Shazrina Imtiaz and Nik Boodram had three times the fun as part of their cultural wedding celebrations.

The Melbourne pair held three separate celebrations – a Nikkah (official Muslim marriage ceremony), a Sri-Lankan/Indian reception and an affirmation of vows followed by another reception.

“Three different outfits, three different cuisines and three lots of fun!” Shazrina, 31, says.

The couple wed in a traditional Muslim ceremony on June 5, 2015 in front of 30 close friends and family in Doncaster. Their second ceremony was held at Epping’s The Manor on High on June 7 with 400 guests enjoying a Bollywood dance performance and traditional Sri Lankan and Indian cuisine.

Shazrina and Nik, 34, then renewed their vows at a Western-style ceremony and reception at Encore St Kilda Beach on June 14 with 150 family and friends. DIY wedding planner Shazrina ensured the venue looked the part with ‘N’ and ‘S’ light-up letters, a photo wall documenting the couple’s time together and stylish transport from 57 Chevy Hire.

Shazrina says she and Nik are thrilled to have made it down the aisle after 11 years together.

“Nik and I had been together for 10.5 years before he proposed and most people would be thinking what took him so long, but our story wasn’t just any straight forward love story. We are both from different cultures and religions and getting to an understanding and compromise from both sets of families is what took us so long… but it was definitely worth the wait,” Shazrina explains.

“We had three unique functions that showcased who we are as a couple. After being together for 11.5 years it was great to finally celebrate and share our love with all our family (who came from Sri Lanka and Trinidad especially for us) and friends.”

Photos courtesy of Lahza Photography.

For their Sri Lankan-Indian celebration, Shazrina chose an elegant ivory and pink colour palette.

 

Despite trying on 14 wedding dresses for her western celebration, Shazrina chose the very first one; a Kenneth Winston lace design from Raffaele Ciuca.

In contrast to the pink styling of their glamorous Bollywood wedding, the couple chose “funky” blue and silver for their vow renewal at Encore.

Kimberley Robertson and Toby Skene gained more than fitness when they joined boot camp.

“After a few weeks of group boot-camp sessions my personal trainer cheekily informed me that I had an admirer within the class…Toby [25],” smiles Kim, 28. They were engaged 18 months later but as this bride explains, it was not a fairy tale proposal.

Kim was washing Toby’s work clothes (after her nagging failed to get him on the job), and stumbled across the engagement ring. “Being a hopeless liar and never having kept a secret between us, I promptly rang Toby crying ‘I’ve found something’,” says Kim. Although Toby was upset the surprise was ruined, he promised if they never spoke of it again he would still make the event a surprise – which he did several months later, on Christmas morning, while on holiday at Kim’s parents’ house.

“We married one year later in the exact spot in my parent’s garden where he proposed,” says Kim. The couple opted for a garden wedding with close to 100 guests. “The wedding day was a beautiful summer’s day in Tassie, and believe it or not it was extremely hot,” says the bride. “The reception — a beach side venue — was a perfect end to the day. We had a cocktail style party with beautiful canapés and short, but very sweet, speeches and formalities.”

Photos courtesy of Tameika Brumby Photography.

The bride says not to worry about expectations on your wedding day. If something doesn’t go to plan – it’s at least worth a laugh!

Circular Head Florist created the gorgeous arrangements.

“My brother’s band that had each flown over from Melbourne to play at our wedding was absolutely incredible,” smiles Kim.

The couple used Kim’s uncle’s hot rod as wedding car.

The epilogue to Canditta and John’s Disney-inspired love story has a Hollywood ending.

They’ve won our Wedding of the Year competition for the month of November!

The Gold Coast parents of two have taken out our 11th spot, winning a $1000 Michael Hill voucher as well as a shot at the grand prize: five luxurious nights at InterContinental Fiji flying business class with Fiji Airways.

We’re not sure which part of Canditta and John’s story we loved most: their very Disney wedding, which included a Beauty and the Beast-inspired wedding gown, a Snow White-themed cake, and a Cinderella-style carriage, or their modern-day fairy tale (where the bride gets a job at a maximum-security prison to fund her dream wedding!)

Whatever it was, voters loved it too and we’re so thrilled to have them in the Top 12.

As Canditta says, “Sometimes life isn’t like the movies, but if you hold onto the magic you can still have your happily ever after.”

Special thanks to our eight other nominees and you can read Canditta and John’s full story here.

On the last day of 2013, Ben Wright made an almighty New Year’s resolution, one that he actually kept.

Get married!

Twenty-nine-year-old Ben from Waroona, Western Australia, proposed to long-time girlfriend Kelli Trindall, on the eve of 2014.

“Seven years on and we were expecting our first child together, Ben knew it was time to seal the deal,” tells Kelli, 28.

“He proposed on our apartment balcony overlooking the New Year’s Eve fireworks,” she says. “It was perfect! Shortly after we were blessed with our baby boy Lenny who is now 18 months old.”

The pair then worked hard to “save every dollar we had” to share their country garden wedding with as many loved ones from their hometown as they could – 210 of them!

Held on a friend’s sprawling country property, where a marquee was decked out in foliage, romantic lighting and timber accents, Kelli and Ben wed on November 6, 2015.

The bride’s slimline gown was met with the most gorgeous bouquet and flower crown of deep reds and pinks, with her six stunning maids swathed in dusty pink, locally-designed gowns. Ben and his groomsmen were kitted out in navy blue with brown accessories and little Lenny was an adorable mini-me.

“Our wedding day was truly magical and seeing all the styling and months of planning finally come together on the day was such a wonderful feeling,” Kelli says.

“It truly was the wedding of our dreams and we really hope we have inspired others they can create the same beautiful style wedding at a reasonable price,” Kelli says.

Photos courtesy of Shannon Stent Images.

Wedding flowers were an important part of the special day, from Kelli’s elegant bouquet to her crown of blooms.

Ben looked dapper for the big day in a navy three-piece suit from Roger David, which also supplied the groomsmen’s attire.

Kelli had her bridesmaids’ dresses made by a local dressmaker.

Kelli and Ben met at a pub in Mandurah. “We hit it off right away and we pretty much knew within just that short time of meeting that there was some sort of connection,” Kelli says.

“We were so overwhelmed by the love and support from our friends and family who helped celebrate our special day,” Kelli says.

Video by Neni Films.

Clare Gioules’ ability to read maps attracted now husband, Jason Chown.

Clare signed up to RSVP with the caption ‘I can read maps.’ “After travelling, one talent I had acquired was reading maps. They often say girls can’t read maps, but I always wanted to prove that girls can do anything guys can do,” she says. “As luck would have it, Jason [36] has zero sense of direction and immediately contacted me!”

Their Melbourne wedding several years later was, as 35-year-old Clare describes, starting to turn into My Big Fat Greek Wedding. “As I have lots of cousins, and cousins’ cousins, this became the running joke, so we just went with it,” laughs Clare. “It’s traditional on my side of the family that you must invite anyone that is remotely related. Jason’s family is a little more laid back.”

They married with a ceremony at St John’s Catholic Church in Heidelberg, followed by a reception themed ‘European village market’ at Fitzroy Town Hall. Explains Clare, “My mum was born in Macedonia, and when they moved out here all the Macedonian and Greek weddings were traditionally held at the Fitzroy Town Hall. They loved that we picked it as it brought back lots of memories.”

With just 25 guests from the Chown clan, Clare says, “Jason’s wedding speech started with ‘when we started planning this wedding, I wanted a small intimate affair’ — we had 165 guests – 140 he didn’t even know!”

“He went on to say, however, ‘As I look around the room tonight, I think we’ve achieved exactly that.’”

Photos courtesy of Anthony Milnes Photography.

The bride’s Karen Willis Holmes’ gown with layers of tulle was a stunner.

“There is no judgement in our relationship, we love each other for exactly who we are,” smiles Clare.

“I wanted to replicate our home life at our wedding,” says Clare of the European style menu with “delicious feasting platters.”

Venue decor, including metres and metres of beautiful, bright coloured bunting, was taken care of by styling wizards, Two Birds Events.

“I may have the sense of direction, but Jason has the sense of humour,” smiles Clare.

Finding the perfect tree was key to the bohemian wedding of Annika Pattick and Michael Morgan.

“We were looking for somewhere with a tree because we felt the tree represents the connectivity of life,” says the bride. “We both aren’t religious at all so wanted the ceremony to be more about love and a ‘mind, body, spirit’ connection between everyone there, the tree, the earth, the ocean.”

Byron Bay was obviously calling the couple. Annika found the Fig Tree Restaurant and its stunning tree, which also inspired their wedding theme. “Both being outdoorsy people who love trees, nature and animals — it seemed appropriate to try to create a woodland type theme with colourful wildflowers and a bohemian influence,” smiles the bride.

They married on October 2, 2015 with a grand entrance from Annika at the ceremony. She rode in on a horse! Hubby Michael says it was one of the standouts, when her dad took her arm, she dismounted and looked up at the Michael — bursting into tears of emotion.

Annika was also a very lucky bride tp have three wedding gowns! Two she wore (including that of her late mother) for a photo shoot with a horse. The third she wore at the ceremony and reception; a beautiful lace maxi gown by Somedays Lovin’.

Photos courtesy of Heart and Colour Photographers.

Annika rode a horse into the ceremony, followed by the horse’s foal.

 

 

“I’m yours to joke, laugh and be silly with during our good times and to love, support and be your rock when life throws challenges our way,” was one of the promises from Michael’s vows.

The couple were married under the fig tree by celebrant Kirsty Laing.

Annika’s bohemian hair was created by Mickeela Toneycliffe.

“The creative detail of the wedding was what everyone raved about afterwards,” says Annika.

First comes love, then comes … a baby!

Daniella Duchini and Trent Byron planned their daughter long before a wedding was on the cards. “After being together for 3 years we decided to plan for a baby as getting married wasn’t as important to us originally,” says the bride, 30. “We bought a house without knowing I was already pregnant but it was the best surprise.”

The couple waited to share the news with friends at their housewarming, but there was another surprise looming! “I said we were pregnant and everyone cheered and clapped but then completely unbeknown to me Trent [31] got down on one knee and proposed,” smiles Daniella.

They married at their rustic wedding on May 23, 2015 at Immerse Winery in the Yarra Valley. “A friend had bought us a Scoopon to have lunch at a beautiful winery and whilst we were there we absolutely fell in love with the place,” explains Daniella.

The Melbourne couple were married by a special friend, Leigha Byrne. “We have known Leigha a very long time and it was so special to have someone we know and love marry us,” says Daniella.

The couple honeymooned in Port Douglas, Queensland.

Photos courtesy of Christopher Robert Photography.

“The whole day was made extra special as we got to share it with a beautiful little girl,” recalls Daniella.

Daniella’s long locks were given a relaxed style by Runway Room.

“We asked for a small donation towards a new car,” the bride says of gifts.

Amber Clark and Craig Freshney wanted to step away from tradition for their special day, creating a unique Melbourne wedding their guests would never forget.

The couple, aged 35 and 38 respectively, fell in love over a mutual love of adventure, jet skis and home renos. After three years and one home renovation later, Craig proposed with what Amber describes as “the most epic and adventurous of proposals.” They took a joy flight over Melbourne and Craig proposed in the air. This was followed by surprise drinks with all their nearest and dearest at Crown. “We all had champagne, and had food and enjoyed the sunset together while overlooking the city,” smiles Amber.

The couple hunted out wedding venues that the bride says were uniquely ‘them’ for the March 21, 2015 wedding. First stop for the ceremony was Spotswood Pumping Station at Scienceworks. “Not traditional at all, but strong, romantic, industrial and elegant,” says Amber.

This was followed by a surprise reception for their guests on the MV Pearl. “A wedding on a super yacht is not very common, it had none of the traditional features to a typical wedding venue, and its location and ability to showcase Melbourne from the water was all the decoration we needed,” explains Amber.

The couple honeymooned in Tahiti’s Bora Bora.

Photos courtesy of Kym Griffiths Photography.

Amber had Gabrielle Dosser create her two-piece gown that would “let her dance the night away.”

 

“None of our guests knew that they would be moving on to another location,” Amber says of the move from ceremony to reception.

“We wanted our wedding to be different, but to be uniquely us,” says Amber.

The MV Pearl inspired much of the reception decor – including the adorable replica cake by AB FAB Cakes.

Video by Kym Griffiths Photography.

Skye Butler and Brad Scott decided there was just one person they needed to see them walk down the aisle – Skye’s son Max.

The Port Macquarie, NSW, pair, who met online four years ago when they were both living in Western Australia, eloped to Byron Bay with young Max in tow for their laid-back farm wedding.

Byron Bay Farm hosted the intimate ceremony on November 20, 2015, with Skye and Bradley, both 30, marrying on a hilltop overlooking the surrounding countryside.

“The ceremony was short and sweet, full of happy tears, and was followed by some lawn games with Max, a private picnic and then photo time,” Skye recalls.

Later in the evening the trio was treated to a three-course meal on a deck at the farm watching the sun set.

“Our wedding was everything we wanted, quiet, serene, captivating and emotional,” Skye says.

“There were no stresses or fears of things going wrong, which left us able to live completely in the moment. The captivating views, rustic gardens and nostalgic decor created the most beautiful backdrop.”

Photos courtesy of Mad Photo.

In choosing a wedding dress, Skye wanted something pretty that “wasn’t too traditional.” She teamed her lace gown with an Egyptian necklace, a family heirloom dating back to the 1940s.

“It was important for Max to be there, this was about all of us uniting,” Skye says. “He even got his own little ring.”

The couple met online four years ago. Skye was a widow and Brad had taken up fly-in-fly-out work in WA. “We talked for a month and it seemed pretty clear from the beginning that it was going to go great places,” Skye says.

Skye made an unusual choice when it came to selecting wedding shoes, opting for a pair of tan boots. “Because these boots were made for walking,” she says with a laugh.

“Families unite” was at the core of Jodie Slaughter and Tim Heath’s intimate farm wedding.

The pair wed after six years together on November 12, 2015 at One Tree Hill in South Australia. “Tim’s four children and my daughter were united as a blended family in a rustic ceremony within the gardens of Alru Farm in the Adelaide Hills,” explains Jodie, 47, of her marriage to Tim, 52. “My dear friend Noelette kindly agreed to act as our wedding photographer, and captured the meaning and beauty of the occasion in her stunning photography.”

A confessed craft-enthusiast, Jodie excitably put her arts skills to work for the day. “We had hessian and lace table runners, a wooden ladder dressed in ivy and candles, hessian cutlery pockets, bottles brimming with fresh flowers dangling from the ceiling,” she explains. To top it off, guests took home her famous homemade strawberry and chilli jam as their favour.

Jodie says the emotional experience, including a heartwarming song from her daughter Lily, was topped off with memorable speeches. “The speeches were a delightful rollercoaster of laughs, tears and memories, and were followed by a night of dancing and questionable ‘80s tunes.”

Photos courtesy of Noelette Pearson.

Celebrant Annette Perryman wed the couple on the sunny spring day.

 

Jodie’s plunging lace, knee-length gown was sourced from Ezilady.

“Although the wedding was a long time coming, it was worth the wait,” smiles Jodie.

After years of searching for love, Matt Marino found Marissa Dimasi hiding right in front of him.

“It’s a strange thing love,” says Matt. “You go through life looking for it and when it doesn’t show up you begin to lose faith. I was worried then but how naive was I? The one I was looking for was there hiding in plain sight and it only needed a mutual friend to act as a catalyst for date numero uno.”

After a romantic beach proposal Matt and Marissa, both 29, began planning their elegant wedding. The Melbourne pair wed on September 26, 2015 in front of 300 guests at Richmond’s St Ignatius in a traditional Catholic ceremony.

Reception celebrations were held at The Peninsula in Docklands, with Decor It Events perfectly capturing the brief ‘olden day’ English style.

Centrepieces were a mix of one-metre vases filled with white flowers and white candles surrounded by blossoms, while Marissa describes the bridal table as an “absolute work of art.”

None of the blooms went to waste either, “our guests all left with a bunch of flowers, which were wrapped at the end of the night by Decor staff, not one flower was left by the end of the evening,” Marissa praises.

The bride says if she could do it all again she would take a moment with her new husband to take it all in.

“I would quietly observe as all of our guests enjoy themselves. A silent toast to us for all of our incredible hard work and efforts in the lead-up to our special day, not just for us but for all our guests who made our day so truly memorable.

Photos courtesy of Studio 477.

Marissa’s ‘something old’ was the beautiful lace from her grandmother’s wedding dress that was appliqued onto her train.

“Sam was a part of our day as much as our bridal party!” says Marissa of their photographer.

Marissa and Matt got around in style on the day thanks to Triple R Luxury Car Hire.

Cakes of Distinction created a glorious four-tier cake for the happy couple.

Video by Allure Productions.

Gina Saba never believed in ‘the one’ – until she met Ryan Ayers.

After their first date both knew they had found something special. “It wasn’t long before we became a huge part of each other’s lives,” Gina, 33, explains. “The smile on my face when I got ‘that’ text message asking me to dinner was a huge turning point.”

On their six-month anniversary, Gina, from Ipswich, and Ryan, 35, originally from Hobart, headed to Stradbroke Island.

After a beautiful walk that ended on the beach, Gina ran into the water while Ryan quickly wrote out ‘Will you marry me?’ in the sand. “He got down on one knee and I went into shock,” Gina recalls. “I was 32 at this point and part of me was questioning if I would ever have this fairytale moment.”

After 18 months together the couple were back near the water for their beach wedding on August 29, 2015. They wed on Home Beach, North Stradbroke Island in front of 90 friends and family, with celebrations continuing in luxe teepees on the sand.

“The teepee was full of love,” Gina says.

“Our wedding day really was something special. Each guest felt like they were a part of our special day as we personalised so many little things.”

Photos courtesy of Stradbroke Island Photography.

Gina looked classically beautiful with hair and makeup done by An Eye for Style.

“From early on there was never any question that this is how our world would end up – blissfully happy,” Gina says.

Gina and Ryan were married on the picturesque Home Beach in Queensland.

The “rustic beach” setting created a perfect atmosphere for this laid-back pair.

Gina looked stunning in her champagne princess-style gown from Judith Valente.

Musician Matt Fasso set the right atmosphere, “he’s an amazing acoustic guitarist who is also the nicest guy,” Gina says.

Denise Werny and Josh McTaggart hit it off when they first met at a 21st – so much so that Josh told his mates he was “going to marry that girl.”

Seven years later he got his wish!

But not before he prepared breakfast in bed for his teacher girlfriend, with a proposal poem he’d penned himself. “Being an English teacher I was a bit concerned,” laughs Denise. “But he never ceases to amaze me. It was heart-warming and hilarious at the same time.”

The Toowoomba-based pair headed to Brisbane for their classic wedding, held on April 18, 2015. The ceremony was held in grand style at St Stephen’s Cathedral in front of 83 friends and family and the celebrations continued at Moda Portside, overlooking the Brisbane River.

Denise, 27, enlisted the help of Amini Concepts with her vision for decorating the venue – hints of gold with plenty of ferns and foliage. “It was a magical space for our perfect night,” she says.

When it came to music, Denise and Josh, 28, opted for acoustic guitar during the canapes, before the four-piece Press Club Band got everyone up and dancing. “My dad carved up the dance floor and the girls were lining up to be twirled around,” remembers Denise fondly.

“It honestly could have been that wedding where everything went wrong and it still would have been the happiest day of our lives,” she says.

“The fact that it was so perfect on the day just proves that it was meant to be.”

Photos courtesy of Salt Studios.

Denise arrived in style in a white Jaguar from Kenz Classic.

“From the start it felt magnetic – it was an instant attraction,” Josh says of his love for Denise.

Rather than a veil, Denise chose an elegant headpiece, similar to the one her mum had worn at her own wedding. She teamed the custom-made piece with a classic up-do hairstyle.

“What I love about Josh is his zest for life and the fact that he is always the life of the party,” Denise says.

Soon after meeting, Hobart pair Karen Macnab and James Fagg travelled to Queensland together, learning in days what it can take other people months to discover – that they were meant to be together.

Months later Karen, 29, and James, 31, made it Facebook-official and began laying the foundations of a long and happy life together.

After finally completing the deck around their summer caravan, James presented a photo book showing the couple’s journey so far.

“When I got to the end of the book it asked what our next adventure would be and he got down on his knee and presented me with the most stunning sapphire ring, handmade by a friend of mine,” Karen says.

The pair held their Hobart wedding outdoors on a chilly autumn day on April 11, 2015 at Runnymede House, New Town in front of 90 friends and family.

The reception followed at Rydges Hobart where two friends took over the DJ decks and kept guests up and dancing well into the night.

“Our day was perfect because it was a beautiful reflection of us, our love and lives together and of the wonderful people in our lives who all helped in some way to make it an amazing celebration.”

Photos courtesy of Luke Marshall Images.

Bride Karen is originally from New Zealand, and the couple have headed back to her homeland a number of times since being together.

The couple’s colour theme was purple with a touch of yellow, found in Karen’s bouquet and James’ stylish bow tie.

Karen stayed on trend with a gorgeous lace wedding gown.

The ultimate show of trust for your husband-to-be? Letting him plan the wedding!

But for Cristina Puscasu, 32, this was a no-brainer. Her groom, Roderick Micallef, is the owner of renowned Yarra Valley wedding venue, Zonzo Estate – which became another no-brainer when the couple, who first met at a birthday function there, decided that’s where they would marry.

“I had complete faith and trust in him,” explains Crissy, who later went on to join the Zonzo crew as an admin co-ordinator. “I know that anything Rod would do would be beyond my expectations… and it was.”

After four years together, 38-year-old Rod proposed (with a chauffeured vintage Bentley and a gorgeous ring he chose himself) and then, surprisingly, suggested the pair start looking for a wedding venue. “I remember laughing because I thought he was joking (perhaps he just wanted to give me the option),” smiles Crissy. “But there was no other venue that I’d seen/heard of/been to that was the full package like Zonzo.”

Four short months later, on December 31, 2014, the Yarra Valley duo prepared to ring in the New Year with 100 of their own adoring revelers. The celebrations started with a traditional ceremony at St Patrick Catholic Church, Lilydale followed by a (mostly) white wedding reception. “[We wanted] white, white and more white, (with a touch of gold), something elegant, classic and timeless,” says Crissy.

Guests were treated to a mouthwatering Italian menu boasting canapes on the terrace, antipasto, meat platters, Zonzo’s famous wood-fired pizzas and a selection of three desserts. “There is always an abundance of food at Zonzo weddings,” praises Crissy. “No drive-through stop on the way home needed!”

“It was literally a wedding that every girl dreams of,” she smiles. “We loved that everyone got involved and help bring in the New Year – we couldn’t ask for anything else.

Photos courtesy of Jonathan Ong.

Crissy’s stunning sparkly gown fit for New Year’s Eve was by Karen Willis Holmes while Rod donned a navy Hugo Boss tuxedo.

Crissy says although their wedding may have looked “over the top,” it was actually very relaxed and simple.

Crissy’s hot wedding planning tip: don’t do a house renovation at the same time!

“I feel very fortunate in being involved with the perfect venue,” Cristina says.

Stephanie D’Cruz met Jaime Marambio in a Brazilian bar when things got spicy on the dancefloor.

“I was dancing with my girlfriends when one of them saw him in the background looking at me, she spun me around and pushed me towards him,” recalls Stephanie. “We started talking… he was very sweet and kissed me on my cheek.”

Since exchanging numbers that night, the Melbourne pair haven’t looked back and, after an epic proposal that involved the ring being hidden in a cut-out section of a book (“I must have said ‘Oh my God’ about a hundred times!”), the couple began planning their vintage wedding.

“We knew we definitely wanted a garden wedding and a vintage theme,” the bride, 31, says. As soon as they saw Ascot House they knew they’d found the perfect place. “There was something about the garden area, imagining walking up the aisle and standing on the rotunda with the weeping trees and having all our family and friends present.”

Imagination became reality when Stephanie and Jaime, 32, wed on a perfect spring day on October 25, 2015 in front of 110 guests. The reception followed at the venue’s grand ballroom and the couple surprised everyone with their foot-perfect first dance after taking dancing lessons.

“It was a fabulous night with everyone dancing, having fun in the photo booth and lots of eating,” Stephanie says. “We couldn’t believe how quick the day had gone, it was just magical.”

Photos courtesy of On Three Photography.

 

 

Stephanie accessorised her gorgeous gown with a sparkly Samantha Wills headpiece to add a touch of bling.

The mini attendants were cute as buttons, dressed by Ollie’s Place.

“I knew it was going to be hard to hold back tears,” Stephanie says of the ceremony, where the couple chose to write their own vows.

Stephanie lists the highlight of her day as seeing her family and friends enjoying themselves.

Stuck for wedding transport? Why not try the tram, as did Melissa Cameron and Tom Newburn.

“We travelled by tram [Perth Tram Company] so we could be with our bridal party and parents for the whole journey. It was a lot of fun,” smiles Melissa. The pair, aged 26 and 25 respectively, married at their Fremantle wedding on August 28, 2015. Along their journey, they made a special stop. “We visited the church of my great grandmother’s wedding who is still with us today at the wonderful age of 103, she is the kindest soul I have ever known,” smiles Melissa.

They married at Monument Hill Fremantle in front of 50 close family and friends – and a special pup! “Our beautiful dog was there as our ‘flower girl,’ she means so much to us and we were so happy she could be part of our special day,” says Melissa. “My wedding ring was the very same ring Tom gave me on our six-year anniversary as my promise ring, seemed like the perfect way to fulfil a promise.”

Melissa had a change of dress for their reception at Moore & Moore Café so she could “dance the night away.” She says, “We chose this place as it was a beautiful representation of Fremantle’s history and was perfect for our intimate cocktail wedding.”

Photos courtesy of Perth Photography.

Wild Heart Flowers designed all the beautiful bouquets.

Melissa’s wedding gown was a unique creation, with the bodice from one gown she bought and the long tulle skirt her sister had made overseas.

“For the photos I wore a stole with my grandmother’s brooch that my mum also wore on her wedding day,” says Melissa.

“It was very important to us to include a little personal touch wherever we could to make the day truly unique to us and to share everything we love with those we love,” says Melissa.

Having connections at your local zoo means you can pull in the big guns proposal time.

Cory Foster, 28, proposed to Kate Miller, 29, at the Melbourne Zoo, knowing one of her favourite things is tigers. “Thanks to a family connection, Cory organised a behind-the-scenes milk-feeding session at the Melbourne Zoo,” explains Kate. “When the two zoo keepers walked off and Cory proposed to me right in front of the tigers, it was so sweet.”

Despite originally planning a 12-month engagement, things were hurried along when Kate found out both her dad and grandma were ill. “Knowing I would never be able to get married without them both there, we decided to have our wedding as soon as possible,” says Kate. So the pair were married six months later with 120 loved ones on May 1, 2015 at Doyles Bridge Hotel in Mordialloc. “They have since recently passed away and I know that it was the best decision to have the wedding early.”

Kate, who is a primary school teacher, had some very special guests at their rustic beach wedding ceremony – her entire prep class! “The ceremony was officiated by my aunty, celebrant Sandra Krick, who wasn’t the only one to struggle with her emotions as Dad walked me down the aisle followed by a hug from Grandma,” smiles Kate.

Photos courtesy of Iain & Jo.

Kate wore a Raffaele Ciuca gown with stunning lace and train.

Ferrari Formal Wear and Bridal dressed this handsome groom.

“Kate has such a positive outlook, a great sense of humour and beautiful smile,” says Cory.

“Cory always makes me laugh with his dad jokes” says Kate.

Head over heels in love, Erin Thompson and Lucas Day didn’t want their beautiful Bali wedding day to end.

So before heading back to their bridal suite at Seminyak’s Bali Mandira Resort, the Melbourne couple, aged 31 and 30 respectively, stretched out the celebrations with one last dip in the pool. “I did not want the night to end so we invited the bridal party back to the private pool villa for a trash-the-dress,” smiles Erin.

The celebrations had already gone late into the night, with 70 loved ones in holiday-mode, laughing, dancing and joining together for a special lantern release to mark the end of the nuptials.

Erin, a makeup artist and Lucas, a concreter, had first spotted each other at their local pub but needed a ‘wingman’ – aka Facebook – to brave the introductions. “We are so completely head over heels in love and have been since we first laid eyes on each other,” smiles Erin.

They jetted to Bali for their destination wedding, held on May 13, 2015. “Our ceremony took place at sunset on a balcony that overlooked the pristine beach,” recalls Erin. “After exchanging our vows, we made our way downstairs to the reception held in the garden by the pool, which was beautifully decorated with hanging lanterns and fresh flowers.”

“People are still talking about our wedding,” says Erin. “We are planning to all return for our one-year anniversary.”

Photos courtesy of Diva for a Day.

Erin accessorised with a gorgeous flower crown, and freshwater pearls — a gift from her mum.

The groom and his crew were dressed by Roger David while the bridesmaids wore print maxis from from Sabo Skirt.

The couple chose matching wedding bands from Michael Hill Jeweller.

When you know, you know. Which is why Rachel Weber and Juan Pierre Nel were living together after one month of dating and engaged that same year.

“It wasn’t love at first sight… but as we started to date we found a real connection and fell for each other,” smiles Rachel. “We moved in together only a month later. I then left for a five-week trip to the USA – it was hard to be apart but it really cemented our relationship and made JP realise he wanted to marry me. (I secretly wanted to marry him too!)”

The smitten Adelaide pair were engaged later that year, and married on February 21, 2015 after around 12 months of planning. The quick wedding raised a few concerns with friends and family members, but Rachel said they were able to overcome others’ doubts. “We knew we were right for each other. I’m just glad we didn’t let them sway us,” she explains.

For the farm wedding at One Tree Hill on Adelaide’s outskirts, the couple wanted a relaxed day. “We wanted to elope but my mum thought we would regret not having a ‘proper’ wedding,” says Rachel. “We didn’t want a formal [church] ceremony and hated the thought of making our guests wait around for hours between the ceremony and reception and having to travel to various locations.”

This desire led to a garden ceremony and reception at Al Ru Farm. “As a gesture to our parents we hung a white cross from the arbour in the garden,” says Rachel. The bride and groom added several personal touches to the day including ‘happy tears’ tissue packets, heart-shaped fans and homemade biltong bombonniere – traditional South African jerky honouring Juan Pierre’s heritage.

“We are so pleased our friends and family enjoyed our day and are thankful we decided not to elope,” says Rachel. “Having them witness our marriage highlighted to them how in love and happy we are.”

Photos courtesy of Lucy Jane Photography.

“I believe not wanting a [traditional] wedding day as such allowed us to really enjoy the planning experience,” explains Rachel.

Juan hired some buskers he’d seen in the Adelaide city mall to perform during the ceremony! “This is why I love him,” says Rachel. “He gives everyone a chance.”

“My husband laboured over his 1975 Triumph TC 2500, redoing it so it was ready in time for the wedding,” says Rachel.

Style U created Rachel’s classic up do.

“The converted barn is full of genuine antique mirrors which added light and depth to the room,” Rachel says of Al Ru Farm.