Dianne + Tim by In The Mood For Love - Together Journal

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

Dianne: I am a Manager at a Big 4 bank and my husband Tim, is a Disability Support Worker. I have a background in Nutrition and Food Science and I am passionate about all things food and nutrition – especially curating salad recipes.

Tim loves anything to do with the outdoors – camping, fishing, hikes. We both love travelling, road trips and the beach – anything to do with exploring new places. In our spare time you will catch us at the yoga/pilates/rock climbing studio, reading, attending live music gigs and spending time with our loved ones especially our 6 year old cavoodle, Leopold Bobby-John Sharpe (Leo).

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

DS: I was 21 when I met Tim and Tim was 25. I was out celebrating my best friend’s birthday with the girls. It was a hot, balmy night and whilst on the dancefloor, my friend began “twerking” to a song I cannot recall however it was at this moment that an “unacquainted tall male” (Tim) leaned over to me and said, “is she twerking?” to which I smiled and replied, “yes, indeed.” This concluded our initial interaction and I went over to the bar. To my amusement, I noticed the “unacquainted tall male” had followed me to the bar and asked, “so what do you do?”, apart from being taken aback from his directness and lack of pleasantries I immediately found myself enjoying his company and the fact that he was interested in my livelihood (Biomedical Science student at the time). I regrouped with the girls who gave several enthusiastic nods of approval and we exchanged contact details. It wasn’t until the next day when he messaged me that I realised his name was TIM and not JIM (blame the noisy dancefloor)! In his message he said he wanted to know more about Biomedical Science and so we agreed to meet at a cafe for our first date. It was a 40 degree day in Glenelg where we talked for hours, went for a walk and even took a dip in Somerton Beach. As it had started raining we ran back to our cars!

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

DS: As soon as I parked the car home after our first date I remember calling my friends when I had gotten home and talking about the indescribable feeling that I had from my time with Tim. Now, looking back, I can liken it to a feeling of home. From this day we were inseparable and I can definitely agree with the term when you know you know – I moved in with Tim within 6 months of being “FB official”, 1 year later we moved into and renovated my family home together and became parents to our dog son, Leo.

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

DS: It was in the European summer of 2019 – we were on day three of our much awaited 2 month holiday and having a glorious time so far in the Amalfi Coast in Italy, the first destination of our trip. We just had eaten our last breakfast in our dreamy pastel coloured, Wes Anderson-esque hotel and walked back to our room to pick up our bags before we checked out. Tim had hauled his backpack on, the backpack he had been nervously carrying around with him for three days straight and would not let out of his sight and suggested we take a “selfie” on the balcony. Immediately, I was suspicious as Tim never is one to suggest a photo opportunity, let alone a “selfie”. Wanting to make the most of this rare moment I hurried outside with him as we arranged ourselves accordingly to try and get the best view of the postcard views of the Amalfi Coast. As Tim held the camera facing us, I spotted an open ring box in the corner and once I realised what was happening Tim was already down on one knee and then asked me to marry him. With tears joyfully streaming on both our faces, I said yes. The ring was a bespoke piece by Natalie Marie jewellery that we had visited several months prior to our trip – designed by Tim who put together the styles I loved. Tim had been carrying the ring secretly in his backpack this whole time and I knew he was relieved the safekeeping was now my job for the remainder of the trip! After the proposal, I had a glass of champagne and Tim an espresso whilst we called our closest friends and family with the news and celebrated the rest of the trip. Tim said that he had asked my dad for my hand in marriage the night before we left for Europe and was going to ask in front of my immediate family but decided at the last minute he would do so during our trip. I loved his quiet and intimate proposal, it will forever remain one of the happiest and unforgettable moments in my life.

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

DS: Working with Penny from ARA Experience was a dream. Her warmth, wisdom beyond her years and dedication to my ever changing vision was more than I could have ever wanted in a wedding dress designer. Over the 9 months from when we first met, she helped navigate my indecisiveness and together we created two different styles that made me feel so happy and confident in my skin. The first style worn during the ceremony, was a crepe, off-shoulder style with a low back and detachable, balloon sleeves that were a homage to the voluminous sleeves my mother had during her 70s wedding. The second dress I wore during the reception had intricate lace detailing that shimmered like the ocean.

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

DS: The vision for our wedding was always a celebration of the life we had created together with all the people we love most in the world. Our main priority was seeing the happiness and enjoyment of our friends and family and we wanted to create meaningful memories through having members of our family be apart of the ceremony and reception. It certainly was a family affair – my sister co-piloted our ceremony with our celebrant and told our love story to our guests in the most beautiful way possible. One of my favourite parts of our ceremony was when my sister paid tribute to my late mother, an important figure in my life. My older brother was our MC and our bridal party was introduced in a hilarious fashion whilst my youngest brother, a popular local DJ played a legendary set (Toto – Africa to Come on Eileen – Dexy’s Midnight Runners is now a trademarked transition).

We dreamt of getting hitched on the cliffs of Uluwatu, Bali but Covid had other (grand) plans for us. During a mid-week luncheon the year before we were to wed, we fell in love with Star of Greece’s iconic view of the coastline and limestone cliffs. It encapsulated our love of the salty air, the sea and sun on our skin. Although it was one of the first venues we visited we knew it was the one. Star of Greece is a laid back venue and we were happy this transcended to the vibe of our day – a fun and simple affair with all our loved ones. Choosing cocktail worked most logistically with the amount of people we wanted (100) and the incredible food and wine selection excited us – modern with a focus on the seasonal and wonderful local produce SA has to offer.

Being both music lovers, we had chosen the music fairly early in our planning. I walked down to Frank Ocean’s cover of Moon River and our first dance was a last minute change to La Vie En Rose by Louis Armstrong. We booked the brilliant, local band Brazil Nuts Orchestra – a fun, three piece brand who captured our love of world music. Their set of latino style rock classics was a hit with our family and friends and kicked off the dancefloor perfectly.

What was one element you were happy to splurge on?

DS: I adore floristry and fell in love with Georgia from Ethereal Botanica’s philosophy on creating soulful and unique bridal bouquets for each of her brides. When I found out I had booked her last available date of the season I knew it was fate. Although I had a clear vision on what I wanted for our flowers, Georgia blew me away with what she provided on the day – she nailed the brief of whimsical, sculptural and textured blooms in dreamy pastel tones to complement the neutral palette we had chosen. For me, the flowers at our wedding was so worth the investment and looking back at our gallery I am always so drawn to the flower’s vibrance and natural beauty.

One other special element that was our hand sculpted clay cake topper which was carved to resemble us on our wedding day! I gave Hayley from That Little Nook a photo of my dress and Tim’s outfit. Tim had no idea until it arrived and thought it was great! We laughed as Tim looks much smaller than me as he is actually a foot taller. It’s very much a priceless and treasured keepsake.

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

DS: For about two weeks prior to our wedding day it was forecasted to thunderstorm and rain all day – something that we had not planned for our spring, outdoor ceremony by the beach. Unable to arrange a marquee, we panic bought multiple gazebos and dozens of clear umbrellas to distribute to our guests should there be a thunderstorm. I grew disheartened that our wedding wasn’t going to be the blue skies that we had dreamed of, however with the wonderful support of our family, friends and beautiful vendors we had various plans prepared. In the end I was just so happy to be able to marry the love of my life. Funnily enough, the night before the wedding the forecast changed to 0mm of rain and the day ended up being a sea of blue skies. I like to think this was a blessing from my mum watching from above.

An unforgettable moment was during the ceremony and my sister announcing us married and we even got as far as our first kiss as husband and wife. After, Tim goes “oh we’re not doing our vows?” and I turned to my sister, who had never officiated a wedding before, who looked at us in horror as she realised she had forgot to ask us to exchange our personal vows to each other. This was a hilarious moment and I am so thankful for my beautiful sister who managed the moment so well.