Joel Longmore (31), Retail worker
Emma Longmore (nee Byrnes) (27), Primary Teacher
Owaka, South Otago
When and how did you meet?
At a party when I was still in high school. Eight years later we got engaged.
The proposal?
Was on my birthday in 2012 at Curio Bay in the Catlins, just after we had been swimming with dolphins.
The venue?
Glentanner Park, Mt Cook.
Why did you choose that venue?
We had stayed there before and the scenery was so magical. A perfect, hardly touched landscape. Perfect for wedding photos.
The dress?
I purchased it on ebay brand-new not long after we got engaged.
The bridesmaids' dresses?
They were custom-made by Gina at Ember NZ in Balclutha, so that they matched the red contrast on my dress.
The flowers?
These were made by a lady in Papamoa who runs a business on Facebook called A Flax Bouquet and were crafted from dried and dyed flax.
The caterers?
Nicola and Greg from Tekapo Catering Company put on an amazing smorgasbord including spit roast lamb and chicken, and we received many compliments from our guests about how great the food was.
The photographer?
Amy Marie Photography, of Timaru
The highlight of the day?
Many things: the wonderful support of our MC, our friend Eric, who stepped up at the last minute because our original MC was delayed while travelling. Eric made our day run smoothly and kept everyone under control. Also the part during the photo shoot with the bridal party where we had to act terrified, as if something was chasing us. To later have a falcon (bird) photoshopped into the shot was heaps of fun and had us all laughing. We were also extremely lucky with the weather as 10 days prior to our wedding day (on New Year's Eve) Aoraki/Mt Cook had been shrouded in cloud and no one could see the mountain. On our wedding day it stood in all its glory and made the perfect backdrop to our ceremony. The day after it was hidden in cloud again.
