Crystal and Brian’s dreamy Cecil’s Peak elopement

Excited to get straight down the aisle, or up the mountain, as it were, Crystal and Brian decided on a romantic Cecil’s Peak elopement for two.

After a meet-cute with a little help from Tinder, Crystal and Brian knew they were onto something special when they went on four dates in their first week of knowing each other.

Moving to Sydney together, the couple only grew even closer when the lockdowns hit. “We didn’t have any family or friends in this new city, and I know it sounds crazy, but I loved spending every second of lockdown with Brian.”

Brian surprised Crystal by proposing in the Royal Botanic Gardens, with the Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge in the background. The couple wasted no time in planning a destination elopement for two on May 12, 2022.

Crystal was inspired by mountain elopements on social media, and Brian was only too eager to jump on board with the idea. “I think going on a helicopter and getting married on top of the world is pretty adventurous and appealed to a lot to Brian’s youthful boyishness,” explains Crystal. The pair selected Cecil’s Peak in Queenstown where they got married on ‘The Ledge’.

The couple had an intimate first look where they embraced and shared their excitement. “I was shaking and so nervous. When he saw me for the first time by the lake, my husband’s face was full of love and surprise!” says Crystal. “I can’t believe how beautiful I felt in that moment.”

Crystal found her dream dress with Eternal Bridal Sydney. Featuring romantic lace, a feminine a-line silhouette, and a dramatic train, Crystal’s gown of choice tied perfectly in with the stunning landscape.

Symbols of the love and support from their respective families were incorporated into the day with Crystal wearing a beautiful pearl necklace from her parents. Brian sported a boutonniere fashioned from dried florals from a bouquet that his family had sent when the couple announced their engagement. Elements of Crystal’s Chinese heritage and Brian’s Canadian background were also symbolised with the Chinese character for double happiness along with a maple leaf decorating the inside of the ring box.

The ceremony was officiated by celebrant Phillipa Thomas, and witnessed by their photographer, Patrick of Fallon Photography, and videographer, Cristian from Eureka Films. Patrick was invaluable in the coordination of the day, with Crystal and Brian leaving the schedule in his capable hands.

While the guest list was tight for their dreamy, alpine ceremony, Crystal and Brian are planning a reception celebration with their friends and family at Dunbar House this coming December.

We just wanted to get married! We really wanted to focus on each other and our relationship. The elopement was perfect for that — I think after Covid, they’ll really become more of the “norm.” Our other priorities were mainly around having a good time. We didn’t want to be stressed on the day, worried about timelines, or anything like that. We were getting rain, hail, snow or shine! Lucky for us, the weather was perfect, but we’d have been happy and gotten married even if was a thunderstorm.

Crystal & Brian

This romantic elopement at  Cecil’s Peak NZ was captured beautifully by Fallon Photography.     with a pre-wedding photoshoot by For Love Wedding Photography.  

“It was really important to me to bring in a cultural element to our wedding, but because we eloped with just the two of us, this wasn’t really possible.”

So, we decided to take cultural engagement photos just before. My background is Chinese, so I wore a modern Chinese wedding dress (a red cheongsam) and we took engagement photos at the Chinese Garden of Friendship.

Crystal

“I always knew I wanted an A-line gown. Enzoani’s Opus gown was all my dreams come true.”

It was the insanely gorgeous train with all the lace trailing down that I fell in love with first, but there are so many other designer details that I love. For all the layers to the dress, the dress was so light and comfortable. I can rave on about how much I loved this dress for forever. My new husband loved it too — he couldn’t stop staring at me all day!

Crystal

“Our celebrant was Philippa Thomas. She wrote us such a gorgeous, personal ceremony.”

She also was my female energy on the day, and helped me put on my veil just before I walked down the aisle. I love that our ceremony was so private. We made such personal vows to each other that we wrote. I love that it was just the two of us in that moment. I could cry all I wanted and not be embarrassed!

Crystal

Photos courtesy of Fallon Photography.

How’s your venue search going? From rustic wineries to unique spaces, our in-house venue specialists can suggest and plan site visits for venues that match your style and budget. (It’s free, too!)