Emily and Chris were supposed to say ‘I do’ atop Shelly Beach Lookout but when it was raining on their wedding day, they had to do to their Plan B, their reception venue, The Boathouse at Shelly Beach.
It may not have been exactly what they had envisioned, but with shimmering and empty beach as the view (very rare for summer) and the intimacy of the deck at The Boathouse, it was still pretty special.
After an acknowledgement of country, Chris’ brother Brooklyn performed a rousing welcome in both Maori and English which really set the tone for the rest of the ceremony.
Emily and Chris met in Toronto while Chris was there for work (Emily is Canadian, Chris is a Kiwi). They quickly fell in love and when Chris’ contract was up and they were ready to settle down, they decided that they wanted to put down roots somewhere that was new to both of them and they chose Sydney. Manly to be exact.
So when it came time to plan the wedding, it made sense to choose a venue and location that would showcase their new life to their friends and family travelling from overseas for the big day. And also to help them create a solid foundation in their new home by creating beautiful memories there. So, The Boathouse at Shelly Beach it was.
The whole wedding was very relaxed. They even did their photos before the ceremony so that they could get straight to celebrating with their guests as soon as the ceremony was over.
It was obvious by the grins on their faces for most of the ceremony that all that mattered to Emily and Chris was that they were by each other’s side and surrounded by the people who mean the most to them.
WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY
“Andrea created a very relaxed atmosphere for us. It made everything so easy and flow so well. We had lots of compliments on the ceremony, we couldn’t have wished for more.” – EMILY & CHRIS
VENUE + VENDORS
Venue: The Boathouse Shelly Beach
Photographer: Jimmy Raper
Celebrant: Andrea Calodolce Ceremonies
That dress: Mariana Hardwick from Hope X Page