A torrential downpour on the day of their January 27, 2013 vintage seaside wedding did nothing to drown spirits of travel agents Nicki Pascoe and Gary Harford.
The Newcastle bride and New Zealand groom were pursuing a shared dream on opposite sides of the United States before they met working in the office of a large travel company in Sydney. That was when they decided to live out their dream together.
“What was once a path of self-discovery around the world has now become a mutual and compromising adventure together,” says Nicki, 32, of a life full of surprise trips and a live-by-the-moment mantra.
Gary, 37, whose “sense of morality and kindness” attracted Nicki, proposed on his favourite Auckland beach after a day of adventure sports. After losing her dog of 17 years and with her thoughts very much elsewhere that week, Nicki was in total shock. “I had no idea such a beautiful surprise was coming,” she says. “The bad week had quickly turned around!”
With the threat of an incoming tropical cyclone outside, Nicki, wearing a Maria Chiodo design from Marry Me Bridal, wed her soul mate in the Harbourmaster’s Room of Customs House Newcastle. “We both made it down the aisle and said ‘I do’ with comforting summer rain pounding away at the windows,” recalls Nicki. “It created a sense of cosiness – like it was our little secret.”
The vintage seaside theme for 75 guests came to life at Merewether Surfhouse where “we danced the night away under twinkling summer lights, crashing waves, laughter and love, oh, and a few cheeky snogs in the kissing booth,” smiles the bride.
Says Nicki, “We both woke up and agreed that although sparkling blue skies would be great, we didn’t need sunshine to make our special day.”
Nicki’s gown from Marry Me Bridal featured a structured sweetheart bodice with tulle skirt and satin waist sash.
The handmade pastel kissing booth came with tokens for guests to cash in for a peck.
“All our past homes have been by the ocean or water,” explains Nicki of their seaside theme. Guest place cards were hand-painted postcards of all the seaside cities they’d lived in.
“The sense of friendship and camaraderie in the room was palpable,” says Nicki. “We remember every hug, every wish, every detail.”
Photos courtesy of De Lisser Photography.
