Marni Chambers and Lewis Harry

STORY: CAITLYN GRANT // PHOTOGRAPHY: SAMANTHA ELIZABETH PHOTOGRAPHY

FRIDAY, JANUARY 15, 2021 // ECHUCA

IN A MOVE AS OLD AS TIME, WHEN MARNI MET LEWIS, IT BEGAN WITH AN OFFER SHE COULDN’T REFUSE: A KISS IN RETURN FOR HER PHONE HE’D JUST FOUND. IN A RESPONSE SURPRISING TO EVEN LEWIS HIMSELF, SHE AGREED.

Eight years on, the spark is still alive and well, flickering through a global pandemic and a postponed wedding.

After having their original spring wedding shifted to summer because of COVID-19 restrictions at the time, the couple got to say ‘I do’ under the glow of the afternoon sun on the Port of Echuca, with native gums lining the Murray River as a backdrop.

While they were flexible about some aspects of the big day, Marni said there were a few non-negotiables when it came to fulfilling her rustic theme.

One of those was the reception venue—Radcliffe’s.

“If we had to change the date to suit their availability I would have, there was no way I was giving it up,” she said.

The conservatory garden of Radcliffe’s, covered floor to ceiling in verdant vines sheltered by a transparent roof, surrounded the guests with an aura of nature. Enhancing the native tones, fairy lights twinkled across the room, complementing the ‘The Harrys’ neon sign gifted by the bridal party.

Long wooden tables were a welcome addition, encouraging guests to mingle and celebrate the day together. “No matter where you are on long tables, you’re in on the action. You get to sit across from so many people, but also with so many people,” Marni said. “If you didn’t know people, you got to know them.”

From the very start, Marni had a secret wish for her day: to see Lewis cry as she walked down the aisle. Making the grand entrance with her father by her side, the bride felt overwhelmed with emotion, but she wasn’t the only one. “I looked up at Lewis, and I could literally see his bottom lip drop and quiver. We got to the end of the aisle, and the way he hugged my dad was so lovely. Everyone just cried,” Marni said.

The couple was framed by a gold hexagonal bower while they made their vows, seamlessly fitting with the theme of soft burgundies, rusts and oranges used throughout the day.

With 135 guests, the wedding fell in a sweet spot between lockdowns, in a time where the gratitude of seeing loved ones was at an all-time high. “We were all just overcome with emotions,” Marni said. “The main thing that stands out is the love that filled the room. “Being allowed out, celebrating together, everyone (had been) locked in for so long. Everybody just appreciated it so much. “It was such an emotional day.”

STORY: ROSA RITCHIE

LOVE IS CERTAIN. THE REST, NOT SO MUCH

WHEN MY PARTNER GOT DOWN ON ONE KNEE IN THE SURREAL LANDSCAPE OF STRATHMERTON’S CACTUS COUNTRY IN MAY, I WAS SO SURPRISED I FELT A BIT SICK.

Although I had no hesitation saying yes, a sense of joy and excitement didn’t bubble up until I realised it didn’t matter that we couldn’t plan the wedding or any other aspect of our future yet.

Rigel and I have been together for six years, and we spent most of 2020 holed up in a Melbourne apartment; it was just the two of us for days, then weeks, then months on end, working and studying in what we realised was a very poorly insulated building.

The experience made us closer, fortunately.

We often spoke about the fact we might never get to spend so much quality time together again, once the world reopened and we returned to busy, conflicting schedules.

Living through a catastrophic time in global history also forced us to think about the kind of future we wanted, as individuals and as a couple.

We realised that in order to follow our own dreams we would have to spend time apart.

So when I packed up about a year ago and moved interstate to pursue a career in journalism we felt prepared and I had Rigel’s full support.

Regular border closures meant we often had no idea when we’d next be able to see one another.

Video chats are better than a phone call, but nothing can replace ‘real life’.

Things became a little easier when I moved back to Victoria, cutting the drive-time to see one another from seven to two hours.

But we still spend more time apart than together, and we have no idea when that will change.

Budding journos are trained to ask five questions: what, when, where, why and how?

When Rigel asked me to marry him I only knew the answer to one of those questions.

The why was clear, but the rest were—and still are—impossible to answer.

But that’s okay.

Approaching the end of the second year of the pandemic, I’m getting better at accepting ambiguity, uncertainty and big twists and turns in my path.

The world will keep turning and we will still love each other no matter what, when, where and how our wedding happens.