Real Wedding - Liv & Nick, Ballarat VIC

March 6, 2024 In Classic, Garden, Luxe, Pastel, Peach, Pink, Real Weddings By Jo Betz

Real Wedding – Liv & Nick, Ballarat VIC

On a dreamy, sun-dappled afternoon against the beautiful backdrop of Willow & Stone Estate, Liv and Nick threw a stunning soiree and truly epic party to celebrate their I Do’s.

Fresh, contemporary romance and chic clean lines informed their styling ethos, making a timeless impact against the endless greenery of their surrounds. Floral talent Flowerqueen absolutely lived up to her name, creating textured architectural arrangements in the softest palette of vanilla and blush.

We always love the dynamic grace of a Georgia Young Couture gown, but on the glowing Liv, the Cobalt sheath is simply stunning. Bridesmaids in rose silk further elevate the gentle elegance, while the gents strike a dapper figure in the black tuxedos.

The MVPs of the day – Liv and Nick, their wedding party, and the guests bring all the vibes. Every aesthetically impactful frame by She Takes Pictures He Makes Films captures the emotions of the day to perfection, and boy, are they electric.

There to make audio memories and ensure every on-the-ground message is recorded in history are our friends at Off the Hook – simultaneously adding a chic vintage feel and truly upping the fun.

Scroll on to see this darling day unfold.

The meeting.

The good old-fashioned way! On a night out in January 2015 at The Terminus Hotel in Richmond.

The one.

From very early on we were inseparable, and both knew that this was going to be something that would last – we had so much fun together and balanced each other so well that it just felt right.

The proposal.

We had just come out of lockdown; Nick had been sneaking off to the jeweller and saying he was at the dentist. He had scouted some options for the proposal on our normal walking routes which wouldn’t be too obvious or busy.

It was late Friday afternoon; it was sunny, and Nick suggested we go for a walk and perhaps grab a drink afterwards. Nick had chosen a picnic table with a perfect view across Albert Park Lake to the city and as we approached, he told Liv that he had a sore back and needed to sit for a little bit. Liv was worried but obliged. As we sat Liv decided to sit opposite Nick which wasn’t part of the plan, so he had to get her over onto his side by telling her how great the view was. Nick then proposed. Liv said yes, we rang our families then made our way to the summer pop up beer garden at Carousel for a bottle of bubbles. Nick had arranged dinner at our favourite restaurant, so we went home and started to get ready – Nick had also told Liv’s mum about the whole plan and had arranged for her to surprise Liv and join us for dinner. We celebrated with some of our best friends after dinner and both had very sore heads the next day!

Planning process.

We booked our venue first – we did this two years in advance which meant we had a lot time to plan. Once we were coming up to the one-year mark we booked a lot of the main vendors that we had researched and loved, being photographer, videographer, caterer, celebrant and stylist. Liv chose her dress soon after and over the next year we locked in everything else. Nothing felt rushed and we were very lucky to have our first choices with everyone.

Style inspiration.

We wanted to make the most of the beautiful greenery at Willow and Stone and Liv always knew she wanted white to feature heavily and Willow and Stone presented the perfect back drop for that. Liv also loves blush and rose tones, so we wanted them included to complement and break up the white and green. We were very lucky to have our amazing stylist, Cait, who was able to bring it all together with the gorgeous furniture, décor, signage, and her epic attention to detail. Our florist, Holly, also nailed the brief with all of our beautiful florals.

The benefit of having a stylist meant we didn’t have to spend hours scrolling for inspo – Cait did this for us! We checked in with Cait and she took her inspiration from a combination of real local weddings – through blogs like Ivory Tribe as well as tagged venue/vendor photos – and European weddings via Instagram and Pinterest. It was so helpful for us to be presented ideas and say yes or no, rather than having to trawl the internet!

The ceremony.

We both wanted a simple and short ceremony. Our celebrant, Nat, specialises in just that and she was amazing in ensuring our guests were entertained and present the whole time. It was surreal to see all of our friends and family from across the country and world there, in one place, to be part of it and be part of what we had been looking forward to for so long.

The outfits.

Liv wore the Cobalt gown made by Georgia Young Couture. She knew the moment she saw it on Instagram that it was special and booked to try it on. The dress was able to be customised perfectly for Liv and she loved the way it bustled up for the reception. Nick’s tux was an easy choice when we knew we wanted a black-tie dress code.

Favourite moment.

Apart from being able to express our love for each other in front of all our family and friends, we really enjoyed the party with everyone and being able to extend that for the next couple of days. We also loved that the whole day happened at the one place. Willow and Stone is such a special venue that just can’t be matched. Liv stayed in the cottage the night before and spent all day getting ready there too. She was able to walk around the grounds during the day, meet most of her vendors and see the marquee all set up which she loved. She also loved watching guests arriving from upstairs in the cottage and could even see everyone gathered while she was putting her dress on!

Meaning of marriage.

Marriage means committing to each other unconditionally – openly showing the world that we love each other and plan to spend the rest of our lives together. Our relationship has always put a lot of value on having strong and open communication and we think that is the most important part of all.

Wedding soundtrack.

Aisle (bridesmaids and flower girls): I Will Wait by Matt Johnson, Amber. Leigh Irish – candlelight version.

Aisle (bride): Wonder of You (Acoustic) by Kevin Simm

Reception entry (groomsmen): Hot In Here by Nelly

Reception entry (bridemsaids): Man! I Feel Like A Woman by Shania Twain

Reception entry (bride and groom entrance): The Way You Make Me Feel by Michael Jackson

First dance: Just Call by John Butler

Funny stories (or near disasters).

Not practicing our first kiss – Nick was a little too enthusiastic and safe to say you can’t see much of Liv in the photos!

Planning surprises.

How much thought and detail needs to go into the run sheet for it all to be a success and how important it is to have a strong team of vendors who are constantly talking to each other so things go smoothly.

Words of wisdom.

A videographer is a MUST. You won’t regret it!

Do your research and help each other as much as possible. Once you’ve chosen your team of vendors, trust them to do their thing!

Final words.

Don’t lose sight of what the day is all about when you are planning and making decisions. Your guests are there for you, not the extravagance. Make sure you take moments through the day to take it all in. It is easy for you both to be pulled in different directions so try to spend as much of it together as possible as it all goes very fast!