The red was an ode to the romantic theme of the wedding
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
We have been together for almost 6 years, living on the South Coast of NSW, Australia. We love living an active, social life with lots of travelling! We try to travel 1-2 times a year & love to experience new things together, which have become our fondest memories!
We thrive off being busy & are constantly on the move, which means we do find joy in the small things and cherish spending 1-on-1 time together, whether that be going for a coffee or taking a walk by the ocean.
Matt runs his own business & plays football. I work in the hair & beauty industry by day + DJ by night!
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
Our meet story can be described by one word only – fate! We lived in the buildings next to each other. I went out one night & misplaced my ID. Later that week, Matt found my ID pinned to the notice board in his building! The rest is history.
Katelyn: My first impression was that he was super calm & attentive; we made each other nervous! I knew in the moment we made each other feel that way for a reason & quickly after we became inseparable – I had an instant crush!
Matt: Katelyn has such beautiful eyes and a great personality that it was so easy to get along with her. From the moment we met, we had a spark and have been each other’s person ever since.
What styling and visual elements worked best for you? (could be things, the florals, particular hire products or your marquee, etc., something the stylist created or simply just the scenic beauty of your location or the existing design of your venue).
Terrara House was the first venue we toured. The moment we drove through the gates, we knew it was the one. Nothing else compared after that. We wanted something that felt grand, yet intimate. The house was the backdrop for our ceremony, which felt extra special as our families & bridal party were staying on site all weekend with us. It’s a beautiful reminder of the time we got to spend with all of our favourite people.
The reception was in a small modern barn on the grounds – we styled it with meters of deep red fabric draped from the rafters. The fabric tied in with our florals & signage. We had vintage lamps, mini 1942 tequila bottles & a true old school vintage photo booth. The red was an ode to the romantic theme of the wedding – to tie the theme together, we featured cherubs throughout our invitation suite & on the day signage. This felt more like us than a logo or crest.
What did you enjoy most about the planning process, and do you have any tips for couples starting their wedding planning journey?
We truly made every little decision a ‘moment’ from menu tastings to fragrance consults – everything was done together. It was so special to make the decisions together & take extra time to be 1 on 1.
From the get-go, we knew intimacy was very important to us. We wanted to be able to spend time with every single one of our guests and have a personal relationship with everyone there. This can ruffle feathers, especially with family, so being super clear & intentional with your reasoning is crucial. It’s important to remember it’s your day & about you as a couple; list what’s important to you and differentiate the things you’re willing to compromise on from those you’re not.
Tell us about your vendors. Were there any standout suppliers you would like to make special mention of?
Our vendor lineup was incredible! I am very Type A when it comes to planning; everything must be locked in far in advance. Ayesha from White Top truly made the planning process an ease. I feel blessed when I think back to how much of an enjoyable experience planning the wedding was. Chelsea from Loved By Chelsea was our celebrant and MC. When I tell you she went above & beyond to make the flow of the day perfect (even bringing us a champagne at one point!). Our guests commented on how smooth the flow of the day was, & I truly credit that to Ayesha & Chelsea.
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, and is there a story?
I will cherish dress shopping with my mum & nan so much! We went to quite a few boutiques altogether to savour the moment. I knew I would be quite picky when choosing a dress. I didn’t have a vision at all, which was odd because I had a vision for everything else – I was willing to try every shape & style. We went to Love Marie in Camden, which was always on my list. They have the most beautiful brand selection. The majority of the dresses I tried on were KYHA; I resonated with the dresses from that brand the most. I loved the sleek modern vibe. Amy was so calm, and we had the nicest experience, after 1 very quick appointment, the decision was made. I made a few customisations to the neckline of the dress to make it feel more me.
I always knew I’d like a reception dress; I definitely wanted something long, but that’s all I knew. I struggled to find something that was right for me. My reception dress was a very last-minute decision. It arrived the morning we were supposed to leave for the wedding weekend! Still in the bag, we drove down to the venue – I tried it on for the first time, 5 minutes before I was supposed to wear it!! Looking back, I loved my reception dress, a simple silhouette with understated sequins. It suited our vintage vibe reception perfectly and was the perfect dress for me to DJ in at the after-party!
Tell us about your wedding and engagement rings.
My engagement ring is a marquise diamond in a low setting with 3 small diamonds on either side. Matt designed the ring with Penny from Meakins – I had no idea! He knew I wanted something a little different, and boy, did they deliver. I couldn’t have asked for a better, more ‘me’ ring. The debrief post getting engaged when Matt told me how he had been sneaking around getting the ring designed, asking my parents if he could propose, is a top memory for me.
Matt’s wedding band features a small marquise diamond on the front, an ode to my engagement ring.
Due to the low setting of my engagement ring, we decided to design something together – It is an open band that features 5 bezel diamonds that perfectly run along the bottom of the point of the engagement ring.
What were one or two elements that were most important to you both that you were happy to spend a little more on? (food, photography, florals, the venue, your outfits?)
The most important thing for us was the guest experience. The timeline was crafted with this in mind. A few main things I feel that elevated our day include us doing an entrance into cocktail hour, and we extended cocktail hour to ensure we could enjoy this time with our guests. After we had joined everyone, we then had our bridal party speeches during this time. This took the pressure off our bridal party and also meant a more relaxed dining experience during the reception. Lastly, we had a private signing moment post-ceremony with our mums as witnesses; this way, the ceremony wasn’t interrupted, and our guests were already enjoying themselves with a drink in hand. We were serving our favourite cocktails all day & night. Our caterers, Season & Savour, provided the freshest local produce, including an oyster & caviar bar, which was served during cocktail hour. Perfection!
Was there a favourite moment (or two) that you will treasure always?
Katelyn: Every moment that we got to spend just us was so special. Particularly when we went out at sunset with our photography & videography teams – I loved getting those moments to escape and debrief with my husband. Nothing will top the feeling I felt when the doors of the house opened, and I looked out and saw all of our loved ones behind Matt.
Walking towards everyone felt overwhelmingly special. Seeing Matt’s emotions while walking hand in hand with my dad. A moment I will never forget.
Matt: When Katelyn first came through the front door of Terrara House with her dad, a feeling came over me that I’d never felt before. The feeling of happiness, and all the months of excitement for that one moment hitting me at once I did my best to keep it together but I couldn’t contain the emotion of the moment. Seeing how beautiful she was and how proud her dad was to be walking her down the aisle was something that will stay with me forever.
What does being married mean to you, and are there any special rituals you have that you would like to share?
To us, being married just felt right. It was the next step to show each other that we will choose one another always. As our love kept growing, it felt like an intentional next step, and we further committed to our partnership.
We have a few small rituals that strengthen our connection; those include our weekly non-negotiable morning time together. Once a week, we commit to spending a morning together to grab a coffee or go to the gym and spend it with just us – no distractions. We both look forward to this morning each and every week. These small moments together bring us back to living in gratitude with one another.
LOCATION Terrara House, Terara, NSW, Australia, @terrarahouse BRIDE Katelyn, @katelynsscott GROOM Matt, @maattscott PHOTOGRAPHER House of Lucie, @houseoflucielove VIDEOGRAPHER Morelife Films, @morelifefilms CONTENT CREATOR By Your Side Socials, @byyoursidesocials STYLIST Ivy Lane Collective, @ivylanecollective; White Top, @whitetopevents PLANNER White Top, @whitetopevents FLORIST Ivy Lane Collective, @ivylanecollective CELEBRANT Loved By Chelsea, @lovedbychelsea_ ENTERTAINMENT Singer – Seani, @seani____; Shannon, @stittykeys; DJ: Kane Najdovski HIRE Travertine Plints – Love Stoned Hire, @lovestoned.hire CATERING Season & Savour, @season_and_savour CAKE Flour & Frost, @flourandfrost.cakes STATIONERY & SIGNAGE Esthetic Bride, @esthetic.bride ENGAGEMENT RING Custom Made – Meakins Jewellers, @meakinsjewellers WEDDING RINGS Custom Made – Son Del Sol, @sondelsoljewellery BRIDE’S MORNING OUTFIT Datt, @datt_official BRIDE’S CEREMONY DRESS KYHA Studios, @kyhabride from Love Marie, @lovemariebridalboutique BRIDE’S RECEPTION DRESS Derma Department by Catherine Ferraro, @catherineferraro_au BRIDE’S SHOES Dolce Vita, @dolcevita BRIDE’S ACCESSORIES Calily Bridal, @calilybridal; Earrings – Nina Gordon, @ninagordon_ MAKEUP Rachel Macintosh, @rachelmacintoshmua HAIR Macy Mae Hair, @macymaehair BRIDE’S FRAGRANCE Oud Satin Mood – Maison Francis Kurkdijan, @maisonfranciskurkdjian GROOM’S SUIT MJ Bale, @mjbale GROOM’S SHOES Aquila, @aquila_est1958 GROOM’S FRAGRANCE Faces of Frances – Vilhelm Parfumerie, @vilhelm_parfumerie BRIDESMAIDS DRESSES MESHKI, @meshki GROOMSMENS SUITS MJ Bale, @mjbale
