Real Wedding – Cameron & Kelly, Yarra Glen VIC
When Kelly finally walked down the aisle towards her high school sweetheart Cameron, there was more than a decade of anticipation in the air.
Add to that the sweet sounds of Melbourne Entertainment Company talent Demi singing Kiss Me by Sixpence None the Richer and you’ve got a whole bunch of guests reaching for the tissues to dab their happy tears.
Teagan Dole, the captivating celebrant behind Panache & Co, harnessed all the energy and emotion of the occasion to deliver an expertly personalised ceremony that paid homage to the couple’s unique love story and set the tone for a joy-filled celebration to follow.
There was no flower connoisseur better suited to the pair’s ‘classic but with a pop of colour’ brief than Youki at Sugar Bee Flowers who is known for her eye-catching, original designs.
By removing her off-the-shoulder sleeves and accessorising with an on-trend silk scarf for the reception, Kelly playfully transitioned her modern yet timeless Karen Willis Holmes gown from formalities to dance floor.
There to capture every bright, beautiful moment was the lively lens legend Nikki McCrone Photography. Scroll on to see how it all unfolded below.
The meeting.
We met in high school when we were 16 and I had just moved to a new school.
The ‘one’.
I think we both knew at a 16th birthday party when we spent all night talking about anything and everything.
The proposal.
Cam proposed on a trip to Italy. It was our 10-year anniversary, and we were staying in Sorrento. He sent me off for a massage, and when I got back to the room, he had the ring set up with a couple of glasses of champagne.
Planning process.
I immediately set up a wedding-related Excel spreadsheet when we got home to keep track of to-do lists, budgets, guest list, venue and vendor comparisons. This helped immensely with keeping us organised and on track. I was also very lucky in that a couple of my close friends got engaged and started the wedding planning journey just before Cam and I, so we were able to use a lot of their research as a starting point for finding vendors etc.
Style inspiration.
I had always wanted to get married at a winery, so that set the tone for the venue choice, and then, style-wise, we opted for classic but colourful. I took a lot of inspiration from real weddings, particularly when it came to things like the hanging floral arrangements for the reception. Being able to visualise it in the actual reception space was incredibly helpful. They were also a great resource for finding vendors.
The ceremony.
Teagan, our celebrant, captured our love story beautifully and made the ceremony feel really personalised to us. Something we did differently that Teagan had suggested, was doing a private signing after the ceremony rather than doing it during. I’m so glad we opted to do it this way, as it really kept the energy and emotions high after the vows.
Demi from Melbourne Entertainment Company performed acoustically for the ceremony and did an amazing job setting the tone.
The outfits.
My dress was from Karen Willis Holmes, and Cam’s suit was from MJ Bale. I’m normally very indecisive, and going into the dress shopping experience, I didn’t have a super clear idea of what I wanted, so I just tried on a bunch of different styles. I ended up finding the dress at only the second shop we visited. I actually wasn’t even going to try it on initially, but one of my bridesmaids suggested it, so I said “why not” and tried it on first. I ended up loving it and purchased it that day!
Favourite moments.
While we got a little unlucky with some rain, it actually made our first dance feel quite magical. We opted to do it outdoors under the fairy lights with Demi playing Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls acoustically and picked a moment where it was only raining lightly.
Meaning of marriage.
We’ve been together for a long time, so admittedly it doesn’t change much in terms of our day-to-day lives together, but it was a really special day to celebrate with family and friends to make it official.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: Kiss Me – Sixpence None the Richer (performed live by Demi from Melbourne Entertainment Company)
Reception Entry: You’ve Got The Love – Florence and The Machine
First dance: Iris – Goo Goo Dolls (performed live by Demi from Melbourne Entertainment Company).
Funny stories/near disasters.
We were quite lucky that basically everything went according to plan on the day (aside from a bit of rain), so there were no disasters. I did have a very clumsy bridal party, though, and while we were getting ready, one of the girls spilled orange juice all over her pyjamas that we were wearing for getting ready. She ended up putting them on backwards for photos, and thankfully, no dresses were in the splash zone!
Planning surprises.
I was surprised by how far in advance certain venues and vendors book out! Luckily, we gave ourselves plenty of time to make sure we were able to lock in our preferred vendors.
Words of wisdom.
Give yourself time to make decisions and don’t be afraid to veer from traditions that don’t resonate with you as a couple. A lot of elements to a wedding can be tailored to really make it feel personalised to you!
CAMERON & KELLY’S SUPPLIERS:
Ceremony & reception venue: Zonzo Estate
Celebrant: Teagan Dole of Panache & Co
Photography: Nikki McCrone Photography
Florist: Sugar Bee Flowers
Hair: Hannah Hocking
Make-up: Tonic Agency
The dress & veil: Karen Willis Holmes
Shoes: Bared Footwear
Rings: DX Diamonds
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Bec and Bridge
Suits & ties: MJ Bale
Stationery / Signage: The Parker Effect
Entertainment: Melbourne Entertainment Company (Demi)
Transport: Always Classic Cars
Honeymoon: Western Australia
