Real Wedding - Emily & Ben, Bannockburn VIC

August 8, 2022 In Beach, Blue, Pink, Real Weddings, Victoria, Wedding Venues Victoria, White, Winery By Kathryn Brandt

Real Wedding – Emily & Ben, Bannockburn VIC

Well you know what they say…fourth time’s a charm right? At least that’s how everything unfolded for Emily and Ben on their fourth attempt at getting married and what an incredible day it was! Emotions were running high and the energy from their friends and family was electric at the sight of two of their beloveds finally being able to tie the knot.

Emily wowed in a classic v-cut Kyha gown during the ceremony, capturing all the timeless vibes she was after before a quick outfit change into her fun and fabulous Christie Nicole mini dress. Whilst Ben and his groomsmen opted for a cooler, calmer ocean blue-shaded suits and boy did they rock them.

The whole event took place at the charming Clyde Park Vineyard, surrounded by aged wine barrels and long tables dotted with dusty pink roses and white candles weaved between guests. They danced into the evening, drunk on love, with tambourines in hands held high and everything was captured ever so effortlessly by the glorious Georgia Verrells.

The meeting.

We met way back in 2007; 16 year old Emily and 19 year old Ben at a nightclub in St Kilda called Cushion. However it wasn’t until 2011 we were both available and shortly after in 2012 we were official.

The ‘one’.

Both of us would say the moment we laid eyes on each other, we were both dating other people at the time but knew the moment we met that we would end up together one day.

The proposal.

On the 22nd of September 2019 I took Ben out for a surprise birthday dinner with all of our closest friends, dinner then turned into drinks. It was just past midnight when we got home and as I opened the front door I was greeted and surprised by a sign saying “Emily will you marry me.” There was music playing and candles lighting up the entire room, I then turned around to see Ben down on one knee. It was an extremely intimate proposal in our first home that we will cherish forever.

Planning process.

Well I had lots of time for planning – two and a half years in fact. Our original wedding date was 2^nd May, 2020 but Covid took that one away from us only weeks before. We then rescheduled to the 26th November 2020, again we were in a covid lockdown and I was also pregnant by this stage. We then did a big jump to the 4th December 2021. By the end of November 2021 there was talk of restrictions easing but weddings could no longer have a dancefloor and guest number limits. Ben and I then had to make another difficult decision to postpone our wedding for the third time. We wanted to have the big wedding we originally planned and had already waited so long. Then on the 26th of March, 2022 we FINALLY tied the knot and honestly had the best day of our lives along with the guests. It had been a long time coming.

So in short there was lots of planning, with every wedding we had to find new vendors which meant lots of deposits and lots and money down the drain. It became so incredibly draining and disheartening wondering and hoping if this was even going to be worth it. I am so glad we pushed through and with the help of our wedding venue Clyde Park Vineyard, we absolutely adore these guys and couldn’t have done it without them.

Style inspiration.

We wanted the romantic vineyard style wedding. Ben is very much a country boy at heart so super modern is not our style, it wouldn’t suit us personally. We wanted a big party and everyone to have a good time and be involved. I wanted a pretty simple yet romantic table setting. My vibe was not to over do it and they nailed it. The styling turned out perfect, I am still totally obsessed with how it all came together on the day.

I am a very visual person, I must say I didn’t read too much or listen to podcasts like most people do. I purchased all the wedding magazines tagged the pages with images I liked, Instagram is a great tool too; so many great images of weddings from around the world for inspiration.

The ceremony.

My boss of 10 years Dr Valence Roberts was our celebrant on the day and it was so nice to have that personal touch of someone who has known us for that long and seen parts of our journey. One of our friends did a reading for us but it wasn’t an ordinary reading, she had the sunburnt poet write a poem specifically written about Ben and I. It was such a beautiful touch it had almost everyone in tears.

The look.

The gown I went with was simple and classic. So glad I did as it was sitting in our spare room for two and a half years waiting to be worn but being so timeless meant I didn’t have to go looking for another dress. My reception dress was my absolute dream dress. It was so much fun to wear and such a statement piece for the dancefloor. For Ben’s suit we went with an ocean blue as it’s a colour that looks fantastic on him.

Favourite moments.

Ben and I did a first look on the beach in Jan Juc to have some family photos taken with our son. This was the most magical part of our day, it was so emotional for us all. I was worried it would take away the emotion from the ceremony but no, we couldn’t hold back the tears then either. It had been such a long build up for us both I think there was so much emotion and also so much relief that came with the day. We purchased tambourines for our guests to use once we were announced as husband and wife instead of confetti which was such an incredible idea. They were then used on the dance floor all night and we are obsessed with this little touch we decided to do. We asked our guests to also spin their white napkins in the air as we were introduced into our reception; this was also amazing too our guests loved our day as much as we did because we kept them involved.

Meaning of marriage.

Marriage is listening to the other person, it’s about wanting to learn and grow together, its respect passion and compromising. It means I finally share the same name as our son, my favourite part.

Wedding soundtrack.

Aisle: Tenerife sea by Ed Sheeran

Reception entry: Praise you by Fat boy slim

First dance: Electricity by Silk city and Dua Lipa.

Funny stories or near disasters.

We had no kids at our wedding but we did choose to have our son during the ceremony before the babysitter took him home. Just before walking down the aisle my son got one look at my veil and completely ran for it and ripped it out of my hair. Stressful moment, but extremely funny looking back at it now.

Words of wisdom.

If things don’t go as planned or you don’t get the vendor you wanted, things happen for a reason and everything will fall into place. From my first planned wedding to my 4^th, not one vendor was the same besides the venue. I could not have been any happier with who we had on our day. It was meant to be this way and they were amazing, each and every one of them and we wouldn’t have had it any other way. Don’t sweat the small things.

Thinking of a costume change partway through the night like our divine bride Emily? Check out some of our favourite looks here.

EMILY & BEN’S VENDORS

Ceremony & Reception venue: Clyde Park Vineyard, Bannockburn Vic 3331

Celebrant/Officiant: Dr Valence Roberts – My boss

Photography: Georgia Verrells – Well where to start, Georgia you are so incredible at what you do. You were honestly an unofficial bridesmaid on my wedding day. We had never met and I instantly felt so comfortable with you. You managed to make the day calming when we were so behind schedule, you made sure that I was well looked after on the day. My partner and I aren’t natural in-front of a camera at all but somehow you managed to capture images we could have only dreamed about. You created magic and for that we are forever grateful and will never forget you. Thank you for being a HUGE part of our day.

Videography: Kimberley Moore

Florist: Lucy Loves Charlie

Hair & Make Up: Rebeccah Vivian from Blondie Salon

The Dress(es): The hart gown from Chosen by Kyha, Reception gown: the Rhiannon by Christie Nicole Bridal

Veil: The tear drop veil by Kyha

Shoes: Billini

Rings: All Diamonds

Bridesmaid’s dresses: By Johnny

Suits: Peter Jackson

Bow ties / ties: The brothers at Otaa

Catering & Bar: Clyde Park Vineyard

Favors: Espresso martinis from Three Foxes Distillery, Tambourines from Melbourne Music Centre