Real Wedding - Kylie & Eric, Ballarat VIC

September 3, 2018 In Blue, Church, Classic, Country, Real Weddings By Jo Betz

Real Wedding – Kylie & Eric, Ballarat VIC

Wed in a stunning chapel in beautiful Ballarat, newlyweds Kylie and Eric made their way back down the aisle and headed towards the celebration of a lifetime.

They kept their reception special, intimate and with personal touches that would delight their guests, many who had traveled far and wide to share such a special moment.

Kylie and Eric didn’t sweat the small stuff, let their sensational surrounds do the talking and what resulted was a romantic day that is beautifully captured by Pretty Flamingo Photography.

In Kylie’s words…

The meeting.

We met five years ago when we were both living in Perth. Our first date started with a trip to IKEA and then it was going well so we went down to Fremantle for dinner by the ocean afterwards.

The ‘one’.

I (Kylie) don’t know whether there was an exact moment, but early on when Eric met my Mum and two brothers two weeks after us meeting, I knew there something special. We were both living in Perth at the time and they were visiting me, so if it wasn’t then it was probably another six months away. Eric got along with them all amazingly.

The proposal.

We had an end of year holiday to America planned including New Year’s Eve in Times Square. While we were amongst the thousands of people I was filming the ball drop and the countdown on a Gopro. Then I turned around and Eric was on one knee and popped the question. I started crying and then realised people around us were saying congratulations. It was fun to watch back on the Gopro afterwards. Then we walked to Central Park once the countdown was over and I had a million questions for Eric. How did you get the ring here? Who knew about this? After an hour we realized our hands were freezing and it was probably time to head inside! It was actually a complete surprise!

Planning process.

I made the most of the whole experience by going to wedding expos and reading a few wedding magazines to get an idea of what we might like for our day. My sister was our sanity during the planning. It’s so helpful to have someone who knows you well to share ideas with.

Style inspiration.

We wanted something that everyone could enjoy. We knew what a big effort it was for Eric’s family and friends to all fly over from Perth, so we wanted to plan something easy and fun for everyone. Part of Eric’s family are French, so we decided on a family orientated meal. Our chef Ben was amazing at doing this, we had fresh French breadstick from the bakery in a nearby town and lots of delicious share food. We included some sentimental things throughout the day as well as having a classic elegant vibe with lots of simple black, white, gold and candle light. The beautiful surroundings at both the Loreto Chapel and the bush outlook at The Burrow meant we could keep decorations fairly simple. The main things we wanted were awesome music, delicious food and a beautiful natural open setting.

The outfit.

After trying on a couple dresses, I realized I wanted something with a bit of sparkle! I visited a few bridal shops and the first dress I tried on at Mariana Hardwick was my favourite. The dress was a simple design, but the beaded material gave it such a special feeling. My Mum, sister and one of my bridesmaids were all there.

Favourite moment.

There are so many that standout. We loved relaxing in the morning with my bridesmaids/groomsman and the excitement before walking down the aisle. Seeing students and colleagues from my school who had come to see me before I went into the chapel. We had a crazy fun ride with the bridal party out to our reception with an extra stop to the bottle shop on the way. Considering everyone had only just met the night before we all got along so well. On one stop a farmer popped out to say G’day while we were taking photos at a nearby shed. The boys cracked him open a beer!

We loved walking into our reception and seeing everyone we loved and finally celebrating with them altogether.

Meaning of marriage.

Marriage means we have our best friend by our side. It means endless love, support and a bright future together.

Wedding soundtrack.

Aisle: Better Together by Jack Johnson

Signing the Register – The Wonder of You by The Villagers

Walking back down the aisle: Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher by Jackie Wilson

First dance: Latch by Disclosure sung by Cal Young

Funny stories (or near disasters).

While getting our photos taken we were talking about our new puppy Ernie and eating hot cross buns again. It put a smile on our faces. And we heard the bus ride back into town was pretty eventful! There were a few emergency stops on the way!

Planning surprises.

Coordinating the schedule of the day beforehand was a big job!

Words of wisdom.

Don’t plan a honeymoon two weeks in the lead up to a wedding! It gets busy enough. Allow lots and lots of time between events on the day. It goes so quick!

Final words.

Our wedding was the amazing celebration of family and friends coming together that we wanted it to be. We felt like it was a party not just for the two of us but for all the people who have been there for us. There were definitely some emotional moments during our day, but it made dancing with everyone at the end of the night so much fun.