E L I Z A B E T H & S A M
Sixteen days to plan a long awaited wedding culminated in a celebration before a crowd on Valentines Day.
F R O M T H E B R I D E . . .
We first met…
As teenagers, fifteen years ago and were best friends. We turned 18 and our friendship turned into love.
The proposal…
Four years ago Sam finally popped the question and of course, I said yes. I went and bought all of the bridal magazines and started marking pages with sticky notes. A month after our engagement I woke up feeling very unwell and my morning coffee didn’t taste right… It turns out we were expecting our baby boy Johnny Elvis Butcher who is now three. Not only did Johnny make us decide to hold off of the wedding preparations but it became clear we just couldn’t afford the wedding we had always dreamed of with a baby on the way. Instead, we half-heartedly planned a small, intimate ceremony of family and close friends, which I felt didn’t suit the princess gown I had always imagined myself wearing. Soon enough, four years had passed and Sam and I were still unmarried.
The wedding…
Recently, we were on the beach and mum saw an article in the paper, calling out to any couples that would like to get married on the main stage at the St Kilda Festival on Valentine’s Day. Sam and I decided instantly to apply and two days later we got a call from the celebrant, Kelli Rossi, saying we were accepted. Suddenly, I had just 16 days to plan my dream wedding!
We sent out emails calling for any vendors who would be interested in helping us and we were inundated with offers from bridal boutiques, photographers, hair and make-up artists, candy buffets creators, stationery designers, bakers, florists… the list goes on! Sam and I were overwhelmed with the kindness of everyone that came forward to make our day one to remember. Everything came together so perfectly , like it was happening for a reason and was meant to be! Suddenly planning a wedding in 16 days didn’t seem overwhelming; rather, it was a blessing in disguise! I look back at those 16 days and it seems surreal.
The ceremony…
It was magical, incredible, everything we could have wished for and more! Words simply can’t describe it. The amazing thing was we could invite absolutely EVERYONE! There was no limitations to our guest list. We invited our coffee shop guy, people I spoke to at the supermarket… I think my mum invited everyone she met since our wedding got the go-ahead!
So many guests meant we could really share our love with everyone on Valentine’s Day, which was definitely the most rewarding part of the whole day. Putting a smile on every stranger’s face in the crowd was an incredible feeling – especially seeing the girl’s face who caught my bouquet! It was nerve-wracking, certainly, with so many people, but as soon as I saw Sam I was fine. He too was a bundle of nerves (to say the least!) prior to seeing me but in the word’s of Sam’s best man, “he came back like Lazarus”!
The guests…
The crowd was incredible; they cheered the whole time and joined in with the festivities. Everyone was smiling and the crowd of thousands felt like friends by the end of it! To warm everyone’s hearts as we walked to stage, during the ceremony, and even afterwards was an amazing experience; one we will certainly never forget.
The dress…
When we had confirmed which bridal boutique would be sponsoring my gown, I looked at the dresses on their website every day. I was instantly drawn to the Hayley Paige collection which was lucky, as Eternal Bridal are the only stockist of Hayley Paige in Australia!
When I got to Eternal Bridal (already in happy tears!), I discovered that Hayley Paige and I were a match made in heaven. I was just about to finalise my decision when I saw a bride-to-be in the dressing room next door in the ‘Londyn’ and I simply had to try it on. As soon as the stylist zipped it up, I cried and cried, as it was the dress of my dreams.
MW x
Photography White Shutter Photography Gown and Veil Hayley Paige from Eternal Bridal Celebrant Kelly Rossi Civil Celebrant Headpiece, garter and alterations Kelly Kuipers Couture Groom’s suit Black Tie Classic Cake Wicked Cake Chick Invitations and Bonbonniere Grace of Melbourne Hair & makeup Emily Terry Ring Pillow Wedding Bee Flowers Da Bloom