After ten years together, and a cliff-top proposal that featured limited edition Twisties (yes, really!), Olivia and Adrian describe marriage as “having a best friend for life” and we couldn’t agree more. It also dawned on the bride not long after the nuptials that the knock-on effect is that you no longer have to worry about dating, “or having to impress anyone all that much,” which is also a plus, right? Although she reassured us, “we won’t be letting ourselves go!” We don’t think that would even be possible for this gorgeous couple! Georgia Verrells got it all on camera and if you’re wondering, those glorious florals are from Little Lady Blooms, folks!
THE PROPOSAL I took Olivia on a weekend away to the Grampians for her birthday. We started the day with a walk up to the summit of Mount Abrupt and as we were nearing the top, Olivia said to me ‘I thought you might propose to me on this weekend away…’, to which I replied very convincingly, ‘nah, we can’t afford that stuff right now, maybe another time.’ We were wearing our pyjamas underneath tracksuit pants and both wearing beanies, and at the top- while Olivia was chowing down on some special edition Twisties, wondering why I wasn’t eating any- I slid off the rock beside her onto one knee with the ring. In shock, licking the Twisties flavour off her fingers, I proposed to her and when she realised I wasn’t joking, she was so happy to say yes, even in her pyjama tracksuits. I then ate some of the Twisties… they were pretty good!
THE DRESS My best friend actually pointed out the Mariana Hardwick dress. When I put it on, I felt so happy! I could dance and move in it, and it also made me feel so beautiful. The overall experience was exhausting though. It was worse than shopping for jeans, the constant undressing makes a girl tired!
FAVOURITE DETAILS Among the food, flowers, music and styling, I loved our minimalist wedding invites. We wanted to stay away from obvious wedding invites and do something different that felt timeless. I feel they are important for setting the tone of the wedding. I was also in love with our ceremony setup. I knew I wanted candles, moody flowers and an arbour to set the ‘quiet romance’ vibe I was going for. It blew me away when I saw it all together for the first time.
DIY Adrian and I made our welcome sign which was inspired by something I saw on Pinterest. We also tackled our own hanging floral centrepieces from the beams- I wanted maximum impact and also to soften the warehouse space a little. We spent the whole day before the wedding making the hanging centrepieces and styling the long tables.
REFERENCES I found Gather & Tailor on Wedshed.com. We got really lucky because Gather & Tailor has a catering company (Pot & Pan) and furniture (Pepper Sprout Hire), which I loved everything from. The catering was something Adrian and I knew had to be a sit down dinner style. But, we really loved shared plates. It meant that our vegan and vegetarian friends could pick and choose. It also made the meal feel like a big family dinner. I found Good Day Rentals through Hello May magazines I bought for inspiration.
COOL CUSTOMS My family is Polish, so my parents have a great tradition that my Grandma did for my parents, and my parents did for my sister and twin sister, so I knew it was coming for mine. The parents greet the newly weds with a basket of bread and salt (bread, so we don’t go hungry in our lives, and salt, to stop things from spoiling and keep us healthy). They also have two shots (one is water, one is vodka. (They say the person who gets the water is the person who does all the hard work in the relationship and the person who gets the vodka is the easy-going, relaxed one). You break the bread together, sprinkle on the salt and eat it. Then down that with your shot (unknowing which is which). Every one of my sisters got water and I had a feeling my Dad had my back, like he did with my sisters.
STANDOUT VENDORS I would have to say the Gather & Tailor staff. Everyone we spoke to from the moment of booking was extremely helpful, kind and humble. We felt like we were getting married and all these people who were helping us were our old friends.
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Georgia Verrells Florist Little Lady Blooms Ceremony & Reception Venue Gather & Tailor Catering Pot & Pan Cake Sally Cakes Wedding Invitation Corina Nika Printer Papermarc Hire Items Pepper Sprout Hire Celebrant Nathan Russo THE BRIDE Bridal Gown Mariana Hardwick Veil Noon on the Moon Engagement Ring Grace Lee Designs Wedding Band Capucinne Shoes Zomp THE GROOM Suit Jack London Suspenders Mens Braces Bow Tie Benjamin Barker Shoes River Island Wedding Band Michael Hill