We wanted an elegant and timeless look with a muted colour palette.
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
I grew up in Sydney, and Mark grew up in Melbourne. We both work in banking at the same company but in different teams, so we don’t really cross paths at work, i.e. we get a break from each other.
Family is really important to us both! I am one of 5 girls, and Mark is one of 4 (2 brothers and a sister). we are both really close with our families and enjoy getting together with them and all the activities that come with a big family.
In May 2023, we had our son, Sebastian. He is the best and provides a lot of entertainment. Our weekends mostly revolve around him now, but we do love going to the beach, walking up to our local markets and eating out with friends and family when we can. Oh and we love our dog, Leo, he’s a Weimeraner. Can’t forget him!
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
Georgie – Mark and I met at work and started dating about a year after we first met. We worked on the same floor and started hanging out for after work drinks, and then I guess we realised we both kind of liked each other! We went on a few dates and tried to keep the relationship a secret from colleagues, but that didn’t last long! After a few drinks on a Friday, Mark seemed to forget the plan to keep it on the down low…
At first meeting, I thought he was very cute. Then, as we got to know each other, I realised he was very funny, he had a quick wit, and I liked how he was very present in conversation. A really genuine guy.
Mark – my first impression of Georgie was that she was really gorgeous, with a beautiful smile. She was fun to be around and had a personality that drew people in.
When did you first realise that this was someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?
Georgie – I had an inkling after he spent an afternoon with my family. It was just very easy, and I could see him slotting into our family. A couple of months later, we went to Melbourne, and I met his family. It just completed the picture of who Mark was, and I knew that was it. It was so fun, and there were a lot of similarities to my family. We didn’t end up telling each other we loved each other until 7 months later! Bot were playing hard to get.
Mark – I knew early on that Georgie was a very special person. As we spent more time together, I was increasingly drawn to her and realised this was someone I wanted to be around, someone who I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, share memories together and build a family with. We hold a lot of shared values, which further attracted me to Georgie. Building up the courage to say ‘I Love you’ was a different story.
Was there a proposal? Tell us a little about it…
Mark had the ring hidden in our house for over a year. He had planned a couple of proposals, but both fell victim to COVID lockdowns. Eventually, Mark proposed in March 2022. We were at Bannisters by the Sea in Mollymook and it was just after NSW had a tonne of rain and flooding. We were lying by the pool when Mark suggested we go down to the beach. If you know the Bannisters pool, you can understand why I wasn’t that keen to relocate, especially when the ocean was brown and choppy after the wild weather, and we had table service at the pool!
In the end, I decided to humour him, and we walked down to the beach. Once on the sand, Mark stopped to take off his shoes, and as I walked ahead, he called out to me. I turned around to see him down on one knee. I don’t think there was much of a speech, but it was an easy “yes”.
Mark had also organised a lovely picnic, which was waiting for us on the beach, and we were able to enjoy some champagne straight away with rose petals scattered around us. Mid-picnic, there was a rustling in the shrubs behind us and we spotted a rat that had popped up. Given Mark’s surname is Rattray, this could not have been more fitting and felt like a good sign.
Tell us about the vision you had for the mood or style of your wedding.
We were both on the same page when we pictured the wedding day. We wanted an elegant and timeless look with a muted colour palette. We wanted to keep it simple but elevated. Mood-wise, we wanted a garden party into a formal dinner and a big party to cap the night off.
What was one element you were happy to splurge on?
The venue was probably our biggest splurge. We knew it would set the scene and be the backdrop for the style we wanted to achieve. We also wanted somewhere that would take a lot of the coordinating and setting up stress away. Once we did a walk-through of Greyleigh, there was no going back. It ticked a lot of boxes, and we just had a great feeling walking around the grounds.
Did anything happen on your wedding day that you laugh about in hindsight (even if it was stressful at the time)?
The first thing that comes to mind is not on the wedding day but I did get scammed by the first makeup artist I booked and had to book someone new with 2.5 weeks to go. That, however, is a long story and did have a happy ending because I got to have Tayla do my makeup when she wasn’t initially available for my date, and she was amazing!
The day itself went really smoothly, but the night before when we were steaming my dress, my mum put her face to the skirt to check if a patch that looked discoloured was just damp. When she moved away, she had left a beautiful red lipstick mark on my wedding dress! Panic broke out, but not for long. Thank god for baby wipes! Good as new!
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, is there a story?
Georgie – I started dress shopping when I was 6 weeks post-partum. I hadn’t thought too much about it yet, but my sister was getting stressed that I hadn’t tried anything on in 9 months until the wedding. Kyha Studios was my second dress appointment, and it was just a lovely experience, but it wasn’t until I went back for a second time that I tried on the dress I ended up wearing. I knew I wanted a ball gown style, and I loved the skirt and top combination because I could get wear out of the corset for a second look. The perfect 2-in-1 dress.
Mark – I had always loved the look of classic Black Tie weddings and had seen a number of great tailored suits come out of P Johnson tailors. I opted for a classic black tie with patent black leather shoes.
BRIDE Georgie Woods, @g_woods GROOM Mark Rattray, @mark_rattray LOCATION Greyleigh, Kiama NSW, @greyleigh.kiama PHOTOGRAPHER Hayley Rafton, @hayleyrafton VIDEOGRAPHER Sam Battin Films, @sambattinfilms FLORIST Pia & Jade, @piaandjade CELEBRANT Renee Milthorpe, @reneemilthorpecivilcelebrant ENTERTAINMENT Arrival & Ceremony – Clear Strings, @clear_strings; Mark Matthews Music, @markmatthewsmusic HIRE South Coast Party Hire, @southcoastpartyhire CATERING Garnish Catering, @garnish_catering GELATO The Gelato Bike, @thegelato_bike STATIONERY & SIGNAGE Samantha Colling Creative Studio, @samanthacollingcreativestudio WEDDING BANDS Jacque Fine Jewellery, @jacquefinejewellery BRIDAL DRESS & VEIL Chosen by Kyha, @chosenbykyha BRIDE’S PARTY DRESS Chosen by Kyha, @chosenbykyha BRIDE’S SHOE Wittner, @wittnershoes MAKEUP Tayla Jane Makeup, @taylajanemakeup HAIR Chelsea Taylor Hairstylist, @chelseataylor_hairstylist BRIDESMAIDS DRESS Anna Quan, @annaquanlabel; Bec & Bridge, @becandbridge; Hansen & Gretel, @hansenandgretel GROOMSMEN’S SHIRT MJ Bale, @mjbale GROOMSMEN’S SHOE Florsheim, @florsheimaus FLOWER GIRLS’ DRESS Next, @nextofficial_au PAGE BOYS’ SUIT Suit Lab, @suitlab BAR & BAR STAFF Henry Clive, @henryclivecaravanbar
