Guys. This love story was a set-up success. “We met when I was babysitting his nephew and his sister set us up. She asked me over to babysit while she ‘did her taxes’ and at the same time invited Chris over for a dinner that she had ‘forgotten about’. She made a strategically-timed long phone call just when dinner arrived… and the rest is history!” Now, we thought we couldn’t love them more and then we noticed they had hired a bunch of our fave vendors and we really got excited. From their photographer, I Got You Babe Weddings and cinematographer, The White Tree, to Melbourne Entertainment Company, Cushla Whiting Jewellery and M.J. Bale, it was an impressive lineup! Scroll down for more…
LITTLE LOL “We found out I was pregnant a week before the hens and had to find a way to keep it a secret. I had told three close friends who were on drink swapping duties, and they went above and beyond. Every time someone ordered me a round of shots they would sprint to the bar and order whatever non-alcoholic drink looked the most like the shot ordered. We managed to make the whole hens without anyone clueing in only to find out that Chris had accidentally spilled the beans at his bucks! The only problem was, he didn’t remember who he had told… Throughout the wedding I had people secretly coming up to congratulate us, but we just thought they were congratulating us on the wedding – it was hilarious!”
THE VENUE “We knew we wanted to get everyone out of town for the weekend. We had taken a trip up to the Grampians to scout some venues and saw some beautiful places but they didn’t quite tick the boxes. I typed ‘Shearers Quarters’ into google looking for another venue, and I accidentally stumbled across Barunah Plains – best mistake ever! There was just so much beauty in the natural backdrop and we knew we wouldn’t have to bring much in to make it shine. Ali and Damian were so flexible with any plans we had, and as an extra bonus there was room for everyone to stay the night. We had so much fun making a weekend out of our wedding!”
THE INSPO “We picked our favourite parts of all the weddings we’d been to and left out anything we felt wasn’t us. We knew we wanted great food and a killer dance floor – so we spent a lot of time picking vendors that we really clicked with and let them handle the rest. They were all so magnificent, and we can’t thank them enough for taking the stress away from us!”
FAVE DETAILS “Our flowers! I was very vague with what I wanted for our florals and bouquets. We didn’t know what my bridesmaids would be wearing yet, so I sent our florist a bunch of screenshots of flowers I liked that were all completely different and barely had a theme. Shoutout to Orla from Elderberry Events who somehow managed to figure out what I was after.”
MEMORABLE MOMENT “Without a doubt, the dance floor! We always knew we’d have a good time partying with our friends, but I really underestimated how much the dance floor would be the best place to hang out with everyone. People always tell you that you’ll spend half the night trying to say a two-minute hello to all of your guests, but with everyone on the dance floor all night, it was so amazing to turn one way and be having a laugh with our mates, and turn the other way for a boogie with family who’d travelled from out of town to be there. We can’t thank the band enough, Melbourne Entertainment Company, for being absolute legends and talented to boot.”
COOL CUSTOMS “Chris is Polish, so we knew we wanted to include a touch of Poland to the wedding. We had a big neon sign that said ‘Cheers’ in Polish) a lot of free-flowing vodka, Pączki (Polish donuts) instead of a cake and a secret midnight snack of pierogi served up from the Pierogi Pierogi food truck. Chris’ parents also bought out the traditional bread and salt during speeches. The bread symbolises the couple never going hungry, while the salt represents life’s difficulties and the importance of learning to cope.”
STANDOUT VENDORS “We can’t thank our photographers Lilli and Laura of I Got You Babe Weddings enough! Looking for photographers was very overwhelming, so when a friend of ours recommended Lilli, we were sold! It’s not something I thought would be so important at the time, but looking back at our photos now, we are beyond grateful that we made the investment. The wedding weekend went by in a flash, but having so many amazing, candid photos of all of our guests and parts of the night we didn’t get to see ourselves has been invaluable. Thanks legends! Also, Carla Dyson, was not only a great makeup artist, but what I underestimated was how much she would set the tone for the day. She has such a genuine and relaxed personality. It was amazing to not feel rushed or stressed. Thanks Carla for helping us have a chilled out best day ever!”
If you are just as excited about Kirsten and Chris’ wedding as we are, check out the Directory listings of their incredible list of vendors that are also friends of Hello May. Click the following links for more info, real weddings and happy couples. I Got You Babe Weddings, The White Tree, Melbourne Entertainment Company, Cushla Whiting Jewellery and M.J. Bale. But first…
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer I Got You Babe Weddings Cinematographer The White Tree Stylist & Florist Elderberry Events Stationery With Joy Ceremony & Reception Barunah Plains Catering Smith & Co. Food Trucks & Polish Donuts Pierogi Pierogi Guest Tents Twilight Glamping Neon Sketch + Etch Entertainment Zac O’Connell & Band via Melbourne Entertainment Company Celebrant Chess Julia Allen (Friend) Rings Cushla Whiting Jewellery (Bride) David Neale via Pieces of Eight (Groom) Transport McHarry’s Buslines THE BRIDE Bridal Gown Aje Alterations & Veil Vasiliki Couture Shoes Basque via Myer Earrings A.B. Ellie Hair & Makeup Carla Dyson Bridesmaid Dresses Lee Mathews Bridal Party Gifts Papier (Photo Books) THE GROOM Suit, Shirt & Bow Tie M.J. Bale Shoes Aquila Grooming Leah via The Do Salon Groomsmen Suits M.J. Bale