“Inseparable” since getting together nearly eight years ago, these two built the bones of their love story from behind the bar at their local pub. Nick (who looked dapper in M.J. Bale) saw the nuptials as an opportunity to “lock down (his) dream girl forever,” sealing the deal after “a mortgage and questionably located matching tattoos.” We’re here for all of it, and one of our faves, Ali Bailey, shot the beautiful day, so scroll down for all the pics, as well as our chat with the happy couple…
THE VENUE “We really wanted somewhere with no curfew, plenty of accommodation so all our friends could stay overnight, and a pool for a pool party recovery the next day. Nick found Barunah Plains on Instagram [and it] ticked all our boxes and more. We couldn’t physically see the property due to COVID restrictions and us living in Sydney so we just hoped for the best and it was even better in real life! We loved that you could use different locations within the property for different moments (i.e. ceremony on the lawn, reception down in the paddock, welcome drinks by the pool etc).”
THE THEME “We wanted a no-frills, relaxed but chic vibe. A timeless, neutral palette with different textures. For us, the experience for our guests was super important so we put most of our budget towards entertainment, food, alcohol and an amazing planner and pared back on the aesthetics.”
THE DRESS “I found a dress online from a Hawaiian brand, but was too scared to purchase it without trying it on. So I enquired at Helen English in Paddington to see if she could make a similar custom gown for me. I loved Helen immediately, she was so trendy, relaxed and all her dresses were very much in line with the style I liked (sleek, silky, simple but sexy). I was so pleased with the end result, Helen did the most beautiful job and she’s now added my dress to her bridal line so I am pretty sure she was happy too!”
THE SUIT “We didn’t fuss around too much when it came to the M.J. Bale suits. We purchased Nick’s suit and the groomsmen suits straight away. To make Nick’s ‘look’ different to the boys, he chose a waistcoat for under his suit jacket and a bow tie to wear which looked really gorgeous and made him stand out.”
MEMORABLE MOMENT “Spending nearly all night on our friends’ shoulders on the dance floor. Our DJ [Jonno Haze via Request Artists] was incredible – we didn’t stop dancing until 2 am.”
LITTLE LOL “I had my engagement ring on my pinky finger for the ceremony because it is so tight and wouldn’t come off for the ring exchange and it slipped off into the grass during the celebrant’s speech. I had no idea! Nick looked down at one point and whispered in my ear ‘wtf Sophie your ring is on the ground.’ Crisis averted… Another guest also fell into the pond at the reception and had to be hauled out by some of the boys taking a wee nearby!”
A WORD OF ADVICE “Invest in a wedding planner! It is the best money you can invest in and takes away so much of the stress involved with the planning. You can actually enjoy the process and get as involved (or not involved) as you want to. I always think it is such a shame when I hear brides reflect on their day as stressful or what went wrong because most of that can be alleviated if you have an awesome planner.”
STANDOUT VENDORS “Laura, our wedding planner (of Wanderlust Creative) went above and beyond, planning our entire wedding and recovery the next day. She was just incredible. We relied on her heavily because we are from Sydney and have no idea about vendors in Geelong so she ended up making lots of decisions for us too. She took our vision to the next level and made it the best weekend ever.”
If you’re still searching for a talented wedding photographer, look no further than this couple’s clever choice of Ali Bailey. You can see more from her here on our Directory as well as get in touch. And if suits are still on your to-do list, head on over to M.J. Bale – when you’re done here of course…
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Ali Bailey Cinematographer Love Soldier Event Planner Wanderlust Creative Florist The Petal Project Stationery & Signage Rebel Reflect Invitations Steph Lane Design Printer Jo Olive (Invitations) Ceremony & Reception Barunah Plains Catering Truffle Duck Hire Items Table Art Event Hire (Table Linen) & Table Threads (Napery) Marquee Tierra Events Entertainment Reverie Duo via Hey Jack & DJ Jonno Haze via Request Artists Celebrant Lara Williams Rings Mendel & Rose THE BRIDE Bridal Gown & Veil Helen English Pyjamas Piyama Shoes Pinky Promise Acc via Etsy Accessories Christine Nicolaides Hair & Makeup Cassandra De Bruin Fragrance Diptique via Mecca Bridesmaid Dresses Shona Joy THE GROOM Suit, Shirt & Bow Tie M.J. Bale Shoes Aquila Watch Audemars Piguet Grooming Louis Calmet Groomsmen Suits M.J. Bale