STORY: DYLAN BROWN / PHOTOGRAPHY: LOVE BY SHAE
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2021 / AQUATIC RESERVE / ECHUCA
Clare and Ryan decided to celebrate their special day by returning to the very place they met, in Echuca.
Both into waterskiing, Ryan was in town with friends and Clare was with family when they first crossed paths at The American Hotel.
They have a shared love for the outdoors and are very active people, which was represented on their wedding day as they had both the ceremony and reception outdoors.
“I don’t think I could imagine us being married anywhere else but in the outdoors,” Clare said.
“We just loved it. It was in nature, outdoors, we are active and sporty people so it just felt right.
“Many of our guests said the wedding ‘is very us’ — it felt like a big party.”
She said they where so relieved to even have the wedding day with many hurdles in the way.
“The fact that we had the wedding on the original date was a blessing.
“It was meant to be — with all the lockdowns of last year, we where preparing to have to reschedule.”
Clare said they had always been very spontaneous, so they weren’t concerned about their wedding date and had no plans to reschedule.
“We are spontaneous people, we have lived overseas, travelled to places,” she said.
“So regardless of the lockdowns, whether it was two people or 200 people, that was going to be our wedding day.”
She spoke about every bride’s moment in the spotlight, when she made that long walk down the aisle.
“Of course I was nervous, but excited for the occasion.
“We were together for eight years, and there was a little joke I made in the first few months of dating that when ‘Ryan proposes’.
“I said that for many years so everyone knew it was only a matter of time that we’d get married.”
Clare said the couple had many obstacles in planning as it took them a couple of years to plan.
“It was very difficult to plan,” she said.
“Due to the lockdowns I had to buy the girls’ dresses online.”
The couple only got to meet their vendors in person when the lockdowns where lifted in August.
“We were able to travel up to Echuca finally and set everything up,” Clare said.
“Everything was paid on the weekend of the wedding.
“It was very last minute, we had deposits on hold because nobody knew with the lockdowns whether it was going to happen.”
Clare said all of the suits for the groomsmen had to be bought a week before the wedding, which added to the stress.
“Two of my bridesmaids where pregnant and one was my sister who was nine months pregnant at the wedding, so it was lucky she didn’t have the baby till a week later.
“I feel like the luckiest person in the world.
“It was meant to be, but I feel for so many brides that had to cancel and I feel very thankful we got to keep our original date.”
Florist: River Port. Caterers: Henry’s Bridge Hotel Echuca. Make-up: Stephanie Bond. Hair: Michelle (friend). Dress: Mikayla (Polom Blanca), Canadian designer.