Real Wedding - Chelsea & Mark, Bellarine Peninsula VIC

August 16, 2016 In Real Weddings By Jessica Brawn

Real Wedding – Chelsea & Mark, Bellarine Peninsula VIC

The old saying goes “if you love something set it free, if it comes back it’s meant to be,” couldn’t be more true for lovers Chelsea and Mark.

Using the power of Instagram and a touch of DIY, Chelsea and Mark brought together an incredible tribe to create a relaxed and sentimental occasion at Bellarine venue, Terindah Estate.

Captured by Duuet Photography, this elegant affair was one to remember.

IN CHELSEA’S WORDS…

The meeting.

We met in 2006 while I was working at a bar in Ballarat. We were together for two years until Mark decided to move to the UK. So, we broke up and five years later we rekindled the spark!

The ‘one’.

Right from the start we knew we had something pretty amazing. It just felt right. It just wasn’t the right time. When we got back together the feelings were the same, and we just felt so lucky to have a second chance.

The proposal.

Mark surprised me with a weekend away at a cottage in Daylesford. After cooking a three course meal with all my favorite foods, he offered me a box of cheezels… Not exactly what I expected, but he insisted I opened the box, and inside was a beautiful ring. He then got down on one knee in front of the open fire and proposed. It was really sweet, and the most incredible feeling.

The planning.

We planned our wedding in nine months, which was definitely do-able. Our wedding venue was in a different city to where we lived, so I wasn’t familiar with suppliers and couldn’t meet up with many of them. I found most of the suppliers through Instagram which it was such a great way to see their product. We created a dream budget, then worked out what was most important to us and where we would cut down. Mark took care of tracking the budget and I sourced the suppliers and other bits and pieces. We did DIY where we could, including parts of the invitations and the bomboniere, to cut some costs. I did a fair bit of research on planning checklists and timelines and I pretty much stuck to them.

Style inspiration.

The main inspiration was to create a relaxed and beautiful vibe that was true to Mark and I. I wasn’t one of those girls that had grand plans for their wedding because I didn’t really think I’d get married. So we tried to focus on incorporating the things that would be meaningful to us; such as the flower arrangements reflecting flowers from Marks late grandfather’s garden, and using music played by my late grandfather on the mouth organ during our ceremony.

The dress.

I had an idea about the dress I wanted but the dress I decided to go with was pretty much the opposite. A figure-hugging, plunging neckline (eep!), silk Amaline Vitale gown. I was really sick with the flu the day I went dress shopping with my sisters, and it was one of the last dressed that I tried on after my sister insisted that I give it a go. I can’t tell you whether it was because I was really dosed up on flu-drugs or because I really loved the dress but when I put it on, I just burst into tears right in the middle of the store! I was pretty embarrassed, so I bought the dress. Luckily, it turned out to be a winner!

Favourite moments.

The moment when we were presented as husband and wife. It was such a relief and so exciting to be husband and wife! It also meant we could get the party started!

Meaning of marriage.

It means spending the rest of your life with your best friend and being a part of a team. It’s a big commitment, and it’s very humbling.

Wedding soundtrack.

Aisle: I’m Gonna be (500 miles) by Sleeping at Last

Reception entry: Poison by Rita Ora

First dance: Chasing Cars by The Wind and The Wave

Funny stories (or near disasters).

Our wedding venue was a couple of hours away from where we were living and I forgot one of the bridesmaid’s dresses! We phoned around and luckily, one of our guests who hadn’t left yet was able to get it to us just before the ceremony. We also had a last-minute underwear disaster, which required some quick and creative thinking but it all worked out!

Words of wisdom.

It can be overwhelming. You will probably cry, argue, and say at least once, ‘I don’t even want to get married anymore’ (I know I did!). Just try to focus on what is meaningful to you and create a wedding that you as a couple are comfortable with. Your wedding day doesn’t necessarily have to ‘look’ a certain way.

On a practical note, we had a whiteboard which we divided up into the months leading up to our wedding, and noted our things to do in each month. For us it was really helpful to break the tasks into months and have something visual.