How did you meet?
We first met in the year 2000 in a real sliding doors moment. I was 10 and Bill was 8 when we both won a scooter by entering the local newspaper colouring competition. We didn’t know each other, but as winners, we had to be photographed together in the newspaper with the scooters. I never saw him again until 13 years later where we randomly met at a local party.
That night and the months following the connection was never made that we had already met – there was no way we would have ever remembered! In late 2013, Bill’s ‘Nanny Doyle’ randomly pulled out the original newspaper clipping that she had kept. Everyone we know including ourselves just lost it!! We couldn’t believe it. We would never have known or remembered if it wasn’t for Bill’s Nanny Doyle. She gave us the original copy of the clipping before she passed away. I still have my scooter but Bill sold his a few years ago at a garage sale before we met. What a travesty!
Tell us about the proposal:
Bill proposed at the River Cottage in Tilba Tilba NSW. The River Cottage is a TV series on SBS that we watch together. Bill put the ring on our dog Chilli’s collar during our stay there. Chilli was going crazy running doing laps around the farmhouse, so much so that Bill was worried the ring would fall off, I had no idea and was encouraging her to keep running! He had to direct me inside the house so Chilli would stop running around so he could catch her!
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love, what is unique about you and your relationship:
We live in an 1880’s miners cottage near the beach in Kiama NSW. I am studying floristry and Bill is a plumber. We love live music, our two dogs and going camping. Bill is the most laid back bloke ever, nothing ever bothers him! He is always barefoot and you can often find him surfing or doing something in the yard. I, on the other hand, am not the most laid back person ever (haha!) but love walking the dogs, gardening, growing flowers and studying floristry. We both love antiques, so we love the thrill of an antique treasure hunt!
Tell us about your special day, was there a specific theme or style? Tell us a little about the setting, the styling and some of your favourite details:
We decided to shed a lot of the usual weddings traditions. We didn’t have a bridal party, a cake, a wedding dance etc – we just felt those things really aren’t us! After the ceremony, we had more of a party than a wedding reception! We felt music and food can make or break a wedding so we made sure we had a live band, good food, plenty of drinks and an ice-cream truck for dessert.
Butterland is the best place to get married! Katie Marx is a true flower wizard and she brought the place to life with her flowerings. She was incredibly easy to work with and it also helped we both like the same things haha! Will be forever grateful for Katie. The wedding day was freezing cold but Greg fired up the beautiful old furnace and it was like this awesome little warm dreamland!
Most styling items came from my home – such as the beautiful old trophies and candelabras etc. Katie and I both have an antique battery vase addiction, so we merged our collections and she filled them with these incredible large arrangements. I also requested that she incorporate lemons into some of the arrangements and she did this wonderfully!
Tell us about your main outfits:
I wore a Zimmermann dress with two Viktoria Novak crowns and Gucci shoes. Viktoria Novak is a true artist (and queen!) and we both connected as soon as we met, she was amazing. Bill wore an MJ Bale suit, RM Williams boots and an antique brooch from his Nan.
What were some of the most memorable/unique moments from the day?
One of my favourite moments was when my Mum and Dad showered Bill and me in original confetti from their own wedding day 45 years ago. My Mum is amazing – she has kept it somewhere safe for 45 years!! It was a beautiful moment.
Icecream Social pulled up out the front of Butterland after dinner and served our guests’ icecream! This was a massive hit, everyone got such a surprise, they were all raving about what an awesome idea it was! The ice cream is locally made and totally delicious – I highly recommend Icecream Social.
Another favourite moment was my Dad crowd surfing on the dance floor late into the night haha! The White Tree had everyone up dancing, my friends and family were really going wild!!
We also LOVED the Heart Break Booth, it was a massive hit too and the gold sparkle backdrop was amazing. Everyone was saying they hadn’t seen a photo booth so cool!! The bonus was our guests could take home their own little photo booth strips to put on their fridge! They even gave us an online gallery to share with everyone after the wedding.
Any advice for other couples planning to spend the rest of their lives together?
Try to enjoy the planning process, even though it can be stressful at times! Removing the traditions that we didn’t believe in also helped, there would be nothing worse than having to learn a wedding dance that you don’t even want to do! In the end, it is your day, so choose the way you want to celebrate and roll with it – the people celebrating with you will honour that.
Ceremony + Reception Location: Butterland | Photographer: Lulu & Lime | Celebrant: Megan Thompson | Entertainment: The White Tree | Flora: Katie Marx Flowers | Catering: Pot & Pan Melbourne | Icecream Van: Icecream Social | Photobooth: Heartbreak Hotel | Beverages: Cellarbrations Castlemaine | Bride + Groom’s outfits: Zimmermann + M J Bale | Rings: Natalie Marie Jewellery | Shoes: Gucci + R M Williams | Bride’s Headpiece: Viktoria Novak | Fragrance: Byredo – ‘Rose of No Mans Land’
