H O L L Y & B E N
F R O M T H E B R I D E …
Meeting…
In Sydney at the Sydney Royal Easter Show. I was riding horses and Ben was showing cattle.
Love…
Ben says, “Love at first sight.” Holly, “You know its love when you travel the distance to see each other and then move 7 hours from home to be closer to the one you love.”
The Proposal…
Ben proposed at the Sydney Royal Easter Show. In the same place that we had met. He designed the ring, surprised me and made sure family and friends were around to celebrate with.
Wedding Style…
The theme was ‘vintage glam’ I love the idea of rustic pieces like small vases, chalk boards and twine, but I still wanted to keep it clean, crisp and classy with baby’s breath and white chic furnishings. I always liked black and white stripes as a detail and we used this idea throughout our wedding with the twine around the bouquets, vases, and the stripe in Ben’s bow tie.
Ceremony + Reception Venue...
The Sebel Kirkton Park, Hunter Valley
The Dress…
My dress was designed by Anna Campbell in Melbourne. I saw a picture of an Anna Campbell design and fell in love. I loved the idea of a dress that was comfortable and that flowed- much like a ‘glam goddess’. We went to Melbourne and I was fortunate enough to try on a range of her sample dresses. When I walked in I knew that her dresses were exactly what I was looking for. My dress was a made to measure dress. It had 3 layers of ivory silk and chiffon, a long train and a bow at the back. It was handmade with sheer materials and pearl and crystal beading on the top half with delicate cap sleeves.
Bridesmaids…
The girls wore black dresses from Seduce in Newcastle. They were so unique with a high neck. They had a sequin top and a chiffon skirt. They each wore black shoes of their choice and Thomas Sabo pearl braclets.
Groom + Groomsmen…
The boys wore black suits from David Jones. We wanted to go for something sophisticated and the suits and bow ties worked out great. The white shirts with black buttons were from Spurling in Tamworth. Ben’s bow tie was black and white striped which went with our theme. This bow tie was purchased from Etsy.
The Flowers…
The bridesmaids flowers were bouquets of fresh babies breath and were tied with black and white twine. My bouquet was a mix of baby’s breath, David Austen roses and dusty miller. It was also tied with the black and white twine.
Wedding Styling…
We were so lucky to have my wonderful cousin Peri Mooney, an interior designer, to assist with the decorating. I made and brought all decorations such as vases, candle holders and flowers and she set up the tables the morning of the wedding. The décor was DIY, simple, fresh and crisp. I used white and clear glass vases from IKEA and the local op shop. I also used a lot of tea lights, white crates that we made and painted. And we incorporated the black and white twine into the table decorations.
I really enjoyed making chalkboard signs and details about Ben and I that made the room personal to the two of us. Like the dates of when we first met, got engaged and framing some love notes that we had written to one another when we were younger.
We also made a white timber frame that had lines of twine attached to it. This was used to peg the name tags to it for the seating plan. The guests were encouraged to take a polaroid picture, write a note to the bride and groom and replace their names with the polaroid of them. (This was an alternative to a guest book). It worked perfectly and our guests had so much fun with it!
On the Menu…
The guests had a range of canapés, champagne and beers and then they moved into the reception room where we had a three course meal. The entrees were a choice of creamy mushroom risotto or pork belly. The mains were either Beef or Lamb that came with potatoes and beans in mouth-watering sauces and the desserts were profiteroles and pistachio ice-cream or bread and butter pudding with homemade caramel sauce.
Wedding Bomboniere…
We had a lolly buffet for our guests. To keep in with the theme, all of the lollies and chocolate were either white, or black and white. I used chalkboard labels on each jar and I stamped a range of paper bags for people to fill and take home.
I also purchased red jiffies for the ladies to put on if their feet were sore from wearing heels. I called this basket the ‘Dancing Shoes’ basket. It was a real hit as there was not a pair left behind!
Memorable Moments…
- The day was also my nan and pop’s wedding anniversary. I lost my nan a few weeks prior to our wedding so it was very special to us to have our wedding on this day. The weather showed that they were watching because it was beautiful.
- My mum, Kerrie Ebbeck walking me down the aisle. It was amazing, she is so supportive and has done so much for Ben and I.
- Our bridal entry. The bridal party each came into the room at a different time dancing to a different 80’s song. This was the highlight of the night. The video went viral and everyone was so happy and excited all of the guests were up clapping and dancing.
- Photographers slideshow – we loved being able to see our photos that night and share them with all of our guests.
Wedding Photography…
We had seen Karissa’s work before and loved her images. She was so easy to get a long with and fun. The fact that she displayed a same day slideshow really interested us. We wanted to share our photos with our guests.
They capture the entire day and moment. Some are humorous, affectionate and just beautiful with the perfect scenery and lighting. They are photos that we will treasure forever.
Wedding Songs…
I walked down the Aisle to the song that Ben and I listened to when we first met – My Best Friend By Tim McGraw
We left the ceremony to Better Life by Keith Urban.
We entered the reception to a range of 80s songs:
- Cant Touch This
- Its Tricky
- What is Love
- Whoomp There It Is
- I Like to Move It, Move It
- Lets Get Ready to Rumble from the Bring It On sound track.
First dance – I Need You by Time McGraw. This was cut half way and we busted out to Sold by John Micheal Montgomery. This song ties in very well with us as Ben is an auctioneer.
Honeymoon…
Fiji. Ben organised the whole honeymoon without me knowing. We stayed at the Sofitel on Daneru Island. It was perfect.
The Future…
Enjoy life every day. We hope to have little Goodmans in the future and work and love one another the same as we always have.
Photography Image Photography Ceremony Venue The Sebel Kirkton Park Reception Venue The Sebel Kirkton Park Bride’s Dress Anna Campbell Bridesmaids’ Dresses Seduce Groom & Groomsmen Suits David Jones Bow Tie Etsy Flowers Yeng Tan Floral Design Wedding Cake Made by a family friend Decorations DIY Styling Peri Mooney Interior Design
MW x