Real Wedding - Courtney & Matt, Werribee VIC

January 31, 2018 In Real Weddings By Jessica Brawn

Real Wedding – Courtney & Matt, Werribee VIC

Courtney and Matt’s Werribee Mansion wedding was nothing short of a ballroom blitz. A few elegant touches were all that was needed to style The Refectory, the romantic and regal venue that played host to both the ceremony and reception.

Courtney and Matt, along with 80 of their closest loved ones, enjoyed the finest of foods by catering connoisseur, Bursaria, and danced the night away to the Baker Boys Band. Photographer favourite, Jake Hogan, got the call up to capture all the love.

In Courtney’s words…

The meeting.

Matt and I met at work 5 years ago. Being a small company, we knew of each other, but hadn’t spent much time together. When I invited him to come to the Aviary Bar one night after work, we got talking over drinks and ended up being the last ones to leave. He walked me to my car, and when I got butterflies saying goodbye, I knew Matt was special.

The one.

I knew Matt was the one when I saw how wonderful he is with his kids, Ava and Fletcher. He is so loving and supportive, and willing to do anything for them. So I guess I knew he was the one within two weeks of dating him!

The proposal.

Never one to do things by halves, Matt pulled out all the stops by putting together the most elaborate proposal plan he possibly could. He whisked me away on a surprise trip to Tasmania, which I thought was for my birthday. After two wonderful days, the weekend culminated in a final dinner in Hobart at our favourite restaurant, Glasshouse. I thought he was acting really strangely, but put it down to us running a bit late for our reservation. When Matt got down on one knee shortly after arriving, I couldn’t quite believe what was happening, and Matt had to ask me again because he didn’t hear me say yes! Ten minutes later, my parents, our son Jobe, and Ava and Fletcher arrived as a further surprise!!! The whole night was wonderful, and it was great to be able to celebrate with the whole family. We are very family-oriented, and including them in the proposal was incredibly touching.

The planning.

Matt let me take the reins, and after finding the amazing venue at the Werribee Mansion, everything fell into place very easily. My Maid of Honour is a wedding photographer, so she was an amazing help in finding our suppliers with her insider knowledge!

Style inspiration.

We wanted something classic and timeless. The regal elegance of the Werribee Mansion was the perfect backdrop for this! I let the venue speak for itself, and kept the rest of the styling (décor, invitations, etc) simple.

The Dress

My dress was the first one I tried on. I found it on Pinterest, and being made by an American designer (Hayley Paige), I didn’t think I could get it in Australia. Then Eternal Bridal in Armadale just happened to be having a trunk show of Hayley Paige gowns, and so the timing was perfect for me to try on my dream dress!
My dress was a ballgown in ivory tulle, with a high-cut neckline and bodice embellished with moonstones and crystals. It has an elaborate layered skirt with horse hair trim and a chapel train. It was so much fun to wear, and I twirled around in it all night! I never wanted to take it off!

Favourite moment/s.

I have two favouite moments. The first one is walking down the aisle and seeing Matt waiting for me, looking suave in his James Bond-esque suit, with a huge grin on his face. Any nerves I had up until that point disappeared, as I knew I was walking towards the love of my life.

The second is when our son Jobe handed Matt the wedding rings. He had been running around like crazy all day, and we hadn’t had a chance to spend any time with him. Seeing him walk up with the rings with a cheeky grin on his face was such a beautiful moment and one that I will treasure forever.

The meaning of marriage.

Marriage means never having to search for love, or an ally, or for support. It’s knowing that its already there in your husband or wife. It solidifies your unwavering commitment to each other, and in our case, turned us into a real family.

Wedding soundtrack.

Aisle – I Want To Hold Your Hand by The Beatles/T.V. Carpio (Across the Universe soundtrack)

Reception Entry – Signed, Sealed, Delivered by Stevie Wonder

First Dance – Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton

Funny stories/near disasters.

Our 2 year old son Jobe was our page boy, and together with Ella, our flower girl, they stole the show! As I walked down the aisle they were literally running circles around Jo, our celebrant, and it took a lot of bribery (smarties!) to get them to stay in their seats during the ceremony. Our first kiss photo was photo-bombed by Jobe’s mischievous grin!

Planning suprises.

I couldn’t believe how easy it was! All the stress I had expected never materialized and everything ran smoothly.

Words of wisdom.

Keep it simple and don’t get too caught up in the little things. People make weddings, so look after your guests and remember to enjoy the day! And definitely have live music!

Want to nail the all-white wedding trend, check out our top tips on how to do so.

MATT & COURTNEY’S TRIBE

Ceremony venue / location: The Refectory, Werribee Mansion.

Reception venue / location: The Refectory, Werribee Mansion.

(All events held at The Refectory are run by Bursaria Fine Foods)

Celebrant/Officiant: Jo Betz. We could not have found a nicer, warmer and gorgeous celebrant than we did in Jo! She made everything so easy and relaxed, and we were thrilled that she was part of our day.

Photography: Jake Hogan Photography. Jake was so easy to work with and the photos he took are amazing! We couldn’t be happier.

Videography: Love Soldier Weddings. These guys were amazing, and so professional. The finished product is something that we will treasure forever.

Styling: myself.

Florist: Ambrosia Floral Designs

Hair: Blush Bar

Make Up: Blush Bar

The Dress: Hayley Paige (Eternal Bridal)

Veil / head wear: Hayley Paige (Eternal Bridal)

Shoes: Jeanette Maree Bridal and Evening Accessories

Rings: Janai Jewellery

Bridesmaids dresses: Shona Joy

Grooms suit: Arthur Galan