Wedding Date: 5th of May 2022

Haylie wears our Amelie Gown

Where was your wedding venue (ceremony and reception) and why did you choose there?

We eloped at “The Keep” in Gould’s Country Tasmania. Where we had an intimate ceremony with our Celebrant, Photographer & Videographer only. Our reception was a stunning 3 course dinner for just us two, cooked by a local Chef.

We chose to elope due to the fact that I’m a very shy person and couldn’t imagine walking down an aisle in front of a large group of people. We also wanted to make sure that the ceremony was just about the two of us, and that we really felt in the moment. At the end of the day we’re just marrying each other.

We had stumbled across “The Keep” online and just found it visually stunning. A building in the middle of nowhere, 50mins from anyone and not a house in sight, it was a truly magical spot.

Do you have a wedding theme / style? Tell me about it, please!

I’m not sure if we really had a theme, looking back we definitely took a Romantic approach. I’ve always been a big fan of pink and red as a colour combo (I’m a graphic designer) and felt it would really pop in this location.

We decided to really dress up, as we thought, it’s a once in a lifetime thing, let’s go all out and boujee!

How did you and your now husband meet?

I met Louis when he began working at the same company as me in October 2017. Prior to dating we had worked together for just over a year and were best friends.

I work in Graphic Design and Louis is in Marketing so we worked together often. We had our first real date on November 16th 2018.

What was your proposal story?

The ring process took quite some time for Louis and he kept things under wraps. As soon as it finally arrived from Canada it burnt a hole in his pocket. That day I got home from work and Louis suggested we go out for dinner at our local surf club. We rode our bikes there and had an amazing parmi and lost $20 on the pokies (solid school night).

On the ride home Louis suggested we pull over at the beach on our old street so we did. We were watching the waves, being the romantic I am, I started to go on about "this is where we fell in love" "the moon is so pretty" and so on... stealing Louis' lines. He then asked "how much do you love me" I replied "like crazy" and then Louis got down on one knee and asked me if I would spend the rest of my life with him… I was in shock, didn't reply for what felt like 3 minutes and then said "I'd love to". The dark combined with my bat like vision meant I couldn’t even see the ring, and it wasn't until we got home I could take it in. I’m still shocked I’m married. But loving it.

How did you hear about Prea James Bridal?

I stumbled across Prea James on Instagram. I fell in love with a few pieces from her collection mainly the simpler silk silhouettes. I only actually booked one wedding dress boutique fitting (Sphere Bridal in QLD). I tried on only Prea James to be honest… I saw the Amelie Gown just floating in the reception.

The dress sparkled and was so stunning in person, and I just had to try it on.

I didn’t think the Bridal moment you see in movies was actually going to be a thing, where you feel like “this is the dress” but I definitely had that moment.

I knew when I stepped into the Amelie dress that nothing was going to top it. I had to have it!

From where did you purchase your gown?

Sphere Bridal Gallery in Maroochydore QLD – the Ladies there were just so lovely. Could not have had a better experience.

What do you love most about the gown?

I loved the organza overlay. I found it very romantic, and different to the usual.
It also has a sparkle to it, that photos just don’t capture.

Are there any special details about your wedding that you would like to share?

My partner and I actually spent the morning together up until 12pm which is when we separated to get ready, then didn’t see each other until 3pm. In the morning we went on a bush walk and then he made me breakfast, just took it easy and enjoyed our time together basking the in the excitement.

After the ceremony we ducked inside to enjoy our signature cocktail and regroup before we headed back out for photos.

This cocktail is amazing and something that reminds us of home it’s called ‘The all Aussie Adventure.’ (recipe below!)

The All Aussie Adventure

45ml of Eucalyptus Gin (recipe for this below)

40ml of Stone & Wood syrup (recipe for this below)

40ml lemon juice

15ml Regal Rouge Vermouth

Combine all together in cocktail shaker with ice, shake for 30 seconds Using a strainer to stop ice from coming through, pour into short glass with one extra large ice cube.

How to make the Eucalyptus Gin:

To make the Gin you need to infuse 4 tablespoons of eucalyptus leaf tea into any unflavored gin (we use Hendricks or Roku) for 6-8 hours, do not leave in for too long. The tea we use is from 'the tea hut' https://www.theteahut.com.au/eucalyptus-leaf-tea-organic/

To infuse the Gin, we use an ice tea diffuser so you don't get any leaves in the gin. These are found at K-mart for around $10. Otherwise you can always just use a strainer to remove the leaves.

How to make the Stone & Wood syrup:

To make the syrup boil equal parts Stone and Wood Pacific Ale with white sugar, add 1 cinnamon stick per 500ml and stir until all sugar is dissolved.

When making the All Aussie Adventure, you can turn down sweetness by reducing syrup and making up the volume with lemon or gin!

Were there any details that you made yourselves?

Louis brought a suitcase full of candles, placemats, tablecloths, vases and other pretty things to make up a romantic dinner table setting for our wedding night. He then added the flowers from our floral stands and my bouquet after the ceremony and it was just beautiful. The table setting really made our evening even more stunning.

Finally, do you have any words of wisdom for couples planning for their big day? This can be to do with any part of the wedding – eg, planning, budget , or the day itself.

In the leadup to our elopement there were many times we were tossing up between different options due to budget. We ended up opting for everything we wanted and now that the day is over we are so glad that we did. For example we nearly didn’t add the floral stands and looking back, they really did make that spot so amazing, especially in the photos! The same goes for Photo & Video, many people only opt for photography however the video really does capture the day in a different way and is so worth it!

Add those extra flowers, get that videographer, buy that amazing dress and if your anything like me, just elope! Remember it’s just about the two of you. Enjoy each other and don’t look back!