Real Wedding – Holly & Mitch, Geelong VIC
Holly and Mitch loved every aspect of wedding planning, though experienced quite the shock to discover their wedding venue had burned down with only three months to go to the big day. Not letting it effect their plans, they found another dream venue in Waurn Ponds Estate and what resulted was the celebration of their dreams.
This perfect pair love entertaining so after a sweet ceremony they partied the night away with all their loved ones and Tribe favourites Hails & Shine captured all the fun.
IN HOLLY’S WORDS…
The meeting.
We met at high school in 2008 when I was 16, and Mitch was 15. Fast forward through the years; a year of long distance, both attending University in Bendigo, another year of long distance, the starts of our careers, before finally settling in Geelong as we had hoped.
The proposal.
We had discussed getting married, I knew 2015 was the year, meanwhile Mitch was plotting how to pop the question with some element of surprise. While on a snow trip at Falls Creek with friends, at the top of a ski run, overlooking a breath taking view, Mitch prepared while I was busy taking photos. I should’ve known because for once he wasn’t complaining about me taking photos, instead encouraging it! When I turned around he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. Immediately there were tears, but of course I said yes. The whole thing was captured on video by our good friend; Mitch was successful in surprising me because he always said he would never propose in front of other people.
The process.
Planning began immediately; I already had so much wedding inspo saved and had a bit of a picture of what I wanted. Mitch was laid back but interested and helpful during the planning stages which was a blessing. It all started to come together based around our choice of venue, which had the relaxed vibe we were after. What doesn’t make the planning process easy is when your wedding venue burns down three months before the big day. All of a sudden the picture I had in my mind began to become fuzzy as everything was up in the air. We were not wanting to change the date, particularly given our honeymoon was booked. Luckily my mum stumbled across what we felt was a ‘hidden gem;’ Waurn Ponds Estate. We immediately fell in love and were surprised that when people asked where we were getting married, that they had never heard of the venue. The staff were AMAZING; they recreated our dream wedding and helped to pull it all back together with special additions along the way. One of the best things about the venue was the accommodation on site which allowed all of our guests to have a mini holiday and it was a short walk to their rooms at the end of the night.
Style inspiration.
I really wanted a natural colour palate and theme; woodland, rustic, unkempt. I drew inspiration from the colours of native foliage, and other natural items such as pine cones, wood, wheat, and gumnuts.
The dress.
I knew what I wanted – the staff in the stores kept telling me that what I originally wanted would change once I tried things on; but it didn’t. I wasn’t seeing anything that was the right style for me during my browsing in Melbourne. My bridesmaid showed me the Grace Loves Lace website. I immediately fell in love with a dress and knew it was the one. It was only after this that I noticed the name; ‘the Hollie,’ incorrect spelling but a sign of fate for sure. My bridesmaid and I flew up to QLD and after trying it on I was still as certain as the day I first saw it. It had such a relaxed, romantic style and was comfortable too which was a big tick for me.
Favourite moments.
It is so hard to say because honestly we loved every part of the planning and the day/night. I loved seeing my vision for the styling come together, especially the day before the wedding when I could finally view it all set up.
Celebrating with all of our closest friends and family was one of the best things for both Mitch and I as we love entertaining, which a wedding is, just on a huge scale!
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: Can’t Help Falling In Love, an acoustic cover by Twenty One Pilots. I don’t think this song will ever stop giving us goosebumps.
First dance: No Air. Fitting given it was our first song when we were teenagers and started dating. We danced with our parents to a mash up of ‘times like these/my hero’ before being joined by our bridal party to ‘Friday I’m in love,’ all covered by our musician Abe Anderson.
Funny stories(or near disasters).
I didn’t find out until after the ceremony, but one of the groomsman’s pants had been altered incorrectly, which as a tall guy would have seen him in 3/4 length pants. Luckily the boys were able to arrange a mad dash to collect another pair from town, all without alerting anyone that there were any issues.
During the bouquet toss, my throw was a little too high and due to inconvenient positioning, I managed to smash the hanging light fixture; I turned around to see the girls being showered by glass! Luckily no one was hurt, one lucky gal still caught the bouquet, and the venue thought it was hilarious!
Words of wisdom.
Book suppliers early – I booked the venue and the photographer 12 months in advance. It was crazy how far forward some services are booked up.
Enjoy it all; the planning, the lead up, the day/night, and the days following. This was the advice so many passed on to us and we’re glad we took it on board because it’s all over in what seems like a heart beat!
HOLLY AND MITCH’S TRIBE…
Location: Waurn Ponds Estate. Ebony our wedding coordinator was organised and extremely helpful thought the entire process. We had our ceremony and canapés in the kitchen garden, and our reception in the Barrabool lounge. We stayed on site in their bridal suite for the weekend.
Photography: Hails and Shine Photography. These guys were absolutely amazing and I am so glad we were able to get them! The photo process was so relaxed we barely realised they were there and are so in love with the moments they have captured.
Celebrant: Bronwyn Davies. We met Bron at a wedding expo and were drawn to her relaxed laid back vibe.
Gown: Grace Loves Lace
Hair: Stevie Hair (Salon Jenaire on the waterfront). Stevie created my soft hair styling that perfectly suited in with my dress, as well as the bridesmaid’s soft up-dos.
Makeup: Abby Wells. Abby created our gorgeous makeup that lasted all day and night long!
Entertainment: Abe Anderson. Abe’s music created the perfect relaxed vibe for the beginning of the evening and got the crowd up on the dance floor as the night progressed.
Cake: Sweet Boutique Cakes. We went to high school with Grace and when she started up her company I fell in love with her cakes. What she came up with was perfect and delicious!!
Flowers: flowers were created by Mitch’s mum who had experience in floristry.
