MARIAN & ALEX'S MORNINGTON PENINSULA WEDDING

This fun-loving duo got engaged in New Zealand (complete with a retreat to the mountains and a Japanese Onsen bath, no less), and then tied the knot with the intention to “Provide a different experience for our guests, rather than the ballroom-style wedding that they would be used to at home in Ireland.” To say they nailed it is an understatement. And with the help of a rather large list of our go-to vendors, we’re not surprised. Case in point; LLB, fashion choices from Friend of Audrey, Oscar Hunt Tailors and M.J. Bale, Tillee Music, Miss Ladybird Cakes and last but definitely not least, Elsa Campbell was there taking the top-notch pics. Scroll down for more…

THE VENUE “Around half of the wedding guests would be making the trip over from Ireland [pre-COVID, of course], so we wanted to host the wedding somewhere that we could make a mini-break out of it. On arrival [at Baxter Barn] the beautiful scene of gum trees, greenery and a lake with lots of Australian wildlife had us hooked. Lit up at night with all the fairy lights it looks incredible and creates such a warm atmosphere. We were also bowled over by the beautiful ceremony setting at the cottage with the manicured lawns.”

THE INSPO “In terms of vibes, we wanted it to be quite rustic, colourful and fun! We cut some of the more traditional things out of the day such as the couple’s entrance, cake cutting and bouquet throwing, so after the speeches were done, there was nothing else for us and our guests to do other than dance!”

FAVE DETAILS “Our flowers [by LLB] were really incredible. They were beyond what I expected and really set the scene for the day. Walking down the aisle after getting married and being covered in dried rose petals by all our guests. Baxter Barn brought out Souvlakis and chips to our guests at 11 pm when the day was nearly over and they went down very well! A soakage pack is always a good idea. The cake from Miss Ladybird Cakes was amazing and lastly our favours.”

THE DRESS “I looked on the Suzanne Harward website and saw ‘the dress’ but didn’t think it would suit me as I had been sworn off V necks from trying on dresses in other bridal boutiques. Turns out the way Suzanne Harward designs and makes dresses aren’t like any others and it suited me after all. I absolutely loved it, especially as it was different and fashionable, yet classic.”

REFERENCES “For the most part, we found our vendors on the Hello May website and in the magazines.”

A WORD OF ADVICE “Do not DIY or accept help from others if it will add any unnecessary stress for you. Keep it simple and outsource the things that matter to you to professionals. You want all your guests and most importantly you to enjoy the day.”

WE’RE GLAD WE… “Got married here in Australia rather than going home to Ireland for it. This is our home now and it was extra special to have our family and friends come all this way to celebrate with us and experience a slice of our lives here in Australia.”

STANDOUT VENDORS “Our florist Rebecca (LLB) really went above and beyond. From our first meeting to the moment she arrived with the beautiful bouquets, Rebecca was calm, friendly, helpful and creative. I loved working with her and I still can’t get over how incredible the flowers were on the day. We of course loved Elsa Campbell, our photographer, who really captured all the best moments of the day. She is a phenomenal photographer and she was so lovely and fun to work with. We really connected with her and she made us so excited about the wedding as she is a true romantic at heart. It was Alex’s first experience with a tailored suit and the team at Oscar Hunt Tailors made him feel totally at ease with the whole experience and the end result was mint! The music duo from Tillee Music created such a beautiful atmosphere at the canapés. Our glam squad (Megan Harrison and Dusk Bridal) were both so relaxed and really made me, my sisters and my mam feel comfortable. They also did such a great job on all of us. The staff at Baxter Barn went above and beyond and the team at One Big Day Event Hire Company were great.”

Marian and Alex’s delightful wedding was originally published in Issue 31 of Hello May magazine. If you are keen to snag a copy, head on over to our online store here. And if you want to check out more from this couple’s fab photographer, head to Elsa Cambell’s Directory listing with us here and scroll down to the linked weddings below. You won’t regret it. Also, if you’re still in the market for your groom’s suit (or his groomsmen) don’t miss tonnes of inspo from Oscar Hunt Tailors and M.J. Bale’s Directory listing with us here and here. If you want to see more from the following, they have Directory listings with us too! Head to; LLB, Friend of Audrey, Tillee Music and Miss Ladybird Cakes for all your heart desires. But first…