Real Wedding – Liam & Claudia, Wye River VIC
Newlyweds Claudia and Liam’s number one tip for couples planning their own dream day?
“Make your day exactly how you want it! We aimed for a big party and chose to focus less on the traditional aspects of a wedding. It resulted in the best day and took a lot of the pressure off.”
The evidence of this is everywhere in their gorgeous gallery by White Shutter Photography. Supported by the stellar team and stunning surrounds of Wye Beach Hotel, Claudian and Liam celebrated in style with their nearest and dearest.
Not even a little rain could dampen the enthusiasm and effervescent emotion of the day. And instead, lent a moddy romance to the newlyweds’ oceanside portrait shots.
A fresh, soft palette of powder blue layered against white-on-white harmonised beautifully with Claudia’s modern princess gown by Kyha. Full tulle skirts and a draped bodice are only topped by Claudia’s beaming smile – picture perfect and fun-filled.
The meeting.
We met over summer when I was down in Torquay with friends and stumbled upon Liam and his mates at the Torquay pub.
The proposal.
Liam proposed on the cliffs of Jan Juc and then organised a surprise dinner with our family and closest friends at the Kyn in Torquay.
Planning process.
We planned our day in 11 months. After lots of searching, we found our venue and locked in a date. From there, that same day, we locked in Anne for photography (beyond grateful she had our date open), and the rest fell into place pretty quickly. Wye Beach Hotel had a list of vendors they had worked with before, so this was a great starting point to try to source local vendors.
Style inspiration.
We wanted a timeless and effortless feel to our day, we were instantly drawn to the gorgeous surroundings and ocean views from the venue and wanted our colour (blue)to tie into the surroundings.
Inspiration from people’s real weddings and links to their vendors for further pictures was the most useful to us when planning. Viewing other people’s days on blogs and Instagram also helped.
The ceremony.
Our celebrant was able to capture our story in a fun and easy-going manner, which kept our ceremony light-hearted!
The outfits.
My dress was the first one I saw online and the first one I tried on, after trying on multiple others it was the only one that I loved. I loved the tulle and the softness it created.
Favourite moment.
It’s hard to pick a favorite moment, we had the best day surrounded by our family and friends in an absolutely stunning location with the best food and drinks!
Meaning of marriage.
Marriage to us is making the commitment and celebration of the love we already had for one another in front of our favorite people. It’s the lifelong promise to uphold all the vows we made to one another in our wedding ceremony.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: Little Chief by Xavier Rudd
Recessional: Kiss Me by Sixpence None the Richer
Reception entry: Burning Love by Elvis
First dance: Outnumbered by Dermot Kennedy
Funny stories (or near disasters).
We had a gloomy rainy day, however, we lucked out and were able to have our ceremony outside as we had hoped. The 30 minutes of no rain ended as we reached the end of the aisle and picked up a drink to cheers!
Words of wisdom.
Make your day exactly how you want it! We aimed for a big party and chose to focus less on the traditional aspects of a wedding. It resulted in the best day and took a lot of the pressure off.
Love a beachside wedding? Ellie and Tom’s stunning Sorrento affair is similarly abundant with uplifting emotion and effortless elegance.
CLAUDIA & LIAM’S VENDORS:
Ceremony and reception venue: Wye Beach hotel, Wye River. We could not have asked for a more amazing team to bring our day to life!
Celebrant: Jo -The Love Folk. Jo provided us with a beautiful ceremony that was low-key and laid back.
Photography: Anne – White Shutter Photography. Anne was amazing to work with; she made being in front of the camera easy.
Florist: Bonnie Blossom. Shay exceeded all of our floral dreams and was so easy to work with.
Hair: Hair by Sofia and Gemma Johnson Hair
Make-up: Abbey Parke
The dress & veil: Kyha
Shoes: Loeffler Randall
Rings: Paul Bram
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Significant Other
Suits & bow ties / ties: MJ Bale
Catering & bar: Wye Beach Hotel
Favours: Mister Bartender
Cake: Eiffel Tower Cakes
Stationery / Signage and décor: Designed, sourced and styled by Claudia
Entertainment: Kristen – Melbourne Entertainment Company
Transport for guests: Hutchinson’s bus lines
Hire: Pepper Sprout (chairs and tables)
Honeymoon: A relaxing week in Bali
