Clare & Richard's wedding day was truly one of a kind. This was a day unique from all other weddings, and it was a privilege to capture it for them! I had been hearing about their plans throughout the year, and I was blown away by the thought, the planning, the precision of every single little inch of the day! This wasn't a wedding set up just to be pretty - it was perfectly planned so that every little detail was filled to the brim with meaning and symbolism. It was all hand-crafted so perfectly - these two proved over and over that they are multi-talented!
Clare and Richard are a very sweet couple - constantly showing their affection for one another. They tied the knot (literally, as you will see later) on the 21st of December - the summer solstice - with a mix of celtic and pagan traditions, and also a good dose of self-confessed geekerie... see how many geeky references you can find throughout these photos!
Clare and Richard are a very sweet couple - constantly showing their affection for one another. They tied the knot (literally, as you will see later) on the 21st of December - the summer solstice - with a mix of celtic and pagan traditions, and also a good dose of self-confessed geekerie... see how many geeky references you can find throughout these photos!
We all woke up to what was one of the most intensely rainy days in Dunedin this summer (which is a big claim, because there has been a LOT of rain) - it was absolutely bucketing down, and there wasn't really any sign of it holding off... until just after we arrived at the boys... and thankfully, it actually behaved reeeeasonably well for the rest of the day!
We found ourselves back down in the home dance studio that first made its appearance on this blog a couple years ago! Richard and his men were looking very dapper in their tails...
I couldn't wait to see Clare's wedding dress!! I had heard little snippets about the details and the style, but was left to piece it together in my head... until the big 'reveal' on the day. A HUGE mention goes to Richard's sister Jen, from Pansy Couture, for her absolute dedication to the cause - she and their Mum, Bev, did an absolutely incredible job designing and making one of the most detailed and in-theme wedding dresses I have ever seen!
Grandview Gardens was the perfect location for this day. They had filled the venue with personal touches... and a lot of movie references! To be honest, I probably missed 95% of the references throughout the day - I've gotta admit I have never watched any Star Wars, Dr Who, LOTR, Game of Thrones, Star Trek etc!
Because of the rain, Clare and Richard did a 'first look' indoors with their families...
But straight after that, the skies cleared... and Richard made the call that he thought that patch of blue sky was a good enough reason to set up their ceremony outdoors again!
So while guests began arriving and looking through the amazing details in the reception area, the worker bees got busy outside setting up for an epic ceremony... in the hot sun!
There is just not enough room on this blog to show you all of the amazing things they organised for their ceremony. As I said, every little thing has special meaning to their relationship or symbolised something specific. The hand-fasting cord (a celtic tradition) was made of special coloured ribbons, and tied onto it were a huge number of little trinkets important to them... such as a wee tea-cup and a stone from the place they got engaged! This was all very new to us, so it was fun learning about some new traditions!
And just to make things that little bit more personal and special, Richard's other sister, Catherine, got her celebrant's licence specifically so that she could officiate at the ceremony and marry them! She did such a fantastic job.
Part of the hand-fasting ceremony was the sword and the broomstick to jump over. The sword represented cutting through obstacles and the wielding of personal responsibility, whilst the broom represented sweeping away the past. They then took a leap of faith into their new future together. This beautiful sword was lovingly crafted especially for Richard and Clare by one of the top craftsmen in the world - the same man who crafted the swords for the Lord of the Rings!
The rain made another appearance, but it didn't matter - we had an absolutely beautiful bride on our hands!
Wedding lawn games are all fun and games, until...
Clare made this awesome Tardis photo booth all by herself!! It was INCREDIBLE!! Once again I showed my lack of geek movie knowledge by having to google what a tardis actually was (does that mean I can officially claim non-geek status?), but faaaar out she made an amazing job of it!
And as if that wasn't enough handy-work for one couple... Richard hand-crafted this tiny little cake topper - EXACT replicas of them by the rock Richard proposed by on the Orkney Islands, where Clare was born! Mind = blown.
Clare and Richard, you guys deserve a medal for how much work you put into making your day incredibly unique! It was so much fun seeing all the little details and watching your guests marvel at all your creations. You are a wonderful couple - we hope you love these photos!
