These two cuties have been together for a hefty 14.5 years (yep you read the right). Whilst on a holiday in Byron Ben pulled off a surprise proposal under the guise of a birthday celebration. Fast forward two years and lovely Hannah walked down the aisle in her much loved Grace Loves Lace gown to a teary Ben who told guests the waterworks were due to hay fever. All made up by our pals over at The Future Mrs no wonder Ben was in a dither. Hello May office bud (and all-round amazing photographer) Scott Surplice was there to capture all the details. Scroll down for more of his bloody awesome shots…

THE VENUE “We love the south coast/ southern highlands area in NSW so started to look at the many venues available there. After visiting a few venues in this region we knew we had quite a difficult decision on our hands as they all had so much to offer but then we saw Melross Farm! It was just stunning and everything we could have hoped for and more.”

THE VIBE “We wanted the day to be a big celebration with all our friends and family who have played a role in our lives. We also wanted the day to feel relaxed and full of love and laughter. For this reason, we wanted to have 4 long tables with shared food so it felt like a family gathering and plenty of alcohol! We had a tequila shot to start the night off and espresso martinis later in the evening. Piccolo and Poppi created a boho look for the ceremony and reception using loads of greenery and native flowers.”

THE DRESS “I was so lucky that my Mum and my Bridesmaids came to Burleigh Heads with me for a weekend away to go to Grace Loves Lace which was a wedding dress designer that I had always loved. It was such a fun weekend! Ben likes to call it my Hens 1.0. I really didn’t consider any other bridal boutiques. During my appointment at GLL, I tried on six dresses which got a reaction of love and tears from my mum and bridesmaids. The one I thought I would definitely get did not suit me at all and the one I ended up choosing was a surprise to me but I absolutely adored it.”

STANDOUT VENDORS Scott Surplice (Photographer) and Phoenix Vaiotu (Cinematographer) – both of these guys made us feel so relaxed, helped us have fun during the process and were more than happy to work alongside each other. The final product from both Scott & Phoenix truly exceeded our expectations and we are constantly going back to the photos and video they produced for us to reminisce on the day as they captured it so perfectly.”

This wedding first appeared in the spiffy pages of Issue 24 of Hello May. If you fancy nabbing yourself a copy head on over to our online store where limited copies are available. If you want more from Hello May fave Scott Surplice then head on over to his directory listing where you can peruse more Real Weddings he has shot. Pssst! We also think you should take a squiz at more from Grace Loves Lace here and The Future Mrs over here.

Oh, and did we mention Scott Surplice shot the cover of issue 25? Check out this very special 25th edition (and our fancy silver masthead) here.

CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Scott Surplice Cinematographer Phoenix Vaiotu Stylist & Florist Piccolo and Poppi Stationery Riley & Grey, Peach Perfect, Custom Favours Ceremony venue Melross Farm Reception venue The Barn on Melross Catering Inhouse Chef Bar The Fizz Fellas Lighting Hire Stoke Rental Co. Sound Hire DJ Warehouse Teepee & Signage Piccolo and Poppi Entertainment Matt Stewart, Mitch Tolnay Celebrant Genevieve McGrath Transport Kangaroo Valley Bus Company BRIDE Dress Grace Loves Lace Ring Melissa Harris Jewellery Robe Spell & The Gypsy Collective Shoes Alias Mae Earrings Valere Ear Cuff & Bracelet By Charlotte Necklace Monsieur Blonde Makeup Katie Angus of The Future Mrs BRIDESMAIDS Dress Kacey Devlin Shoes Billini Robes Homebodii GROOM Jacket Topshop Shirt & Pants Saba Tie Mrs Bow Tie Shoes R.M. Williams Ring Parade Jewellers GROOMSMEN Jacket Topshop Shirt & Pants Saba Shoes R.M. Williams