Chellyce + Louis by Ring and Veil - Together Journal

Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…

CB – I am a university administrator and Louis works in the WA State Government, we have been together for 7 years in December. We have lived together for 6 years, we have a cat, we love travelling (when we can) and spending time with friends and family.

I am consistently amazed by how content I am with doing mundane things with Louis. There’s nothing I enjoy more than collapsing on the couch after work, sharing our day and laughing as we imagine what our cat is thinking or trying to copy the regional English accents we’ve heard in our latest BBC crime drama.

LM – Our wedding was a simple celebration of that, the simplicity of our relationship. We kept things small not just because we weren’t sure how COVID was going to play out, but because that’s what we preferred. We got as many of the people we loved in as we could, and it was just the best thing we could have imagined.

How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?

CB – I met Louis about a year into my PhD when I’d reached a bit of a crossroads in my life, I felt like I wasn’t where I was meant to be. It was a completely random day, and something made me go to this seminar that I wouldn’t normally go to. It was his first day, and he caught my eye, the hot new guy. A group of us went to lunch and we got talking about ice-cream spiders and research and Tasmania, and we’ve been hanging out ever since. It turns out, I was where I was meant to be.

LM – I had moved to Perth about two weeks earlier and I met Chellyce on my first proper day of my PhD. I noticed her beautiful smile as soon as I entered the room. She was chatting to a friend and looking nonchalant. We got talking afterwards and everything just came so easily. We didn’t run out of things to talk about, we laughed at the same things, and there was just that hint of tension that lets you know there is something more, a nerve-tingling spark. That simple day changed my life.

When did you first realise that this was someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?

CB – Total cliché, but I knew pretty quickly. I was a horribly shy teenager and that never really went away. Every other guy I had dated made me so nervous, the fact that I could maintain a conversation with him without feeling those nerves meant something was really different. He made me more comfortable, more confident and I actually had the emotional capacity to invest in the relationship. He literally makes me a better functioning person, and when someone makes you feel that good, you have to marry them.

LM – Chellyce is a very easy person to let into your life. She is funny, down-to-earth and full of heart. But the thing that convinced me she was ‘the one’ was her selflessness. She will do anything to support her family and friends and she will drop everything to help someone with a problem – even a complete stranger. I quickly realised that she is a better person than me (but don’t’ tell her I said that) and that is the kind of person I want to grow old with.

Was there a proposal? Tell us a little about it…

LM – Chellyce was not subtle about what ring she wanted. In early 2019, she spotted a vintage engagement ring online at Molten Store in QLD. It is from the early 1950s, engraved for someone called Doreen. We both studied history, and the fact that the ring had a story made it her ring, so I bought it in secret. When she noticed it was sold, she was convinced I had not bought it. She was so sad I had to tell her it was me. So then I had to come up with a plan to make the proposal special…

CB – Yes, so I knew the proposal was coming, and while you might think that takes the shine of it, it so didn’t – I was incredibly nervous that whole year, because I never knew when he was going to do it! We visited his family in Tasmania that Christmas, and planned a trip to the east coast for New Years. We got to our destination – Binalong Bay, near Bay of Fires – and we went for a walk at the beach. We got back to the holiday house, and I turned around to see him on one knee. I asked why he didn’t do it at the beach – the sunset was spectacular. He said he wanted to but couldn’t because there were too many people, and he thought that I would want the moment to be just for us. He was right, and it was perfect.

Tell us about the vision you had for the mood or style of your wedding…

CB –We took a trip to the Isle of Skye in 2016 and the wintery backdrop changed my mind. When we couldn’t get married in Scotland, we started thinking about a winter wedding here. We really only considered two venues, and when we went to Guildhall’s open day in 2020 – that sealed it. I wanted something simple, cocktail, sustainable and classy, no pink, no white, no frills. Something that reflected us and not what a wedding should look like.

I struggled figuring out what I wanted décor-wise until I had a dress, and then I started scouring Instagram for flowerspiration. I had attended a workshop with Tanya at Sea Studio earlier that year, and she was so game for my ideas. She got my idiosincracies – particularly around mixing metals – and crafted the most beautiful and sustainable arrangements. The rest I kept simple – black, grey and neutrals in our wonderful signage from Paperlinen and décor I sourced – to make all the colour of the day really pop.

Photo-wise, we really hit the jackpot with Ring & Veil, not just because their work is incredible, but also because Eve and Jo are some of the nicest people in the business. They helped me with everything from advice about styling, to where to find clear umbrellas in case of rain. Eve listened to me when I was freaking out about managing the day on my own and helped me overcome some of my fear of being photographed. I messaged her after we received the photos to thank her profusely – I have never felt beautiful in photos in my life, and she made me feel amazing about myself.

In hindsight, it was never going to be hard to pull everything off; with Guildhall, our vendors and the backdrop of North Freo how could it be?

What was one element you were happy to splurge on?

CB – The food. I wouldn’t say we’re foodies, but eating out is one of our favourite things to do. The food at Guildhall is amazing – it’s catered through Propeller, which is one of Perth’s best kitchens – and when you consider the cost of catering and the quality of the food we had, it was actually super affordable. One thing we didn’t think we’d need was a live stream, but as COVID locked out a number of our guests and my best friend, it was the best thing we did. Ring & Veil hooked us up with Birdseye, who kindly stepped in a week before the wedding to help out. Now we have a video of the ceremony to keep.

Did anything happen on your wedding day that you laugh about in hindsight (even if it was stressful at the time)?

CB – I don’t think we can ever laugh about it, but COVID still kicking our butts in 2021 was ridiculous. I had my best friend, stuck in Melbourne, on an iPad that my bridesmaid carried around. She did her speech on the loudspeaker and we did a mini photoshoot. It wasn’t the same, and it’s still sad. While I can’t laugh, what I do feel is gratitude that we live where we do, that we got to spend this time with the people we love when many around the world cannot. We even got a COVID check-in sign made as a souvenir, to remind us just how lucky we were to have the wedding at all. It really was the best day of my life, and that it happened in the middle of a pandemic is incredible.

Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, is there a story?

CB – My dress was the hardest part. I spent about three months looking, and it turns out an A-line silhouette without lace is not that popular in Perth. I had seen some Chosen by Kyha dresses when I had visited Through the White Door, and started exploring their designs further when I discovered a friend at work had purchased the rose-gold Fontaine gown. A 20% off sale came up, so I asked to try on her dress for size. I was completely blown away, apart from the colour being a bit off for me, it fit me perfectly and I felt effortlessly glamourous. Of course, the guilt then set in, I had fallen in love with my friend’s dress! Lucky for me, I have amazing friends, and she agreed that the white colourway had to be mine. A quick call to Vicky, and the order was placed. Next year, I get to see my friend get married in her dress and I’m just as excited for her as she was for me.

I wore it with Loeffler Randall pleats, which still make me swoon, some amazing earrings from Amelie George, and my Nanna’s vintage watch. I have never felt more spectacular.

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