making everyone relax. He was friendly and patient and nearly all our guests commented on how wonderful he was, giving gentle instructions yet putting everyone at ease to produce wonderfully relaxed and candid shots. There are some photos that I will treasure for the rest of my life in his collection as they perfectly capture the subject as I know this.”

This was a wedding filled with special, handmade details by the couple’s family, tells Bridget,  “My mum made my bouquet, colours tying in with my dress. Very simple and elegant roses. All the floral decorations and fairy lights throughout the garden were all DIY by my mum, dad and my mom’s sister (my Aunty). My makeup was done by my sister-in-law.”

Bridget and Chris have one special piece of advice for you – do not worry about the rain! “The fact that it poured with torrential rain the whole day ended up being my favourite detail. It made the reception so much more intimate because we were all inside.”

“The speeches were so special” remembers Bridget. “There was so much love in that room. We loved having all our friends and family who have been so supportive over the years in the same room sharing our love. We also loved the fact that people had travelled so far to be there, from Melbourne, New South Wales and even England. It meant so much that everyone was happy to travel so far to share the day with us.”

Congratulations to you both, Bridget and Chris! Thank you for sharing such a special day with us! Thank you both and thank you to Simon Pickering Photography for sharing today’s beautiful day with us.