Emily and Daniel

This loving couple said ‘I do’ not once, but twice, so they could share their special day with loved ones.

Photography by Justin & Jim

Seven months after eloping, Daniel and Emily excitedly said ‘I do’ once more, but this time much closer to home and with extended family and friends lovingly watching on. With children Jim and Levi, the couple married at Harcourt Valley Vineyards on May 1. “It meant a lot to Daniel and I to have Jim and Levi come along on the journey with us – not once, but twice – and capture the day. Both days were beautiful in their own way, but this was so special to have our family there to celebrate with us,” Emily says. The couple, who met in a supermarket car park nine years ago, eloped to the Grampians in October 2020 after restrictions brought on from the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of their first planned wedding day. In wanting to exchange vows in front of loved ones, they opted to ‘take two’ and do it again. “We could only have two witnesses and our children then, so we decided to renew our vows at this beautiful venue. All the vendors were booked for our first official wedding and then again for our renewal. Not all could attend the first one so it was epic to see it all come together in May.” The national park was chosen for the scaled down wedding as it’s the place where Daniel proposed while on a family holiday. “It was at Boroka Lookout,” Emily says.

“Daniel got down on one knee, and at first I was wondering what he was doing on the ground. It wasn’t until I looked down and could see he had tears in his eyes and the gasps from everyone else around us, I clicked what was about to happen.” When it came time for the larger wedding, Emily says they chose the vineyard as it reminded them of the Grampians and reflected their rustic style. She is proud to say they decorated it together, complete with florals. In wanting an intimate celebration, they deliberately kept the guest list small so they could spend time with everyone in attendance. “We ensured there was enough time to sit and relax with our guests and soak up the whole day. So many times you hear of couples not getting to talk to some of their guests. We knew we did not want that to happen.” During the ceremony, they released butterflies in memory of loved ones who had recently passed. “It was a beautiful part of the ceremony,” Emily says. “Everyone had tears in their eyes.” Reflecting on their day, the couple say there are many special memories, including the surprise fireworks show, secretly planned by Emily. “It was the icing on the cake and the perfect way to finish the night,” she says.

Adds Daniel: “To see the kids running around having fun and the fireworks at the end were pretty cool. I had no idea Emily had organised them. Our real wedding day was super special to me.” With the pandemic ongoing, there’s been no opportunity for a honeymoon “just yet”. “But it’ll be amazing when it does happen,” Emily says. “Life is not all that different to before we were married, but it is still amazing and wonderful. We both love that we can call each other husband and wife and to wear a ring that symbolises our love and happiness.”