This Bride + Groom Arrived to Their Mountaintop Elopement in a Helicopter
Reason number 1,416 why you should hire a videographer for your wedding comes courtesy of this beautiful Bride and Groom: "Since most of our family and friends wouldn’t be able to attend, we agreed that having a beautiful video of our wedding day to share was a priority." And thanks to Sunshine Weddings - Film & Photo, they got the video — and the wedding — of their dreams! See every magic moment from their special day now in The Vault!
From The Bride and Groom...Q: Tell us about yourselves. How did you meet? How did you get engaged?
A: (Jackson) Outside of my regular career in finance, I follow my lifelong passion for music. I met Maridith at a very old, very small church in Houston where I sang on Sundays. After many a hot summer Sunday catching each other for quick chats after the service, I finally asked her out. Several years and an overseas secondment later, I asked her to be my wife. Through her devoted love of travel, we have explored so many breathtaking parts of the world, and our wedding in Queenstown was definitely no exception.
Q: Tell us about any DIY or personal elements included in your wedding.
A: (Maridith) The gorgeous backdrop of Stoneridge Estate and Cecil Peak didn't need much as far as decor, but with Jackson's love of music, we had to include a little something special. By luck we found an amazing cellist, Tomas Hurnik, willing to travel from Christchurch for the day to play the most beautiful Bach suites. His music filled the tiny chapel and added the perfect personal touch to our ceremony.
Q. What did you envision your wedding being prior to planning?
A: (Maridith) While I'd always loved the idea of running away together, a destination wedding on the other side of the world wasn't something Jackson (very much a traditionalist) had ever really considered. But once we started cultivating the idea of a "weddingmoon" to celebrate our marriage and his growing love for travel, it was full steam ahead! An intimate church ceremony, where we could both enjoy the day and really focus on the commitment we were making to each other was what we ultimately envisioned. Having lived for a while in Australia and always regretting not making it over to New Zealand, it didn't take long to decide it would be the perfect place to begin married life and indulge in a honeymoon adventure.
Q: What was the inspiration behind the day?
A: (Maridith) In two words, relaxed and happy. We both wanted our wedding day to be one that we could look back on and remember all the little details and what we were feeling in those moments, creating a day that was relaxed leading up to the ceremony and that let every happy moment sink in. Having the amazing Minetta at The Wedding Company to organize all the vendors and details certainly helped to make that happen!
Q: Tell us about your choice of wedding location.
A: (Maridith & Jackson) That part was easy--once deciding on New Zealand as our destination, it essentially came down to "where do Melissa and Scott from Sunshine Wedding Films travel?" Since most of our family and friends wouldn't be able to attend, we agreed that having a beautiful video of our wedding day to share was a priority. We came across Melissa and Scott's films in researching elopement style weddings and fell absolutely in love with their work. From there, Queenstown and the magnificent views from The Chapel by the Lake at Stoneridge Estate was where we finally landed. Queenstown weather certainly delivered on the day, and we came back with a fantastic film and stunning photos that truly captured the best moments from the day.
Q: Tell us about your flowers, your gown etc.
A: (Maridith) I had the most gorgeous bridal bouquet done by Sarah at The Flower Room, Queenstown. The pale pink peonies mixed with peach roses and freesia were perfection. She also did my lovely bridesmaid Claire's bouquet and a precious halo for her sweet daughter and our flower girl, Chloé. My dress was actually a round two selection! Breaking the cardinal rule of wedding dresses, I fell in love with another Tadashi Shoji dress after purchasing the first. The delicate lace and keyhole back of the second were exactly what I'd envisioned.
Q: Favourite memories of the day.
A: (Maridith & Jackson) We had so many memorable moments from the day! One of our favorite memories was getting to celebrate with a dozen friends who literally traveled to the ends of the earth to support and celebrate with us. We're eternally grateful. The heli ride to Cecil Peak with pristine views of Lake Wakatipu after our ceremony is definitely another moment we'll always cherish.
A: (Jackson) Outside of my regular career in finance, I follow my lifelong passion for music. I met Maridith at a very old, very small church in Houston where I sang on Sundays. After many a hot summer Sunday catching each other for quick chats after the service, I finally asked her out. Several years and an overseas secondment later, I asked her to be my wife. Through her devoted love of travel, we have explored so many breathtaking parts of the world, and our wedding in Queenstown was definitely no exception.
Q: Tell us about any DIY or personal elements included in your wedding.
A: (Maridith) The gorgeous backdrop of Stoneridge Estate and Cecil Peak didn't need much as far as decor, but with Jackson's love of music, we had to include a little something special. By luck we found an amazing cellist, Tomas Hurnik, willing to travel from Christchurch for the day to play the most beautiful Bach suites. His music filled the tiny chapel and added the perfect personal touch to our ceremony.
Q. What did you envision your wedding being prior to planning?
A: (Maridith) While I'd always loved the idea of running away together, a destination wedding on the other side of the world wasn't something Jackson (very much a traditionalist) had ever really considered. But once we started cultivating the idea of a "weddingmoon" to celebrate our marriage and his growing love for travel, it was full steam ahead! An intimate church ceremony, where we could both enjoy the day and really focus on the commitment we were making to each other was what we ultimately envisioned. Having lived for a while in Australia and always regretting not making it over to New Zealand, it didn't take long to decide it would be the perfect place to begin married life and indulge in a honeymoon adventure.
Q: What was the inspiration behind the day?
A: (Maridith) In two words, relaxed and happy. We both wanted our wedding day to be one that we could look back on and remember all the little details and what we were feeling in those moments, creating a day that was relaxed leading up to the ceremony and that let every happy moment sink in. Having the amazing Minetta at The Wedding Company to organize all the vendors and details certainly helped to make that happen!
Q: Tell us about your choice of wedding location.
A: (Maridith & Jackson) That part was easy--once deciding on New Zealand as our destination, it essentially came down to "where do Melissa and Scott from Sunshine Wedding Films travel?" Since most of our family and friends wouldn't be able to attend, we agreed that having a beautiful video of our wedding day to share was a priority. We came across Melissa and Scott's films in researching elopement style weddings and fell absolutely in love with their work. From there, Queenstown and the magnificent views from The Chapel by the Lake at Stoneridge Estate was where we finally landed. Queenstown weather certainly delivered on the day, and we came back with a fantastic film and stunning photos that truly captured the best moments from the day.
Q: Tell us about your flowers, your gown etc.
A: (Maridith) I had the most gorgeous bridal bouquet done by Sarah at The Flower Room, Queenstown. The pale pink peonies mixed with peach roses and freesia were perfection. She also did my lovely bridesmaid Claire's bouquet and a precious halo for her sweet daughter and our flower girl, Chloé. My dress was actually a round two selection! Breaking the cardinal rule of wedding dresses, I fell in love with another Tadashi Shoji dress after purchasing the first. The delicate lace and keyhole back of the second were exactly what I'd envisioned.
Q: Favourite memories of the day.
A: (Maridith & Jackson) We had so many memorable moments from the day! One of our favorite memories was getting to celebrate with a dozen friends who literally traveled to the ends of the earth to support and celebrate with us. We're eternally grateful. The heli ride to Cecil Peak with pristine views of Lake Wakatipu after our ceremony is definitely another moment we'll always cherish.