For Anna and Ben, marriage means “spending every day with your bestie. Getting on each other’s nerves and making each other laugh.” This cute couple got engaged over some fish ‘n’ chips on the beach and spent around 18 months planning their big day, opting for a relaxed beachside party to celebrate their love – “formalities aren’t really our thing”, they tell us, adding some sage advice for other couples heading down the aisle. “You do you! It’s never too late to change your mind, do whatever feels right for you!”
Anna went to one of our faves to find her big day look, picking up a beautiful classic Prea James Bridal gown, which she calls “a game changer”. And with fab photog Kinship by Kristy working her magic behind the camera, this was a beachy celebration for the books!
THE VIBE “A big focus on party vibe – we wanted the day to be as relaxed as possible while still having a wedding feel. Neither of us likes being the centre of attention for too long.”
THE DRESS “My dress was a Prea James Bridal gown called Malene, bought from Bluebell Bridal in Melbourne. This was the second store we had been to, on the first day of searching. After trying on a few nice dresses, I came out with the Malene gown and I knew it was a game changer. It was incredibly comfortable and very flattering to my figure, and had a minimal look, which was exactly what I was after. Overall, I just wanted something I could wear all night and dance in!”
LITTLE LOL “The cops came to give us a warning about being too noisy, oops. And one of our guests got lost walking home – six hours later he showed up with no phone!”
WE’RE GLAD WE… “We had drinks at a local pub the night before, which really helped to calm the nerves! Getting to see everyone prior to walking down the aisle made everything a lot more relaxed. And we also had our immediate family and bridal party at the first look and did all our photos before the ceremony. This meant we had a lot more time with everyone at the wedding, and also meant we had better quality time with our nearest and dearest before the ceremony.”
STANDOUT VENDORS “Our photographer, Kinship by Kristy, and our videographers from Storyteller Videography were so amazing! They didn’t know each other but worked so well as a team. We loved that they were very inconspicuous and got some great candid shots. The other big standout was Over The Top Events, they were so friendly and easy to deal with.”
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Kinship by Kristy Cinematographer Storyteller Videography Florist The Fig & Willow Flower Bar Ceremony Cleeland Bight Beach, Cape Woolamai Reception Parents’ beach house Catering At Your Table Hire Items, Marquee & Lighting Hire Over The Top Events Sound Hire & Entertainment Hey Jack Celebrant Jane Mackinlay Rings Sarah & Sebastian (wedding rings), Cerrone (engagement ring) THE BRIDE Gown Prea James Bridal Bridal Boutique Bluebell Bridal Headband KYHA Studios Shoes ALDO Hair & Makeup Janice Wu Bridesmaid dresses Bec & Bridge Bridesmaid shoes Betts, Billini THE GROOM Suit, Shirt & Bow Tie Menz Mode Shoes Aquila Watch The Horse Barber The Head Shed Groomsmen suits Menz Mode Groomsmen gifts The Horse (watches)