Real Weddings

Article by

Sophie

Posted on

16/03/2022

Posted in

Real Weddings

Laura and Aidan had a very fluffy wedding party member and we’re here for it 100% of the way! “We loved having our fur baby, Louie, involved in our day,” the couple tell us. “He had the very important job of ring bearer. He absolutely stole the show and looked super cute in his little bow tie.”

We can’t say we disagree – just look at that floofy face! There was plenty more to love about the big day, of course, from Laura’s J.Andreatta gown and Amélie George accessories to the elegant Rebel Reflect stationery and signage – not to mention that stunning venue, Churchill and the epic photographs, courtesy of one of our faves, Ali Bailey. Wedding heaven!

THE VENUE “Pre COVID, we had initially decided on a different venue – a vineyard with water views on the Bellarine Peninsula. When our plans changed and we decided to do a more intimate ceremony and dinner we wanted to go completely different with a different feel and ended up at the amazing Churchill in Taradale, which was suggested by Laura our wedding planner (Wanderlust Creative). We were very lucky to sneak a look in between lockdown periods, with us and the venue being in regional Victoria. We fell in love with the beautiful old church and its surroundings. It really suited the intimate feel we were hoping for. We decided nothing was going to top this venue and locked it in.”

THE VIBE “We really put our trust in Laura, our wedding planner and stylist from Wanderlust Creative, for the inspiration. We choose a colour palette of white and neutrals, the flower choice of roses and really just let Laura and her amazing talent work with the beautiful venue. Laura and our florist, Prunella, absolutely blew our mind with the end result.”

FAVE DETAILS “The venue and the reception setup was one of our favourite details. Our jaws literally hit the floor when we saw the church for the first time. The floral arrangements on the stage were like a beautiful outdoor garden but indoors. Not to mention the trees that lined the walls of the church, which brought in this amazing greenery and height. The stationery from Rebel Reflect complemented everything perfect. A special touch, a surprise for both Aidan and I, was the bride and groom place cards that had our personalised vows printed on them, so special.”

THE DRESS “My dress was from the amazing J.Andreatta in Sydney. I found the dress about 12 months out from our wedding date. It was my second trip to Sydney and I was planning to go with another designer that I had previously been to. My mum and three bridesmaids were with me and I thought I should take them to another designer to make sure I had made the right decision. The dress I choose was the first dress I tried on at J.Andreatta and when I walked out, everyone was in tears, I knew it was the one! The overall experience was incredible. Jess was fabulous to work with given the circumstances of COVID. We cancelled three trips to Sydney and did most of the process through email. I went up in December for my one and only fitting. When the dress arrived via post (due to yet another border closure) it was perfect! Jess was very accommodating and so easy to work with. I went with something a little more comfortable for the reception and changed into a Héxié Slip dress, something I could have fun and dance in!”

MEMORABLE MOMENTS “The intimate scale of the wedding was also one of our favourite parts, it made the day more emotional than we expected. We had the time to see and have a conversation with each and every one of our guests as well as getting individual photos with them, a special keepsake. These guests were part of the journey of us getting to our big day, it was very emotional getting to actually share it with them all given the unknown circumstances and the rollercoaster we had been on the last few months.”

A WORD OF ADVICE “If it’s in your budget, we could not recommend more highly investing in a wedding planner/stylist. Their knowledge and expertise is priceless. It took the extra stress out of it for us. Laura from Wanderlust Creative practically organised a whole other wedding for us. There is no way we would have been able to pull that off.”

STANDOUT VENDORS “Ali Bailey, our photographer, was next-level amazing. Our initial photographer was from Queensland and, due to border closures, was unable to be a part of our day. Ali happened to have a cancellation for our date and we snapped her up very quickly. She made us both feel so comfortable on the day. I’m a big believer in things happen for a reason and we were meant to have Ali on our special day! She captured the emotion of the day to perfection. Karryn from The Wedding Sitter, who looked after our fur baby Louie, went above and beyond to make him a part of our day. She groomed him, dressed him in cutest tux, took for him for a big walk pre-ceremony, chauffeured him to the venue and then was with him for the whole ceremony and photos! She even came prepared with baby wipes if needed for any dirty little footprints! And we can’t go past our entertainment, Tobi Tobi, they were absolutely flawless. Renee and her incredible voice, wow.”

Ali Bailey is one of our all-times here at Hello May – catch her over on her directory listing. We also highly recommend the gorg accessories over at Amélie George – think veils, jewels and more.