After a sweaty hike through the Noosa National Park, Cal felt it was only right to pop the question back where it all started.
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
It’s a tale as old as time – I, a country girl, spent my formative years between boarding school and the serene landscapes of rural Queensland, while Cal, epitomising the sporty city boy, was nurtured on the tennis courts of cosmopolitan South Australia. Defying the odds of our diverse upbringings, work (with a strong dose of fate) brought us both to the bustling streets of Melbourne.
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions of each other?
Between the endless lockdowns during the pandemic, Cal and I met at a workout class. He’d moved from Adelaide just 2 days before. We both caught each other’s eye….probably helped that we were the only people in attendance that morning. After that class, we both found ourselves starting to arrive a little earlier and leave a little later in the hope of learning more about each other. While this wasn’t quite the start of our love story, it was the start of a year-long friendship – fueled by the fact we lived 4 streets away from each other!
When did you first realise that this was someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?
It wasn’t until we spent some time apart during the Christmas that followed that we realised we always wanted to be in each other’s company. So Cal took the spontaneous leap, hopping on a flight from Adelaide to the Sunshine Coast, and we took the agonising plunge from friends to lovers! To prolong my family’s pouncing on Cal, we went for a post-airport pick-up swim at Little Cove, Noosa, and shared our first smooch. Since then, we haven’t looked back.
Was there a proposal? Tell us a little about it…
After a sweaty hike through the Noosa National Park, Cal felt it was only right to pop the question back where it all started. So, after a refreshing swim, Cal pulled a beautifully wrapped Louise Jean box out of his bag. Filled with surreal feelings of excitement, we then hit the change rooms at the Noosa Surf Club to scrub up for a dinner (and far too many margaritas) at Sails Restaurant. On the Uber ride home, “Never Tear Us Apart” by INXS was playing, which could only be a good sign. Best day ever!
What was one element you were happy to splurge on?
After being engaged for 6-months, we decided at short notice to get married during my career “gap quarter”. So, we had 8 weeks to plan our wedding. While I wouldn’t recommend this to everyone, it forced us to focus on getting the right people in the right room – and for everything else to be a bonus! Initially, I was advocating for a simple, low-logistic courthouse ceremony, but I’m glad Cal convinced us to splurge on having an intimate, 39-guest ceremony followed by a private dinner. It was so special and memorable.
Did anything happen on your wedding day that you laugh about in hindsight (even if it was stressful at the time)?
Cal and I were oblivious at the time, but we were later told that there was a period after our ceremony where our marriage certificate could not be located. Thankfully it was later recovered from a bin at The Meeting Hall. Phew!
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, is there a story?
We both, respectively, bought the first wedding dress and suit we tried on! Low to no alterations required – clearly meant to be!
GETTING READY HQ The Mayfair Hotel, @themayfairhotel CEREMONY LOCATION The Meeting Hall – Adelaide Town Hall RECEPTION LOCATION Attic at The Kitchen, SkyCity, @thekitchenadl PHOTOGRAPHER Katy Durn Photographics, @katydurnphotographics FLORIST Ethereal Botanica, @etherealbotanica CELEBRANT Married By Ali, @marriedbyali CATERING & POST-CEREMONY DRINKS Part Time Lover / Dinner by The Kitchen, @thekitchenadl CEREMONY MUSIC Him And Her Music, @himandhermusic CAKE Flower and Sugar Cakes, @flowerandsugarcakes RINGS Louise Jean Jewellery, @louisejeanjewellery BRIDAL DRESS Raffaele Ciuca Bridal, @raffaeleciucabridal BRIDE’S SHOE Sam Edelman, @sam_edelman BRIDE’S ACCESSORIES Earrings – Louise Jean Jewellery, @louisejeanjewellery HAIR & MAKEUP Ali Makeup, @ali_makeup_ SUIT MJ Bale, @mjbale GROOM’S SHOE RM Williams, @rmwilliams GROOM’S ACCESSORIES Watch – TAG Heuer, @tagheuer
