Emma and Chris - the proposal

Photography: Foto Bauer

Model and events co-ordinator Emma Mitcham first met her future husband, pilot Chris Price, in a nightclub queue in Birmingham. “He was standing behind us, Tall and gorgeous, and I noticed his piercing brown eyes,” she says. “Inside, he found me and after a few cocktails I wasn’t so nervous. We danced, chatted and laughed the whole night, and I didn’t want it to end.”

They were a couple for seven years before they got engaged “I waited a very long time to be Mrs Price but it was worth every minute of it,” says Emma.“We were on holiday in Spain in June 2009 when Chris proposed. It was on the first night during dinner: he got down on one knee in his white linen trousers – he had big sandy patches on them afterwards, but it was all worth it. My engagement ring is so beautiful and it’s extra-special to me as Chris had it made using diamonds from his late mother’s earrings.”

Emma and chris - the essentials

“We celebrated our wedding over a whole weekend in Austria, where we now live,” says Emma. “Our civil wedding ceremony took place on Friday 25 June 2010, then on Saturday 26 June 2010 we had a CofE wedding. The whole weekend was held in Zell am See, Austria, with the reception at a gorgeous castle, Schloss Prielau.” They kept the civil ceremony simple, with some traditional Austrian music, smart-casual dress (Emma wore a dress from Jane Norman) and a pig roast in the evening.

Emma and chris - the wedding ceremony

“Schloss Prielau was the second venue we visited but within five minutes of being there, we instantly fell in love with the castle,” says Emma. “Their wedding co-ordinator Annete went above and beyond for me on so many occasions. On our arrival from the church ceremony, we were greeted with You Are My Sunshine played on the trumpet with our guests lining the drive to the castle, blowing bubbles. A picture-perfect moment! We then had champagne, canapés and live music for the afternoon.”

Emma and chris - the dress

“My wedding dress came from Flossman in the centre of Vienna,” says Emma. “It was the second dress shop I’d tried and had no idea what I was looking for. The second dress I tried on, Melbourne by Pronvias, was The One. I instantly felt like a princess and couldn’t stop smiling.” She teamed the silk creation with a veil from Flossman, shoes from Next, family heirloom jewellery and a hairpiece for the Saturday evening from Annie Laurie Bridal.

Emma and Chris - the bridesmaids

Emma’s adult bridesmaids wore peony chiffon dresses by Jasmine Bridal Belsoie. The flowergirl’s dress was from Debenhams.

Emma and Chris - the groomsmen

Chris wore a Black Spirit Prestige Package kilt with Prince Charles Jacket from Slater Menswear. The groomsmen wore the same kilt package, but with a slightly different jacket.

emma and chris - the flowers

“The castle became the central theme for the wedding décor,” says Emma. “The window shutters were a red/purple colour, which I used as the basis for the wedding colours. My bouquet was pink and red roses and peonies, while the table arrangements included gerberas (my favourite flower) and mixed wild flowers.”

Emma and Chris - the party

Day soon turned into night, and dinner was served indoors in Mayer’s, the castle’s two-Michelin star restaurant. “We ate amouse bouche, roasted goose liver pate, fillet and shoulder of beef and supreme of chocolate,” says Emma. “Our wedding cake was incredible: we had three heart-shaped cakes, made by the castle. They were strawberry sponge gateau, which was perfect for a summery wedding.” After the evening reception, a DJ from Schloss Prielau kicked off the party around 10pm and guests danced until the sun came up.

Emma and chris - the traditions

“We decided to mix in quite a few Austrian traditions,” says Emma. “We had a Bummel Zug (a little train) carry everyone to the venue after the church while we were in a horse and carriage, we danced an Austrian Waltz as our first dance and opened a keg of Austrian beer at the reception. We also stuck to the tradition of cutting a heart out of a white sheet and stepping through it together, as husband and wife.”