Real Wedding – Hayden & Kate, Redcliffs VIC
Love stories often unfold in the most unexpected ways, and Hayden and Kate’s is no exception. Picture a young teenage romance, a chance introduction by a best friend, and initial impressions that didn’t quite align. But a once-in-a-lifetime love was the result, and on their dream day, it is all electric emotion and genuine, effortless fun.
Holding their stunning celebrations at Hayden’s family home, with their baby boy in their arms, makes for a sweet concoction of intimate feels and chic rustic style.
A soft autumnal colour palette of burnt amber, muted tangerine and whispers of sage is brought to full effect by the wedding party in silk vivid rust gowns, with the gents in jackets of warm taupe with distinctive OTAA bow ties.
With tribe legends Caity and Duncan Photography behind the lens, every sweet element was captured with dreamy romance and a sense of nostalgia.
The meeting.
When Hayden and I were about 13 or 14, we were introduced by my best friend at the time, who had a major crush on him. My first impression was that he was nice but not my type.
The ‘one’.
A month into our relationship, we were lying in bed in the dark, talking about anything and everything, when Hayden said, ” I think I love you and am going to marry you one day.” I was shocked to hear that so soon into our relationship, but knowing already that we wanted the same things out of life, I knew this was a when you know, you know moment.
The proposal.
We were on holiday in Adelaide, and I was finishing getting ready when Hayden said, “Kate, can you come here?” which was strange as he never calls me by my name. I walked out of the bathroom, and he was standing in front of the beautiful glass doors that looked out to the beach and ocean. He looked up at me and said there was something he’d been trying to ask for two days, “I love you so much”, and that was all he could get out before crying. It was so beautiful, and he managed to get on one knee and ask me to marry him. I met him on the floor and gave him a big hug; he was shaking so hard he could have gone through the floor.
Planning process.
The weekend we got engaged whilst still on holiday, I purchased a wedding planner book. This ended up being my template for what to expect when planning a wedding. From there, it was many family get-togethers with my Mum, Sister, Mother-in-law and Auntie. We always knew that we wanted to get married at Hayden’s family home in their gorgeous gardens. The planning was quite straightforward from that point as we had free reign on what we could do at our venue.
Pinterest was the main source of inspiration, along with photos of real weddings from photographers Australia-wide.
Style inspiration.
When searching for inspiration, I fell in love with the rustic vintage style. Particularly a Pinterest image of a wedding table setup with two rust-coloured wingback chairs; this was what I based the rest of the wedding styling around.
The ceremony.
Our ceremony felt so special as it was intimate, with all of our closest family and friends. We had been blessed with our son Parker six months prior to our big day, and to walk down the aisle and see my future husband and son was so special.
Our celebrant was an old family friend who had known me since I was little, so it felt extra special to have someone marry us with that connection.
The look.
My dress is an Alena Leena design called Mimosa. It was the last dress I tried on at The Bride Lab in Adelaide, SA, and I was so surprised at how much I loved it as I wasn’t sure about the texture at first look.
We knew for Hayden that we wanted a mixed suit; we went for a sand jacket from YD and black trousers from Conner. The boots and belt were from RM Williams, and the ties we purchased on a whim were from OOTAA, but they ended up being perfect.
Favourite moments.
When we were introduced into the reception to I’m a Believer by Smash Mouth, and the crowd went crazy!
Meaning of marriage.
Marriage to Hayden and I means choosing one another every day.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: Holocene by Bon Iver
Reception entry: I’m a Believer by Smash Mouth
First dance: Amazed by Lonestar
Funny stories or near disasters.
Only that I was early to my own wedding. We had to sit out the front and hide in the car as the guests were still arriving.
Planning surprises.
Planning to be married in October 2022 but finding out we were expecting in September 2022! Therefore, having to postpone.
Words of wisdom.
Don’t sweat the small stuff; enjoy the whole experience. The main thing people will talk about is the food and drinks; if you nail those, you’re good to go.
Hayden & Kate smashed their reception entry, but finding the perfect song to hit that crescendo of excitement can be daunting. We’ve compiled a list of banger tracks sure to make the right impact on your dream day, here on the blog.
HAYDEN & KATE’S VENDORS
Ceremony & reception venue: Hayden’s family home. My in-laws pour their heart and soul into their beautiful gardens, which used to run as a wedding garden locally. We felt so blessed to be their last wedding and to have it somewhere with so many memories for our whole family.
Celebrant: Rebel Burkinshaw. Rebel was an incredible celebrant; she was caring and supportive and listened to our wishes for our ceremony, she puts her heart into her job, and it shows.
Photography & videography: Caity & Duncan. Caity and Duncan were our absolute favourites! We have absolutely no regrets picking this duo to capture our day. We spent the whole day laughing like we were all pals from way back, and if that wasn’t enough, the film and photos are incredible. Timeless but vintage vibes.
Styling: Self styled
Florist: Botanik Floral Designs. Paige and her team captured exactly what we wanted and more. The flowers were stunning, and you would never guess a lot of them were artificial, even better as we get to hold onto them forever.
Hair: Hair By Steph. Steph was a blast; she came and did all of our hair with her sidekick, Ida. Steph was only a few weeks postpartum; we laughed all morning with her, and our hair was amazing.
Make-up: Bride – Beauty By Isabella. Isabella happened to be one of my bridesmaids, and I couldn’t think of anyone else better to do my face for the big day. I felt amazing. Bridesmaids – Chelsea Hooper MUA.
The dress: Alena Leena Mimosa purchased at The Bride Lab. Joey at The Bride Lab was an absolute gem; after having a not-so-great appointment elsewhere, she welcomed me with open arms and let me go crazy trying on what I wanted. Joey actually ended up pulling one final dress that was “The Dress” – I can’t thank her enough.
Veil: Kim Alpha Bridal
Shoes: Spendless Shoes for the bride and bridesmaids. RM Williams for the groom.
Rings: Michael Hill
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Beginning Boutique
Bow ties / ties: OTAA Absolutely stunning quality ties.
Catering: Verdict Catering. Tim and the team were incredible; the food was to die for, and they nailed everything we asked for. Like I said to Tim, I couldn’t have our wedding without pizza.
Bar: Self-serve bar
Favours: Self-made – stubby holders and Lucky in Love scratchies
Cake: Claudia Circosta Cakes. Cake Topper – Lavender Co Creative. Claudia is such a talented cake maker who also happens to be a friend. She puts love into her cakes, and they always look and taste incredible.
Entertainment: DJ Stuart Mccarthy, Reckless Mildura.
Déco & hirer: Shape Events & Mildura Party Hire. Sarah at Shape Events was awesome and easygoing to deal with; she made great suggestions when even I had no clue what I wanted and was flexible with delivery times.
