Real Wedding – Lillie & Ed, Lorne VIC
There’s no doubting that Lillie and Ed certainly know how to jam pack a year! They renovated a home, became engaged, fell pregnant and also managed to squeeze in a fabulous wedding celebration.
Handpicking a Tribe of suppliers that they trusted completely meant they could focus on letting the magic unfold around them without having to worry about the little details. Beautifully pregnant Lillie rocked a Manning Cartell dress like no one’s business and It’s Beautiful Here were there to capture it all!
IN LILLIE’S WORDS…
The meeting.
I worked at Boost Juice while in university and Ed was a customer. As soon as he walked in the shop I recognised him through my friend and a neighbour of his. I might have given him a bit of a scare when I asked him if he was the Ed that fell asleep in the bath tub at his 18th birthday, but this led the way to a very funny conversation. When he left the shop I told my friend who I was working with that I had a little crush. The same time the following week, Ed came back in and we just picked up where we left off. This time when he left I told that same friend that I was going to kiss that guy. The following week, same time, same smoothie and another flirty conversation and I knew there was something about this guy! With the help of another mutual friend I went about relentlessly pursuing him – Ed was totally oblivious to my intentions. It took one night when I ‘accidently’ walked past his work at closing time to really get the ball rolling and we have virtually been together since the moment I did finally manage to kiss him, more than a year after I made that declaration in Boost Juice.
The one.
I don’t think there was one magical moment when I realised that Ed was ‘the one’, but rather there were changes that he bought to my life that were both challenging and exciting. I had never been in a serious relationship before, let alone been in love, and it wasn’t even a choice with Ed – I was, and still am, totally drawn to him. He makes me a better person, less guarded, more open, a better lover, sister, daughter, friend, and soon a mother. These are the ways I know he is ‘the one’, they are not moments but rather changes in how I see myself and how I let others see me.
The proposal.
Ed actually proposed many times. The most memorable was when he was in New York in 2010 and I was stuck back in Australia. He called me (very drunk) in the middle of the New York night lost, just metres from where he was supposed to be. In song, at the top of his voice, he asked me to marry him. That time, just like all the others, I told him if he asks me sober than I’ll say ‘Yes’. If I’d known at the time it would take him another 5 years until that would happen I wouldn’t have been so flippant.
In fact, when we went on a 7 month trip around the world in 2012 I waited, and waited, and waited and waited for the proposal. In Italy on the rocky beaches of Positano, in Paris as we ate cheese and drank wine, in Egypt at the pyramids, in New York in the snow, in Mexico over street tacos, in Machu Pichu as the sun rose, in Argentina while riding through the winery region. Nothing, nothing, nothing.
Then when we returned home, we bought a house; I thought as we unlocked the house for the first time or our first night in our new home would be the time. Nothing. I was getting impatient.
In the end, I couldn’t take it anymore and as we walked our dog through the local park I asked him when he would finally propose. He stopped walking, turned around and asked me then and there. So in the end, I’m not sure who proposed to who, but I am more than happy it FINALLY happened and we are married (and not a moment too soon).
Style Inspiration.
At the start we just wanted a fun weekend away with family and friends where we could really spend time with them and even more importantly enjoy it. We wanted it to be a celebration of us, our families and our friends. After finding out we were pregnant this just became even more important, it was the perfect wedding for us.
The dress.
Being pregnant (really pregnant), the dress was the hardest thing to organise. You don’t hear or see much about pregnant brides, especially ones that are as far along as I was going to be. I felt quite daunted by the whole prospect of dress buying. Add to that the fact that I couldn’t buy it until the last minute as my shape kept changing and my belly kept growing and it was all a little overwhelming.
My biggest problem was not just finding something that fit (without spending a fortune) was finding something that wasn’t conservative – my first dress, the one I had planned to wear before becoming pregnant, was a tight fitting, gold sequined gown from Badgley Mischka with a low back. And while it still fit right up until the day of the wedding – I felt like I was carrying around a huge disco ball! Not really the look I was going for on our wedding day.
The last thing I wanted to wear was something that made me feel like a ‘pregnant bride’ – I wanted to feel like me. I wanted something to show off my bump, not hide it, but still something a little sexy. The Manning Cartell Reverie Lace Sleeve Dress was the perfect solution – well except that it wasn’t meant to be a maternity dress. That was where Aggie, from My Perfect Fit came in. I bought the dress two sizes too big, and had the alterations done just four days before the wedding. Even on the day I didn’t know if it would still fit – I had grown even over those few days, but with a little squeezing and a lot of breathing in Mum got the zip up and I had a dress that I felt like me in, and was comfortable!
Favourite moment.
I was petrified of the ceremony – standing up in front of 100 of our most loved people and baring our emotions is not something that comes naturally to either of us – even thinking about doing something so raw and intimate made my breath quicken and my tummy knot a little. Add to that my pregnancy hormones and I was convinced I was going to bawl my eyes out through the whole affair. As it was, I got lost in the moment. Staring into Ed’s eyes for 10 whole minutes at a time isn’t something I do on a daily basis, but in that moment from walking down the aisle to our first kiss as husband and wife, I was glued to him, I could barely look anywhere else. It felt like everyone and everything else faded into the background and a bubble enveloped us. That moment, so intimate and yet so public, is my favourite. I have never felt so loved or so dreamy before. Nothing can replace that.
Traditions.
Both our parents got married in backyards so it was nice to continue that with our own little spin. But really the day wasn’t about sticking to traditions, it was about celebrating our relationship with each other, and with our families and friends whom have supported this relationship over 9 years. We did what felt right, not what we felt we should do.
Meaning of marriage.
For us, marriage is about creating a family, whether it is just the two of you or a whole tribe of people. Planning our wedding, really our marriage, and planning for our life after we become parents has really made me understand how much I love Ed and how much his support makes these big things seem achievable and how much his love and view of me makes me a better and stronger person. This is the marriage we are creating, this is the basis for which our lives as a new family are built. From the moment we found out we were having a baby Ed couldn’t wipe the smile off his face. He asks every day how our baby girl is going and does everything he can to help me out and make sure that we are both happy and healthy. It has been the same with our wedding, every day since he has beamed with the thought of the family we created and he smiles each time he says ‘wife’
Wedding soundtrack.
Our aisle song was ‘Crazy Love‘ by Van Morrison and our first dance was to ‘You are the best thing’ by Ray Lamontagne. Our entrance song was ‘Sexual Healing’ by the Hot 8 Brass band from the ‘Chef’ soundtrack.
Funny stories/near disasters.
This whole year has been a funny and big year – we have renovated the house, become engaged, fallen pregnant, bought a family wagon and become married. My head is spinning from the changes. But we are never the ones to do things by halves and have never been happier. It ended up being the perfect way to celebrate our relationship and refocus our minds for our very different futures.
Words of wisdom.
Couples will hear, as we did, to do what feels right for them and this really is the best advice. The most practical advice though is to choose vendors whose work you love and admire, and trust them. Wedding planning is hard enough, and something that you don’t have much experience in, so choose people who do have the experience, and let them guide you. Alice, from She’s a Wildflower, creates the most amazing floral arrangements but even when I said to her to ‘just go for it’ – I could never have imagined what she would have in store for me with the ‘hair bouquet’ she and Cassandra deBruin created. The ceremony transcript that was written by our celebrant was so personal and funny and touching that it made many of our friends and family laugh out loud and tear up. Having a close friend, Amy Davis, do both mine and my bridesmaid, Phoebe’s, make up meant that we had a relaxed day and more importantly looked like ourselves. Trusting in our vendors made the day relaxing and rewarding. I can’t thank them enough.
LILLIE AND ED’S TRIBE
Ceremony location: Hang gliding takeoff zone, Spion Kop, Moggs Creek.
Reception venue: Lorne Beach Pavilion
Celebrant: Kate Nichols
Photography: It’s Beautiful Here – Scout and Kat from It’s Beautiful Here, were also a dream to work with. Having someone take 1000s of photos of you, especially if you are camera shy, is an incredibly scary prospect. To have these photos taken when you are most nervous and vulnerable is even scarier. But Kat and Scout made us feel immediately comfortable, and sometimes were so discrete I even forgot they were there. It was a pleasure to spend the day with them.
Florist: She’s a Wildflower – Alice is the most amazing human being, everything has been easy. She is cool, relaxed, professional and inspiring. I didn’t really feel like a bride until her flowers went into my hair. I cannot recommend her highly enough – I mean anyone that can turn the maligned carnation into a stunning hair piece deserves all the praise she can get!
Hair and Make Up: Cassandra de Bruin (hair) and Amy Davis (makeup artist and close friend).
The Dress: Manning Cartell bought too big so as to fit my bump, magically altered by Aggie from My Perfect Fit.
Head wear: She’s A Wildflower
Shoes: : Midas – chosen for both comfort and style – something every preggo bride wants.
Rings: Tara Lofhelm (close friend and amazing jeweler).
Bridesmaids dresses: Zimmermann and Robert Robert
Grooms and groomsmen suits: : MJ Bale
Stationery Signage: Bride and groom’s own.
Entertainment: Rainbow Connection
Honeymoon: Pregnant!
