Real Wedding – Caiden & Lataya, Bellarine Peninsula VIC
Caiden knew Lataya was the one on a night out at 2am in Chapel St, when she messily inhaled a greasy burger – sesame seeds between her teeth, sauce going everywhere. That refreshing honesty and grounded approach combine with elite style and stunning aesthetics in their Bellarine Peninsula wedding day.
With superstar Erin of Florette at the helm of their styling and florals, this day was certain to look as incredible as it felt. Deftly weaving a striking colour palette with natural tones and textural florals in layers of crisp vanilla, the impact is one of effortless, organic beauty anchored by the endless vistas of their venue, Jack Rabbit.
Incorporating personal details of the things Lataya and Caiden cherish in their lives – the ocean, sunsets, puns, margaritas and tiramisu – made the celebration feel uniquely gorgeous and familiar to all attending, while music legends The White Tree created a soundtrack embedded with all their favourite tunes.
Lataya and Caiden’s paparazzi crew was a true A team – Meg Read Photography and our very own Lightbox Media creating visual magic, whilst audio memories were captured forever by Off The Hook audio guestbook.
Scroll on for a visually and emotionally uplifting experience.
The meeting.
We met in 2017, thanks to a lucky Instagram competition and a bit of matchmaking. I’d won a giveaway from The Sweater Club, Caiden’s sister Colbee’s business, which is how I landed on her radar. At the same time, Caiden had asked her for date suggestions. She told him, “Lataya is so cool and one of my really good friends, go on a date with her!” (We weren’t actually friends, but we’d had a couple of friendly Instagram chats.) She also told me, “You’re not allowed to buy one of my beanies until you go on a date with my brother.” Cupid in her element! After a few likes and DMs, Caiden and I decided to meet up. The rest is history. It’s pretty special that I met him through his sister, because his family has been such a beautiful bonus too.
The one.
I was halfway through my visa to move overseas again, and after a few dates, I told my mum and dad, “I think I’ll go for a few months instead.” I wouldn’t say I knew he was the one right away; it was a gradual thing, but I knew we aligned in many ways. It just felt easy and good.
Caiden knew after a night bar hopping down Chapel Street. 2am came around, and it was time to get some greasy food into us. I was smashing down my burger, sauce going everywhere, meat in my teeth and sesame seeds on my lips. Prime moment, really! I turned around, and the way he looked at me said a thousand words. I didn’t actually know that was his ‘moment’ until our vows.
The proposal.
We were expecting our first baby and we decided to wait until Christmas morning to find out the gender. The only person who knew the gender was my sister-in-law, as she was going to make a baby sweater, saying “boy” or “girl.” What we didn’t know was that she had planned a whole scavenger hunt around our house that ended at our favourite spot on the beach.
That’s where we opened the final clue and found out we were having a girl.
We were already super stoked and then Caiden got down on one knee. It was simple, sweet, and very us. The best two surprises in our favourite place.
Planning process.
I actually loved the planning process, it was a big project of creativity that I felt I had been lacking in my life. It did, however, involve making lots of decisions, which has never been my strong point. I was very fortunate to have a good tribe around me to help along the way.
I locked in our main vendors over 12 months out and started piecing things together from there. Reaching out to our vendors throughout the planning process was an amazing help. They’re the professionals and have such a wealth of knowledge to share. If they didn’t have an answer for me, they’d point me in the right direction of someone who did.
Style inspiration.
We’d always envisioned a tropical wedding, and our original style reflected that. But it didn’t take long to realise we were trying to recreate a completely different destination, so we shifted direction. Instead, we went back to basics and focused on what we truly love: natural tones, pops of colour, and organic textures.
Once we started working with our amazing florist, Erin, style elements evolved naturally. We knew we didn’t want anything too polished or perfect, just something that felt relaxed, warm, and effortless.
We also knew we wanted to incorporate things that we love and are very us; the ocean, sunsets, puns, Sweater Club embroidery, margaritas, tiramisu, and great music. So we made it happen.
I definitely became wedding-obsessed. I read all the blogs, binge-watched videographer videos, and scrolled through post after post, only to forget what I was even searching for in the first place. I was completely lost (in the best way) in the world of weddings.
Instagram, Pinterest, Podcasts and Ivory Tribe were my go-tos. Ivory Tribe was a goldmine of inspiration and offered genuine advice from real couples, which I found so helpful. Something I wish I’d done more of, however, is taking ‘wedding breaks.’ It’s so easy to get caught up in the constant stream of ideas, but at times it became overwhelming. Stepping back now and then would’ve helped me feel more confident in my choices and not second-guess myself so much.
One tip I’d pass on: start saving your inspiration early (and delete the inspo that no longer feels right or isn’t needed to reduce overwhelm). Time creeps up quicker than you think!
The ceremony.
Our ceremony was so special; full of love, laughter, and all the feels, which is hard to capture in words! Our song choices held a lot of meaning to us. For example, my aisle song reminds us of when our daughter was born. Having our parents, nieces, nephews, bridal party, and especially our daughter involved made it even more meaningful.
Our celebrant told our story with the perfect mix of humour and heart, making us feel so proud. Our vows were especially significant as, unintentionally, they mirrored each other in the most beautiful way.
The standout moment, for us and our guests, was our daughter running down the aisle. The second she spotted Caiden, her face lit up and she sprinted straight to him, flowers spilling perfectly from her basket. I didn’t get to see that moment firsthand, but from everything people told us (And from the photos and videos) it was simply the best.
All of the details reflected us and our lives, a celebration that was uniquely ours.
The outfits.
Caiden knew from the start that he wanted beige suits, and the second shop we walked into sealed the deal. Nice and easy. His shoe shopping actually took longer than the suit shopping.
I had a very different experience. I spent a few weekends trying on dresses with my mum and sister. I always imagined I’d go for something simple, but every time I tried that style on, it just didn’t feel right. I was getting frustrated trying on dresses and was about to settle for one I felt just okay in, then I spotted a photo of a dress and said, “I have to try that one.” The moment I put it on, I felt feminine, confident and comfortable. It was a nice moment.
Favourite moments.
It’s too hard to pick just one favourite; it was a day full of special moments. So much love, so much laughter, and so many special memories.
Some standouts: the morning with my girls, giving my loved ones gifts, walking down the aisle, cuddles with our daughter throughout the day (She became our little pause button), our vows, and the incredible speeches. Sunset photos were another favourite, it was calm, quiet and just the two of us.
Meaning of marriage.
For us, marriage is about continuing to choose each other, every single day, through all of life’s seasons. We think it requires teamwork, communication, friendship, adventures and laughter. Prior to our wedding, we were already fully committed to each other in every way. We felt like we were already married, so not much has changed, except now we officially get to call each other husband and wife (The best!). Topping it off with a big celebration of our love was just a bonus!
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: With You, Vance Joy
Signing: 6s to 9s, Big Wild
Recessional: Boogie Shoes, KC & The Sunshine Band
Reception entry: Shake ya Groove Thing
First dance: Higher Love, Whitney Houston
Funny stories or near disasters.
There were a few! A few days before the wedding, stress levels were high. I pulled out the table allocation sign to iron it, and my mum looked at it and said, “Oh… where am I?” I thought she was joking, and honestly, I was too overwhelmed to laugh – but she wasn’t. I had actually forgotten to include my own mum on the seating chart! Definitely not my finest moment, but we had a good laugh about it later.
Another small near disaster (totally my fault) was forgetting to pass on the gate code to my hair and make-up artist. The property we stayed at was on a farm with a locked gate and a long dirt road, so when she didn’t show up on time, I just thought she was running a bit late. Turns out, she had no reception and was locked out at 6:30am. My mum found the poor thing walking down the dark dirt road, hauling her hair and makeup suitcase, just doing her best to get to us. Hats off to her! I felt absolutely horrible!
Planning surprises.
What really surprised us was just how much actually goes into a wedding: the logistics, the constant communication, the never-ending planning, emails, and decisions (big and small). You hear people say it’s a lot, but you don’t really get it until you’re in it. It definitely gave us a new level of appreciation for wedding planners! Although it was a lot at times, I miss the planning and wish I could do it all over again.
Words of wisdom.
With so much information, inspiration, and endless options out there, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. The best thing you can do is make decisions that truly reflect you as a couple and once you’ve made them, stop second-guessing or looking elsewhere (Unlike me!) Trust yourselves and enjoy the process.
I know everyone says this, but the day really does fly by, especially with nerves and a bit of champagne in the mix! Make a point to stop and take it all in, even just for a moment. Or better yet, ask someone to remind you to pause throughout the day.
Eat!
There are always going to be things that don’t go to plan, but take a breath and remind yourself why you’re getting married in the first place.
Considering the beautiful Bellarine for your own I Do’s? Enjoy our list of the cream of the crop of stunning Bellarine venues, from captivating coastal views to lush manicured gardens.
LATAYA & CAIDEN’S VENDORS
Jack Rabbit provided us with a selection of recommended suppliers which was super helpful as we weren’t sure where to begin. We chose a fair few from their list! Once the searching started, though, I couldn’t stop. I became (and still am!) wedding obsessed! Instagram, Ivory Tribe and Pinterest became my bibles.
Ceremony & reception venue: Jack Rabbit, Bellarine. Incredible view from both inside and outside, impeccable service, delicious food and of course, amazing wine. Kate (Wedding Manager) was a godsend when planning our wedding. No question or request was ever too much. She’s the wedding master!
Celebrant: Damon Hughes (Also doubled as our MC). Down to earth, perfect balance of sentimental and funny, organised and professional. We loved the whole process with Damon.
Photography: Meg Read. I’m a big ‘moments’ girl, that’s why Meg stood out to me. She captured the moments of our day perfectly. Meg made us feel at ease in front of the camera which was much needed! My mother-in-law said, “She was everywhere that girl. Everywhere I looked, there she was. She didn’t stop all night.”
Videography: Lightbox Media. Pat has such a calm presence and made us feel at ease in front of the camera. We love our video and are guaranteed to tear up every time we watch it.
Florist & styling: Florette. A flower magician. Erin is so creative, passionate and always trying to do something different. I loved working with her!
Hair & make-Up: Studio2. Two very talented sisters. Great company and all of my bridesmaids LOVED their hair and makeup. They nailed our requests, and we all felt amazing.
The dress: Bluebell Bridal, Ella Moda Paris Gown
Veil: Custom veil, Dappled Grace
Shoes: Lana Wilkinson
Rings: Bride – Janai. Groom – Michael Hill
Bridesmaid’s dresses: All various brands. Maid of honour: Acler. Yellow: Meshki. Pink: Bianca & Bridgett, Purple: Alemais, Orange: Aje
Suits/Bow Ties: Sam & Ko South Yarra
Suit shoes: Aquila
Catering/Bar: Jack Rabbit
Favours: Embroidered names on linen fabric, Sweater Club. Colbee is one talented lady and we were so proud to have Sweater Club feature on our big day.
Cake / Cake topper: Tiramisu, Via Porta
Stationery / Signage: Designs To Adore. Amelia is incredibly talented and so good to work with and her emails were always exciting to open! Her signage and stationery are of high quality, and she has exceptional attention to detail.
Entertainment: The White Tree
Transport: Coastal Kombi
Décor: Table Art
Furniture hire: Surfcoast Party Hire
Margarita tower: Miss Fizz
Guest Photo QR code: Never Miss Moments
Wedding website: Squarespace
Audio Guestbook: Off The Hook
Bloom wishing well, hand fans and parasols: Facebook Marketplace
