Real Elopement – Lauren & Kyle, Kallista VIC
It’s a full circle moment that Lauren and Kyle find themselves featured on the pages of Ivory Tribe, offering the kind of real elopement inspiration that led them to discover their own dream wedding venue.
Lauren initially thought she had stumbled upon the story of an overseas celebration when the gallery oozed the kind of Italian architecture and aesthetic she envisioned for the couple’s own intimate nuptials.
When the supplier list revealed that their ideal ceremony setting was in fact in Victoria, it was a fitting (and far more affordable) way to pay homage to the European holiday spot where they got engaged.
While the guest list was small (eight guests, including their two children), the romance and significance of the occasion loomed large in the most touching way, further enhanced by the considered, cohesive styling and two dazzling dresses from ASOS, one of which Lauren had waited five years to wear.
Scroll on to experience how every enchanting moment was frozen in time by the artful lens of Kinship by Kristy.
The meeting.
I (Lauren) was invited to a random house party by my best friend. The party was a joint birthday party for Kyle and one of his best mates. Let’s just say I gate-crashed this party and ended up meeting the love of my life!
The ‘one’.
We honestly instantly knew at this party that we had something. Kyle was very shy but I managed to find him on Facebook through a photo tag by a mutual friend. I then slid into his DMs, and the rest is history!
The proposal.
Kyle popped the question on our trip to Europe. One night in Positano, on our balcony with an epic view, he got down on one knee. Our room was also upgraded due to a fault in the original room, so we were not intended to have a balcony room – it was meant to be!
Planning process.
The planning process was made very easy by the amazing Michelle at Ivory Made Studio. We actually originally intended to have a bigger reception with 25 guests however we scaled back to 8 to keep it very intimate and stress free. We really don’t like a fuss so the day felt more ‘us’ with easy planning and not a big crowd.
Style inspiration.
I actually saw another couple who eloped at Mont De Solei featured in Ivory Tribe pre-COVID. I thought they had eloped in Italy until I managed to find the location was in Melbourne! The overall inspiration was an Italian theme, paying homage to our engagement location.
The ceremony.
Our ceremony was very simple and elegant. We had the amazing Marry Me Megan, who captured our ceremony so perfectly. We don’t like to cause a fuss or want anything over-the-top, and it was so perfect. We walked each other down the aisle and had our little boy be our ring bearer.
The outfits.
I actually found my wedding dress over five years ago on ASOS. We had plans for so many years to elope and knew it was the one as I still loved it so much five years on! I also found another amazing dress on ASOS, which I wore as my second dress.
Favourite moment.
The favourite moment of the day was watching our little ones take photos with their disposable cameras. They were so excited to wear their suits and dresses, they thought the venue was a castle. Looking back at the film taken from their perspective was incredible to see.
Meaning of marriage.
Marriage to me is the cherry on top of the amazing life we have created together. Two beautiful children, a dog, a home and now being able to call each other ‘husband’ and ‘wife’ has been the icing on the cake.
Wedding soundtrack.
We had no music for our aisle and skipped the first dance tradition but the background soundtrack to our day was Chris Stapleton.
Funny stories/near disasters.
Kyle shook the champagne bottle a little too much which resulted in a big champagne spray our two-year-old daughter started walking straight into. I had to quickly put my hand over the champagne spray to protect her from the champagne pop!
Planning surprises.
Only that I have even more appreciation for the brides who undertake a much bigger wedding. Hats off to you all organising a bigger event with a big crowd – I found the planning a lot for only a small event.
Words of wisdom.
Remember to not stress about the small things, at the end of the day it’s your day and nothing else should matter. I also highly recommend selecting a photographer that does film as well, our film photography was super special to see.
For more micro wedding magic, check out Ghazaleh & Brandon’s real elopement in central Melbourne.
LAUREN & KYLE’S SUPPLIERS:
Ceremony, reception & accommodation: Mont Du Solei
Celebrant: Marry Me Megan
Photography: Kinship by Kristy
Videography: Rachael Mary Films
Styling: Ivory Made Studio
Florist: Bouquet – The Redwood Florist / Table arrangements – Grown Florists
Hair & make-up: Kathryn Marrone Bridal
The dresses: ASOS
Veil / headwear: Meshki
Shoes: Spurr
Rings: TMC Fine Jewellers
Suit & tie: Trevor West
Catering: The Platter Pantry
Cake: Bakes By Her
Stationery / Signage: Car sign/bar sign – Ra and Co Design & Linnen banner – https://signhustle.com.au
Hire: Harry the Hirer
Kids outfits: Next
