She arrived at Sacred Heart Church in Dunedin on horseback to marry longtime partner Reuben.
It seemed there was never going to be any other way.
‘‘Ever since I was a little girl I dreamed of arriving at my wedding on horseback.’’
Having grown up around horses — her father was a farrier for 35 years and her mother competed as a national eventer — horses had always been a ‘‘huge part’’ of her life growing up, she said.
Mrs Henry, nee McBriar, said it did mean there was a lot of planning on top of the usual stresses of weddings, as ‘‘horses do not usually come with wedding venues’’.
‘‘We had to figure out where to park a horse float, make sure he had plenty of feed and water and arrange a safe place for him to stay during the ceremony.
‘‘The horse, Denver, was fantastic. He’s very used to doing things like this and is a very sensible horse with plenty of experience in different environments.’’
Denver took everything in his stride and remained calm and relaxed throughout the day, she said.
‘‘He’s quite used to being a bit of a spectacle, so he handled the attention without any fuss at all.’’
Her new husband was also well aware that she would do something like this for their wedding, she said.
‘‘He knows me well enough by now to expect that horses will somehow be involved in major life events.
‘‘He supports me with the horses in all sorts of ways. He helps keep their waters topped up, makes sure they’re covered when they need to be at night, and isn’t afraid to muck out after them.
‘‘I always say to any young lady who has horses: marry the man who mucks out after your horse — he’s worth his weight in gold.’’
Mrs Henry works as as an equine behavioural trainer and consultant in her professional life.
Would she recommend other horse-loving brides-to-be follow in their hoof-steps?
‘‘My first piece of advice would probably be: don’t do it. It can be quite stressful and brides have enough on their plate.
‘‘But if you’re really determined to do it, preparation is absolutely key. I’ve owned my stallion, Denver, for nine years, and we’ve spent years training and working together in different environments so that he could become confident and calm around unfamiliar things.
‘‘That’s a memory I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life, and knowing that so many people got to share in that moment and experience it alongside us makes me smile.’’
