Emma and Chris describe their Brisbane wedding as a “little journey of our favourite things about our favourite city”. With an intimate crowd of 14 in tow, these cool cats chartered a yacht through the river city to their Botanical Gardens ceremony before celebrations continued at the couple’s fave dinner spot. Yep, it was so iconically Brisbane that even Bluey was there (kinda). “The funniest moment was when our young son brought his Bluey water bottle up to the front of the ceremony as we read our vows… he wanted to make sure we were hydrated!”
The whole shebang was planned in just three months – so impressive. And speaking of impressive, can we take a moment to admire these happy snaps by Katie Harmsworth? Official tour of Emma and Chris’s day departs below…
FAVE DETAILS “I loved our stationery. We worked with Andrea from Deciduous Press, based in Tasmania. She included a hand-drawn image of our home as it was where the wedding day journey was to begin. The efficiency of the design process and the quality of her work were impressive. Travelling by boat to our ceremony venue from our house was so fun! It made for some dramatic photos as we passed iconic Brisbane locations. As we passed Howard Smith Wharves, we got several ovations from the nearby diners. Our flowers from Emilia at Bloodwood Botanica were gorgeous and really fit our vibe!”
THE VIBE “We wanted it to feel really personal and quietly elegant – like a little journey of our favourite things about our favourite city, with our loved ones. We only included wedding traditions that held real meaning for us and disregarded the rest. We kept as much as possible ‘in house’ to keep it as personal as possible. For example, a friend acted as the celebrant, and my siblings sang at the ceremony. We actually got married the day prior at the registry office.”
BRIDAL LOOK “As a busy, working toddler mum with a 12-week turnaround time, I knew I’d need to buy something off-the-rack and that I’d mostly need to shop online. I think I ordered probably 12 different things until I settled on my outfit. I had a clear vision of what I wanted from the start, but had to hold those ideas somewhat lightly with the time constraint. We did visit Dior in the process of suit shopping, and I instantly fell in love with my shoes – an embroidered slingback with a touch of duck-egg blue. In fact, they were the first thing I purchased. I finally landed on the Max Mara suit pants and tuxedo jacket, with a Fleur du Mal bodice underneath with about three weeks to go and loved how it came together.”
MEMORABLE MOMENT “It was so special to have my favourite songs sung by my siblings after I’d married my favourite person. I couldn’t help but sing along with them as we hugged everyone. Also, my mum is a fairly reserved person but she gave a beautifully heartfelt speech that had me sobbing. I was so proud of her as she would have been quite nervous to speak in front of a group. Chris’ 97-year-old grandmother also attended the entire day – and it was so special to see her alongside our 18-month-old son, the eldest and the youngest, side by side!”
STANDOUT VENDORS “Katie Harmsworth, our photographer, was amazing. I connected with her from the first phone call, and she continued to help us feel relaxed and fabulous on the day. The staff at Exhibition Restaurant were such a breeze to work with. They were so flexible and didn’t mind too much when we were belting out Hamilton songs post-dinner. Whilst not directly related to the wedding, I also wanted to highlight Susie Saltzman, who Chris worked with to design my engagement ring. She made the process really enjoyable and personal, which I think helped impart some special magic into the ring.”
If you’ve fallen head over heels for these pics from Katie Harmsworth, why not say ‘g’day’ and get chatting about your big day? You can find Katie’s deets over here on the Hello May Directory. If so, click over here for more inspo, or over here for more real QLD-flavoured weddings.
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Katie Harmsworth Florist Avalon Florals, Bloodwood Botanica Stationery Deciduous Press Ceremony Venue Brisbane City Botanic Gardens Reception Venue & Wedding Favours Exhibition Restaurant Food Trucks or Carts Vintage on Tap Entertainment Family Celebrant Friend Rings Susie Saltzman, Rachel Boston Transport Yot Blue Private Charter THE BRIDE Bridal Suit Designer Max Mara Bridal, Fleur du Mal Veil Jennifer Behr Robes Olivia von Halle Shoes Dior Accessories Paspaley, Mont Blanc Hair Sarah Neill Hair Makeup Andria Malouf Fragrance/Perfume Chanel THE GROOM Suit, Jacket, Shirt, Pants & Shoes Hugo Boss Tie Anthony Squires Cufflinks Mont Blanc Watch Rado Grooming Mr Hackett Luxury Barber
