Erika Enerlan (she/her) and Irish Jacob (she/her) married in the snow on top of the Remarkables in Queenstown, New Zealand, with one of their brothers as witness. The couple grew up together in the Philippines, built a life in Dubai and traveled thousands of miles to stand, finally and legally, as wives. Irish wore a gown from Ruby Bridal Vietnam. Erika wore a suit she found in Vietnam days before the flight. Their rings came from Dubai, where they live. White calla lilies, clean-lined and quiet against the mountain, were the only flowers they needed.
Fourteen Years in the Making
Erika and Irish met as teenagers in the Philippines. What began in high school carried through university, working years and, eventually, a move to Dubai. By the time they married, they had been choosing each other for fourteen years.
That length of time is woven into everything about this wedding, from the vows they wrote themselves to the McDonald’s meal they shared afterward, placing their cake toppers on their burgers, fries and sundaes, a callback to where their story started. “Even after 14 years,” says Irish, “we are still the same two girls who enjoy the little things together.”
A Proposal With a Song
In February, Erika proposed to Irish at a resort in Laguna, Philippines, in front of both of their families. She sang “Still the One” before asking Irish to spend forever with her. The people in that room had watched the relationship since the beginning. Irish said yes, of course.
Crossing Borders to Say I Do
The decision to marry in New Zealand was never just logistical. As a same-sex couple from the Philippines, now living in Dubai, Erika and Irish faced what many couples never have to consider. “Despite being together for 14 years,” says Erika, “we could not simply walk into our home countries and legally become wives.”
Then circumstances shifted further. They had originally planned a celebration in the Philippines in April with family and friends. When conflict in the UAE forced them to reconsider, the plans collapsed. “We wondered if we would have to wait even longer for our moment,” says Irish. What followed surprised them. “Looking back, we now see that unexpected change as a blessing in disguise. It opened the door for us to travel to New Zealand and legally get married sooner than we expected.”
The elopement they ended up with, intimate and quiet on a snow-covered mountain, became something they hadn’t planned but now can’t imagine replacing. “What we initially thought was a delay became an opportunity to have an incredibly intimate and unforgettable elopement,” says Irish, “just the two of us and one of our brothers as our witness, standing on top of the Remarkables surrounded by snow-covered mountains.”
The Mountain Ceremony
The ceremony was officiated by Sarah Noble, with the quiet snow-covered peaks of the Remarkables as the picturesque backdrop. The couple got ready separately, then met for a first look before exchanging vows they had written themselves. The calla lilies, white and architectural, held their own against the winter landscape.
“We wrote our own vows,” says Irish, “allowing us to speak from the heart and reflect on everything we had experienced together since our high school days.”
It was also their first helicopter ride and their first time seeing snow together.
The Details That Carried Their Story
Almost nothing about this wedding was accidental. Erika’s suit was bought in Vietnam days before the trip. The rings came from Dubai. Erika did Irish’s nails while they got ready. “Many of our details carried pieces of our journey,” says Erika.
The choice of New Zealand itself was perhaps the most deliberate detail of all. “The location itself became a symbol of our love story,” says Irish, “a reminder of the distance we traveled, both literally and emotionally, to reach that moment.”
And then there was McDonald’s. After the ceremony, the two drove down from the mountain and ordered a meal at a place that had threaded through their entire relationship, high school, university, working life. They placed their cake toppers among the trays. “A simple but meaningful reminder,” Irish says, “that even after 14 years, we are still the same two girls who enjoy the little things together.”
The Weight of the Moment
The reactions from their family and friends arrived remotely, across time zones, in the form of messages and tears. “For many of our family and friends,” Irish says, “we were the first two women they personally knew who legally got married.” The significance of that registered in real time. “Some told us they were happily crying, while others shared that seeing our elopement brought them joy during a difficult time.”
The couple always imagined a large celebration at home. That celebration is still coming, planned for next year in the Philippines. But New Zealand gave them something different first. “The biggest surprise was realizing that the wedding we thought we lost was never really lost,” says Irish. “It was simply transformed into something different.”
A Different Kind of Path
“As a same-sex couple from the Philippines,” says Erika, “one of the biggest challenges we faced was that our love story existed in places where our marriage could not be legally recognized.” Erika and Irish name that reality plainly, not to dwell in it but to honor what the journey actually cost.
“The hardest part was realizing that for many couples, marriage is something they can celebrate close to home, while for LGBTQ+ couples like us, it can require searching for a place where our love is recognized and protected,” says Erika. They also carry an awareness beyond their own story. “We are grateful that we had the privilege and opportunity to travel, but we also carry the hope that one day, other LGBTQ+ couples will not have to travel thousands of miles just to have their love recognized.”
What they want other couples to hold onto, especially those still searching for where to go or how to begin, is this: “The journey is worth it,” says Erika. “It may require crossing borders, planning carefully, or waiting longer than you hoped, but the moment you finally stand beside the person you love and say ‘I do’ will be something you carry forever.”
For the Couples Still Waiting
Erika and Irish are direct about what they’d tell couples behind them on the path. “Your love story is uniquely yours,” says Irish, “and it does not have to look like anyone else’s.” They acknowledge the weight of family expectations, legal limitations and distance without softening any of it, and then say: “Do not let those challenges take away from the beauty of your story. Every step you take together becomes part of what makes your love even more meaningful.”
The newlyweds offer this advice to vendors and wedding professionals working with the LGBTQ+ community: “Make them feel seen, respected and celebrated, not just accommodated.” They call for inclusive language, thoughtful questions and, more than anything, genuine attention to the couple in the room. “Do not focus only on what makes their story different,” says Iris. “Focus on what makes their love beautiful.”
Their final word to LGBTQ+ couples still waiting for their moment is also their most personal: “Keep choosing each other. Hold onto hope, create your own traditions, and never be afraid to dream of a future where love is simply love, and every couple has the freedom to marry the person they choose.” ❤️
FEATURED LGBTQ+ INCLUSIVE AND QUEER AFFIRMING WEDDING VENDORS
Photographer: DNT Image
Wedding Ceremony Venue: The Remarkables, Queenstown
Planner/Coordinator: DNT Image
Attire for Irish Jacob: Ruby Bridal Vietnam
Jewelry: Dubai Gold Souk
Officiant: Sarah Noble Celebrant
Filed under
femalebroommarrierErika EnerlanIrish JacobNew Zealand weddingQueenstown weddingThe Remarkableselopementwinter elopementsnow weddingmountain weddingsame-sex elopementinternational weddingPhilippinesDubaiwhite and blue weddingcalla liliesintimate weddingself-written vowsDNT ImageRuby Bridal VietnamSarah Noble CelebrantDubai Gold Souk
Source: Equally Wed – LGBTQ+ Wedding Magazine and Wedding Vendor Directory – equallywed.com
