Lydia & Sheridan

When we first starting seeing each other, we quickly realised that we were right for each other and didn’t want to be apart.

We were married on December 29 2018 at Caccia Birch House in Palmerston North and had our Reception at The Chalet.

Lydia and I had recently returned from a month-long holiday in the USA. I think Lydia had it in the back of her mind that I might propose while we were away – I didn’t… but I was thinking about it at the time. Upon our return, I went down to Michael Hill and immediately found a ring that I thought was absolutely perfect. With no plan on how I was going to actually propose and having had the ring in my drawer for about 3 weeks……long story short, we got home from the supermarket and as Lydia was unpacking the groceries, she turned around and I was on one knee in the kitchen.

We were really keen to have an outdoor wedding as the whole feel of our wedding was to be surrounded in nature – given this, it was crucial that the weather play its part (and luckily it did!).

We loved being able to get married outside under the big Wisteria tree next to Caccia Birch house. It provided shade and really set the scene.

My two sisters were my beautiful bridesmaids.  We settled for two forest green gowns in two different styles, that meant each bridesmaid was comfortable, and looked incredibly beautiful. My sister’s mobility dog Newton even received a greenery accessory for his collar so he could be a bridesmaid too!

I am from a very close family, with four siblings. Three of my siblings have a rare neurological condition called Friedreich Ataxia, which means they are in wheelchairs. I really wanted to make sure each person in the family had a special role, so my two brothers escorted me partway down the aisle, before handing me over to my Mum and Dad to take over the rest of the way. This was so incredibly special, and had most of the guests in tears!

The most memorabel moment of our big day!

Sherry: For me, it was so special when I got my first glimpse of Lydia as she walked towards me at Caccia Birch. It was a very emotional moment and I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.

Lyd: For me it was our vows. We personalised our vows and kept them a total surprise, so it made that moment so intimate and true to us – I found it very difficult to get my words out I was so emotional!

Find a photographer/videographer that makes you laugh. David Le and Ben (Sink or Surface) were a hilarious duo, and made every formal moment that they captured both hilarious and comfortable for everyone involved – most guests assumed they were friends of ours because the banter was so natural!

Lydia’s mum made napkins and bunting with a beautiful fabric with a greenery/nature pattern on them. We had herbs as our centrepieces and we had greenery instead of flowers. This was very much to achieve the feeling of being natural, green, and sustainable.

The food was a big one as our wedding menu was entirely vegan (we’ve been vegan for a few years now) – it was of vital importance to us that our wedding celebration was aligned with our beliefs and values. Many of friends and family hadn’t had a fully vegan meal before and we thought it was a great opportunity to showcase how good vegan food can be. Boatshed at the Chalet did a tremendous job with the food which was raved about by every guest we spoke to – a particular highlight was several people agreeing that they would ‘always eat vegan if the food was like this’.