Caitlin and Lachie met at Oxford University at a welcome event for Clarendon Scholars, a prestigious scholarship that they both received in 2021. “We discovered that we were both in Merton College, so we spent plenty of time together at formal dinners and study sessions,” they tell us. Lachie proposed in the Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park in March 2024, which is Caitlin’s favourite place in New Zealand. “Aoraki also holds a special place in my heart because it’s close to where I grew up, and my family home was adorned with paintings of this region that were produced by my great-grandfather, a renowned landscape artist called Aston Greathead,” Lachie tells us. “I didn’t want Caitlin to suspect that I was going to propose, so I convinced her that we were off on a hike, but I secretly packed a suitcase with evening wear for a post-engagement dinner at The Hermitage (the walls of which are also adorned with my great-grandfather’s paintings). During the walk, we stopped for photo opportunities with Mount Sefton as the backdrop. As I popped the question, and she said yes, there was a spectacular avalanche in the distance, which was a great substitute for fireworks! That evening we stayed at The Hermitage, which offered uninterrupted views of Aoraki at sunrise from our bed.” The couple chose Merton College Chapel for their ceremony, and the pretty college gardens for their reception. “Being the scene for the start of our love story, Merton was an obvious choice,” they tell us. “Our guests then moved to the Old Schools’ Quad at the Bodleian Libraries for a second drinks reception, which was followed by dinner and dancing in the Divinity School. We chose these spectacular venues as we wanted to give everybody who had travelled from far away a taste of Oxford’s rich history and stunning architecture.” Caitlin and Lachie chose a colour palette of green and white with gold accents for an elegant and timeless feel. “We wanted to add the wow factor with our flowers, so we opted for a dramatic arch adorned with white roses, which our guests entered the ceremony through,” they tell us. “For our reception, we chose tall table arrangements, which filled the venue and meant our guests could talk to one another across the tables.” “Lachie has an artistic eye, so he designed all of our stationery, with a rose and fern symbolising the coming together of two nations – England and New Zealand,” Caitlin says. “This theme continued through our floral arrangements which contained both the delicate white roses and wild green fern.” 40
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTA0NTE=