Zoe & Shaun - A Mountain Top and Endless Romance

Imagine eloping on a mountain top. It is just you, the love of your life, and a handful of your closest family. Imagine having your first dance as the clouds open up and the golden sunlight peeps through. Looking across the ocean whilst being surrounded by hillside views, made White Lily bride Zoe and husband Shaun’s elopement unforgettable. Even just the thought of this gives us goosebumps! Wait until you see the photos…

Zoe and Shaun both love to travel, which is why meeting in Vanuatu doesn’t seem like such a coincidence. They both attended a mutual friend's wedding as bridesmaid and groomsman. Zoe and Shaun’s instant connection was undeniable and they spent their first night “snuggled up together under the stars. We were laying on a hammock at the beach, listening to the waves crashing. We spoke for hours and the conversation flowed easily.“ Can it get any more romantic? After a few short months apart, they finally met up again for a friend's birthday, where they, yet again, snuck away, to go for Zoe’s first-ever Ferris wheel ride: “When we reached the top of the wheel we had a romantic kiss. I was on cloud nine. “… like, seriously? 

Just over three years later, Zoe and Shaun started planning their elopement, with only three months to go. Covid threw their initial plans of having a helicopter wedding, overlooking the mountains in Queenstown, New Zealand. Instead, the couple relocated to Emu Mountain in Queensland: “Emu mountain was perfect as it was easy accessible without having to do a major hike in our wedding attire and provided both ocean and hillside views.” Since Zoe and Shaun both love to hike, they wanted to make sure to bring their hiking backpacks on the day: “So we attached just married signs with cans to our backpacks and wore them up the mountain which looked amazing.”  11/10 for creativity!

Upon asking what Zoe’s most memorable part of the day was she describes dancing on top of the mountain, under the beautiful sky. “…the clouds opened up just enough for the golden sunlight to peep through. It was magical." We can’t get enough of this elopement story!

During their intimate ceremony with only their parents and sisters,  Shaun remembers seeing his wife for the first time that day: “She walked towards me while I had my back to her. When I turned around she took my breath away. “

Speaking about taking Shaun’s breath away…

Zoe came into our Brisbane boutique looking for a dress that reflected the bohemian vibe of their mountain top wedding. After trying on countless dresses, she finally discovered OLIVE by Wedding Society and fell in love with her details and lace. “I had such a special experience with white Lily Couture… The staff were so helpful and knowledgeable and went above and beyond to help me find my dress. " Zoe had tears in her eyes when she finally found The One, and the style of the dress couldn’t have been more fitting for the setting of her elopement.

Despite Covid-19, Zoe and Shaun managed to pull off an amazing ceremony with photographer, videographer, celebrant, and florist. Although things might not work out the way you initially planned them to, our White Lily bride advises to just go with the flow: “Your original plans may have fallen through, but your wedding day can still be perfect. It may even turn out to be more magical then you had originally planned. The day is what you make it.” Zoe also advised focusing on what is important to you and how you envision your big day: “Do what you want to do and not what is expected. Eloping on a mountain top and having an intimate picnic for 2 at sunset on the mountain made it the most amazing memorable and special day for us both, and we wouldn't have it any other way. “

As you may have guessed, the couple is already planning their next overseas travel, to Canada, Norway, and Iceland, for when the borders open up. “We look forward to the many more hikes, plane rides, beach trips and backpacking adventures we are going to have." 

Scroll down to see all adventurous photos from Zoe’s special day!