Real Wedding - Katya & Sam, Richmond VIC

August 14, 2020 In Burgundy, Classic, Latest Posts, Luxe, Real Weddings, Victoria By Jo Betz

Real Wedding – Katya & Sam, Richmond VIC

Unfortunately, COVID-19 had other plans for Katya and Sam’s initial wedding celebration and they were brought to cancelling their wedding one month out from their intended big day.

However, this dream duo simply reassessed their plans, and came to realise that what was important to them was declaring their love to each other and being married.

In just under three weeks, and with ten guests by their side, they pulled off their wedding day in an intimate ceremony and absolutely stunning gathering – trust us when we say that every aspect, from Katya’s iconic, modern look, to their romantic venue – was simply sublime.

While weddings might feel cancelled, love certainly isn’t and Katya and Sam are testament to exactly that.

Ivory Tribe photography favourite, Chloe May (who also happens to be sister of the glorious bride), has captured this special moment in time just perfectly.

The meeting.

The first time we met we were both 16 at a mutual friend’s party but we didn’t get together till we were 19 in 2012.

The one.

I think it was pretty early on for both of us. We spent all of our time together and we’ve been inseparable for the past 8 years. To this day I’m still obsessed with him and can spend all day everyday with him.

The proposal.

Sam and I had been together a long time and had discussed openly becoming engaged, so I knew it was a matter of time. One afternoon Sam mentioned he booked a lunch at Montalto for us but didn’t realise we already had plans for the weekend he had booked. I told him he had to move that lunch, but he was very firm on having it that day. It was then I knew straight away that was the day we were going to get engaged. So, I went out and bought a new dress, got my eyelashes and nails done too, just in case!

On the day we arrived at Montalto and he had booked a beautiful picnic spot, which was so romantic. He also surprised me with a night down at Arthurs Seat at a beautiful house looking over the peninsula. We then celebrated with both our families the following day.

Planning process.

We had planned to get married down the coast in Fairhaven in April 2020. We had been planning this coastal wedding for just over a year.

I felt like I had a lot of time to plan the wedding, so it wasn’t very stressful, and I had my sister Chloe helping me a lot.

However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we had to cancel the Fairhaven wedding a month out. We knew we still wanted to get married as soon as possible, so when the restrictions allowed 10 guests at weddings, 20 guests in the home, I planned our intimate ceremony in just under 3 weeks.

Style inspiration.

We were going to have 120 guests at our original wedding down at Fairhaven. It was going to be a chic, modern wedding with dark burgundy flowers with a hint of white and pinks.

I still stuck to that colour palette for our intimate 10 guest wedding which I loved. We had candles at our ceremony and dinner. It was very romantic, and it was still exactly what I had imagined, just on a smaller scale.

The outfit.

I knew from the start that I didn’t want to wear a traditional long dress. I tried a lot of dresses on from many designers but felt that so many just weren’t me.

I came across Harriette Gordon on Instagram and fell in love with her work. Then, shortly after, I saw an editorial in a bridal magazine where the model had on a really cute short wedding dress, that was by Harriette! I contacted her straight away and luckily, she was coming down to Melbourne for a trunk show (as she is based in Perth), so I booked an appointment.

I took my mum and sister to the fitting and fell in love with her satin organza mini-dress and tulle veil. I really love the contrast between a short dress and a long veil.

Favourite moment.

Meeting Sam at Montsalvat for our first look. I also loved our intimate ceremony and dinner. It was really special to spend the day with our loved ones.

Meaning of marriage.

Marriage is a commitment between two people. To love and support each other. To marry your best friend and experience the highs and lows of what life will throw your way and to grow old together.

Wedding soundtrack.

Aisle song – Promise by Ben Howard

First dance – Let’s Stay Together by Al Green

Funny stories (or near disasters).

Covid-19 really mucked us around, but I’m really glad we were able to get married even if it wasn’t what we had planned, I wouldn’t change the day for anything. It was perfect.

On the day everything went so smoothly and there were no issues, it was a beautiful sunny winter’s day.

We were also meant to go to Italy in June for our honeymoon but had to cancel. We are now hoping to have our honeymoon somewhere in Australia when travel restrictions ease.

Planning surprises.

Yes – I had communication issues with our original florist who was based down the surf coast. We ended up parting ways a couple months out from the wedding and booked Grown Florist instead. Grown Florist was amazing and I’m beyond happy that we made the switch because the flowers and their service was incredible, and I couldn’t be happier with them.

Words of wisdom.

Have a clear vision of what you want the day to look like and make sure your vendors can see that vision as well, so you are all on the same page. Enjoy the planning process and have fun with it.

If you do have to postpone your wedding due to Covid-19, just know it is not the end of the world. Be open and flexible with your vendors as many of them are small businesses and also trying reschedule many other weddings at the same time. Be open to off-peak days such as a Friday or Sunday, that way you can keep all the vendors that you love and chose originally.

I understand that its heart breaking that you have put so much time and effort into the original plan, but it will all come together in the end.