Capturing Love: Sherilyn and Sam's Intimate Wedding at Hayfield Manor

After a sunrise proposal in New Zealand, Sherilyn and Sam wed on 12th July 2019 at Hayfield Manor, Cork. Their wedding was a perfect reflection of the happy couple... relaxed and classy. A beautiful intimate celebration filled with their closest family, great food, and beautiful memories.  

Who proposed and how? 

Sam proposed in January 2019. We were staying in Wanaka, New Zealand, and got up at 2:30 am to hike up the incredible Roys Peak. It was an absolute slog (close to 3 hours straight uphill in the dark with head torches!) but so worth it for the view! When we got to the top in time for sunrise at around 5:30 am, Sam proposed. We are a pretty low key couple so there was no getting down on one knee or anything (we were basically hanging onto each other and our mugs of coffee to keep warm as it was extremely cold due to the altitude!) but it was perfect!

What was your vision for your wedding? 

We wanted a very intimate and relaxed day shared with only our closest family (we had a total of 12 guests at our wedding!). We wanted the day to be a true reflection of us - nothing too formal or extravagant but a good balance between relaxed and still classy... from the venue to our outfits! We wanted wedding outfits that felt like us: I knew I wanted a shorter length dress to show off an amazing pair of shoes, and Sam knew that he didn't want a formal suit so opted instead for chinos and a jacket; I wanted bright pink proteas for my flowers (I was born in South Africa and think proteas are gorgeous!). Having amazing food and a venue that catered for smaller weddings was another top priority and Hayfield Manor exceeded our expectations! 

What shoes did you choose?

Leila Pointed

How was your experience with Emmy London? 

I absolutely loved my Emmy London shoes - they were so comfortable on the day, and the perfect complement and feature with my dress (the Hamstall by Lyn Ashworth) being a shorter length - which was exactly my plan as I absolutely love shoes especially something that is elegant and a bit of a feature! 

What were your most memorable and favourite moments of the day? Is there any advice you would give to future couples, in the buying shoes process or in any aspect of the wedding experience? 

Honestly, the whole day was amazing! We had gorgeous weather so we were fortunate to be able to have our ceremony in the little glasshouse at Hayfield Manor. Our ceremony was very intimate and special - we wrote our own wedding vows and sang a beautiful hymn my grandmother (who lives in New Zealand and wasn't able to be at our wedding) wrote, and if I had to pick a favourite part, it would be that. It was so special to have such an intimate and relaxed day shared with those closest to us at a stunning venue with incredible food. My advice would be to make sure that your wedding day is exactly what you as a couple want - it's your day, no one else's, and every detail of your day (the food, the cake, your shoes, the flowers, the venue, the guests and everything else!) should be a reflection of you both and what you love. I think we could have easily wanted to please others who maybe had a different vision of what certain details of our wedding should be like but in the end, if you both love every detail, that will shine through on the day and everyone will love every part of it as much as you! 

We would love to see your images from your special day. Please tag us in your pictures on socials with @emmylondonofficial on Instagram and @emmyldn on Facebook.