Real Wedding - Drew & Sarah, Drummond VIC

June 14, 2016 In Real Weddings By Ivory Tribe

Real Wedding – Drew & Sarah, Drummond VIC

It was a glamorous bohemian affair for the wedding celebration of Sarah and Drew’s love at the magnificent Mingela Homestead in Drummond.

In a weekend-long celebration, they affectionately termed their sweet celebration a ‘glam-bo’ affair, culminating a rustic, romantic vibe with relaxed yet glamorous elements.

After a seven-year courtship, and romantic proposal in the stunning Savannah Plains of South Africa, this is a couple that always knew they were meant for each other, and their special day was the perfect beginning to their official ever after.

There to document all the bohemian beauty just perfectly was the talented Jerome Cole.

In Sarah and Drew’s words…

The meeting.

Initially, Drew’s sister introduced the pair of us. Sarah was working for a Melbourne fashion company, where his sister also worked. Drew dropped by to visit his sister and met Sarah for the first time, albeit briefly. We were properly introduced a little while later at a get-together at a local pub shortly after which we all moved in together into a small share house in Melbourne’s south eastern suburb; South Yarra. Before long we had decided that we were more than friends sharing a house together and dated for seven amazing years before Drew plucked up the courage to propose.

The one.

It’s a gradual process that catches up with you. There were many special moments we shared together along the way that culminated in us officially committing to each other. For both of us, it’s the enjoyment of making the other one feel special and loved. We have always worked well as a team with different strengths and weaknesses. Drew is excellent with deadlines and putting plans into actions. He rarely ‘sweats the small stuff’ and is a free adventurous spirit, always looking for the next adventure. Sarah is the creative spirit, kind-hearted, generous with a quiet positive determination. She’s an analyser, deep thinker with an eye for detail. Together our weaknesses become strengths and this is why it has always seemed that we were a natural fit for each other. Along the way we’ve tested each others beliefs and values, constantly growing and learning together. It’s along this journey that ‘it’ suddenly dawns on you that you’ve found the ‘one’. The ‘one’ you are choosing, and choosing every day to be beside. We choose each other every day to share our lives together because one’s weakness is the other’s strength, together we learn how to be the best of ourselves; together we are more than the sum of our parts. I think secretly deep down, we always knew, because of a fundamental trust in each other.

The proposal.

We were travelling in South Africa and Drew had planned to do a picturesque hot air balloon ride over national parklands with a breathtaking view of the Savannah Plains with wild African animals; lions, zebra, giraffes and rhinoceros. After three failed 4:30am starts it was clear the weather had other ideas. Drew had to change his plans. He had already carefully selected and purchased a beautiful tanzanite ring earlier in the trip (a gemstone only found in Africa). Further into the trip the couple took a cable car ride to the top of Hartesbeport Dam Mountain. It was here, on the mountain peak, surrounded by the local town and undulating African landscape that Drew asked Sarah to be his wife.

The planning process.

Initially, we spent many hours discussing and searching for ideas of what we liked and didn’t like. Many late nights were spent happily scrolling through images on Pinterest and wedding blogs to create our own theme board. We then put together a budget. We then divided tasks between Janine, our wedding planner and ourselves.

We spent many weekends sourcing furniture to restore and reupholster, vintage cutlery/crockery, prop items such as vases, books, doilies, rugs, cushions, lamps etc to create the mood and atmosphere we wanted for our wedding. We spent the entire week before the wedding setting up on the private property. Drew’s ute became the workhorse of the wedding and delivered most things we needed over the week.

Style inspiration.

Glamourous Bohemian with a touch of whimsy which we affectionately termed ‘Glam-bo’. Drew and I are always making jokes with each other and whilst the theme of our wedding was a serious undertaking, we can laugh at ourselves and thought ‘Glam-bo’ was a comedic way to describe our wedding. We wanted a rustic backdrop with lots of rugs and homely furniture for our guests to nestle into. Our wedding day was very relaxed and intimate. We spent the whole weekend at the property so that gave us a chance to reflect and relax.

The dress.

I didn’t know what I wanted to begin with and I wanted to keep an open mind. As my family lives interstate I organised for my mother to visit so we could go wedding dress shopping together. We have always been close and this was one thing I wanted to spend with just her. I did lots of initial investigation, looking up labels and looking at their designs. My mother and I spent 3 full days hunting for the perfect dress. There were eventually two I was deciding between. They were very different dresses and thinking about my venue and style of wedding it what eventually helped to make to final decision. When wedding dress shopping you very quickly work out you are either a bead kind of girl or a lace kind of girl, or a rare bird that like both together. I am a lace kind of girl! I love texture and depth, not sparkle and shimmer. I guess the dress starts to reflect your personality. I wanted something simple and elegant with some finer details that were a surprise on closer inspection. My gorgeous, haute couture dress was hand made by the gorgeous Luci at Luci De Bella. She made me feel genuinely special. My dress had two pieces. The under piece was a soft white silk, boned with a sweetheart neckline, fitted over the hips with a slight outward curvature at the bottom. The top piece was made from a series of three soft tulle layers, each a different colour of soft roses and whites to create a unique hint of colour. The boat neckline created a beautiful sheer layer over the sweetheart neckline of the under layer silk. Hand sewn Italian lace was stitched carefully into position on the final tulle layer, creating a vine like effect over the bodice. It fitted like a glove and I felt a warm spread of butterflies in my stomach when I put it on in my final fitting with my matching veil.

Favourite moments.

Drew – Spending the morning relaxing with the boys. Watching Sarah walk down the aisle and hanging with family and friends throughout the night. Our families stayed with us on the property so after the bus took all the guests home we all sat in the teepee together and drank wine and chatted together.

Sarah – There were many special moments. I loved having my bridesmaids around me in the morning. They are all my closest friends and there’s something magical about that time together, getting your makeup and hair done and drinking champagne together. Walking down the aisle with my Dad was special, especially seeing the emotion on his face. We loved the sparkler entrance to our reception, it was a lot of fun and felt loved being surrounded by all our friends and family. However, there’s one moment that stands out amongst all the rest, one I wasn’t prepared for, after all Drew and I have been together for a long time. It was the moment he stumbled on his vows and I automatically stepped in to help him recite them. A moment when it was just the two of us, in a bubble with no-one else. It was that warm calm feeling, a feeling of home.

Traditions.

There are probably lots of traditional things sprinkled throughout our day. One that stands out was the bride’s mother walking down the aisle before the bride and her father, to signal their arrival.

Meaning of marriage.

Marriage was a way to formalize the relationship and what we already had. We wanted to commit to look after each other for the rest of our lives.

Wedding soundtrack.

Aisle: Tom Odell – Grow old with me chosen by Sarah.

Funny stories (or near disasters)

Our invitations went out way too late and the wind on the day prevented us using a large amount of balloons we ordered. Drew’s most stressful task was chopping the tree stumps for the aisle the day before the wedding at his parent’s property.

Words of wisdom.

Allow enough time to plan. Have a budget and stick to it.