Real Wedding – Meg & Sandy, Barwon Heads VIC

October 25, 2021 In Beach, Latest Posts, Pastel, Real Weddings, Victoria By Ivory Tribe

Real Wedding – Meg & Sandy, Barwon Heads VIC

When the bride arrives at the ceremony looking like a 1960s glam queen, stepping out of a convertible in a headscarf and oversized sunglasses, you know this is going to be one exquisitely unique celebration. With Scottish heritage flair meets coastal chic styling, Meg and Sandy’s wedding day is a fantastically fresh, aesthetic delight.

Choosing At the Heads, a stunning venue perfectly positioned alongside the ocean, allowed Meg and Sandy to honour their love of the beach, while divine details reflected Sandy’s Scottish heritage. Guests arrived to the sound of bagpipes echoing along the shore, and tartan touches embellished the sweetly simple, elegant styling. Superstar celebrant Hannah May set the tone for the party with a relaxed, genuinely personal ceremony, ensuring the guests began the day the way it would go on.

Meg’s Rachael Gilbert gown is a chic contemporary dream of clean lines and beautiful beading, contrasting perfectly against Sandy’s drop-dead-dapper kilt. Striding through the dunes, toasting their love with champagne in classy coupes, this couple are the picture of modern-day wedding cool. Photographer Ryal Sormaz was there to ensure every beauty-filled moment was captured to glorious, sun-drenched perfection. Scroll on for this uniquely stunning celebration!

The meeting.

We met at Uni in 2009, where we both lived on campus at Deakin in Burwood. Our friendship turned into a romance in late 2009/early 2010; however, we never made things official and eventually went our separate ways – for about ten years!

A bumper snow season in 2018 re-connected us by commenting on each other’s Instagram posts from Mt Hotham. As a result, we locked in an overdue catch up at the Union Club Hotel in Richmond. We both went into that catch up thinking each other had a partner but after a few beers and sharing each other’s dinner, we happily discovered that wasn’t the case! As they say, the rest is history!

The ‘one’.

We had a really strong connection from the moment we met in 2009, and this was finally cemented on a holiday in Margaret River six months after we reunited. We were having the time of our lives on that trip and feeling all the love.

The proposal.

In early October 2020, on the way back from visiting family in East Gippsland, we stayed at a really cute Airbnb in Trafalgar South to break up the long drive back to Ocean Grove, where we live. I booked it because the property had miniature donkeys and goats – need I say more!

As soon as we arrived, we went exploring and stumbled across the most gorgeous natural spring and an overturned little boat beside it. We decided to get in the boat and go for a paddle. It was so stunning, with the sun filtering in through the lush trees. I was standing up paddling when Sandy grabbed my hand, squeezed it and proposed. I almost tipped the boat over; I was in complete shock.

It was even more special as Sandy proposed with his great grandmother’s exquisite engagement ring that is over one hundred years old, in original condition, and it fit me perfectly. A very brave man, carrying a precious family heirloom in a rickety old wooden boat! It was such a special moment in our lives that we will never forget.

Planning process.

Sandy was keen to have a short engagement, and he knew exactly where he wanted to get married. That was great, as the thought of choosing a venue overwhelmed me. In January, we met with the amazing Maddy, functions and events manager at At The Heads, and she shared some available dates for late 2021. We asked if there was anything earlier, and she had a date in late April. We said, ‘Yep, lock us in’. I think she was a little shocked as the date we chose was just over 12 weeks away.

I have an event management background, so I knew what we had to do, and we just got started. If we had more time to plan, I don’t think the process would have been as enjoyable, and we wouldn’t have been as decisive. We didn’t want a big formal wedding which made planning easier, and we worked with some amazing suppliers – more on them soon.

Style inspiration.

I can’t say we had a certain ‘style’ in mind at any stage, but I think it evolved to be a Scottish-inspired, rustic, coastal party! Both Sandy’s parents are Scottish, hence the kilts! We aimed to bring a relaxed feel to any formalities and opted for a cocktail-style reception to ensure lots of mingling and a party vibe – including a round of espresso martinis for everyone at 9pm! The day we locked in the venue, I reached out to my favourite DJ from Mt Hotham, ‘DJ Eddy’ to see if he even DJ’ed weddings and was available. He was, and I was stoked!

At The Heads is set on the ocean with windows all around, so it didn’t really need any styling due to the beauty of the natural surroundings! We added fairy lights, scattered some amber candles and baby’s breath on cocktail tables and added a splash of tartan. One of my favourite touches was including all of our families’ wedding photos in mismatched frames near our wishing well, which was a vintage suitcase. Oh, and the disco ball I borrowed from my Aunty really took our dance floor to the next level!

I didn’t do a huge amount of research as I could already visualise how things would look. I knew the kilts were going to be very bold, colourful, and the main feature, so any other additions would be super simple. I started identifying how I could use things I already had at home and what I could do myself. I drew on some planning advice from my best friend and also images of functions At The Heads. Due to our ceremony location beside the ocean, we couldn’t have any rose petals or confetti, so we punched out our own organic confetti using all sorts of native leaves we collected. It was a tedious undertaking but so worth it, and it smelt amazing too!

The ceremony.

Getting married next to the ocean was really special for us as we both spend a lot of time at the beach. I remember arriving and hearing the bagpipes playing, which created such a unique atmosphere. We set up a drinks station so our guests could enjoy a drink before, during and immediately after our ceremony, so everyone felt relaxed.

I’ll never forget the moment we first locked eyes at the start of our ceremony and the feeling of pure elevation after we’d shared our personal vows in front of our nearest and dearest.

The outfit.

I wanted a sophisticated, elegant and understated dress that I felt myself in and, most importantly, wouldn’t restrict me on the dancefloor! Initially, dress shopping was quite overwhelming as I went to a couple of stores where I was immediately informed of all the dresses I couldn’t have, due to our wedding being so soon. Personally, I also found the requirement to book an appointment restricting and felt rushed on both occasions.

I can’t remember how I stumbled across Rachel Gilbert, but I loved the look of her bridal range online. I remember sighing a breath of relief when I found out that you didn’t need to book an appointment to try the dresses on. I drove to Melbourne one day and tried on several dresses in my own time. There was a clear standout, ‘The London’ that I immediately felt amazing in. It fit me like a glove, and I didn’t need to alter a thing, not even the hem; that’s how I knew it was my dress.

Personally, I feel the very handsome groom and all the men in kilts really stole the show!

Favourite moments.

It’s so difficult to choose a specific moment as the entire day really was absolutely magical. We still can’t believe the incredible autumn weather we scored; it was 21 degrees, not a cloud in the sky with a very gentle northerly breeze. I vividly recall sipping champagne, appreciating a gorgeous sunset at The Bluff with my husband, our maid of honour and best man, just after our ceremony, thinking how lucky we were.

Another standout moment was when Sandy dragged me off the dance floor and took me outside to share a rare special moment together, just the two of us.

Meaning of marriage.

For us, marriage is a lifelong commitment to love, care and respect for one another. It’s a passionate partnership where you bring out the best in each other and have fun doing it!

Wedding soundtrack.

Aisle: You Send Me by Aretha Franklin

Signing: Lovely Day by Bill Withers

Recessional: Eight Days a Week by The Beatles

First dance: Can’t Get Enough Of Your Love, Babe by Barry White

Funny stories or near disasters.

Thankfully we didn’t have any major issues pop up. We still can’t quite believe we got married and went on a honeymoon avoiding any COVID restrictions. We feel extremely lucky and grateful given the current climate we live in. We did forget to cut our cake on the night as we were having too much fun on the dancefloor and I only realised when I got handed a piece whilst I was dancing!

Planning surprises.

Initially, figuring out our guest list was hard; we didn’t realise the intricacies of this process. At the time, our venue’s capacity was 92 adults, so it was good to have a number to work towards but difficult all the same. Unfortunately, international family and friends couldn’t travel to be at our wedding; however, this enabled us to invite more close friends and extended family.

Finding matching outfits for my three nieces aged six, three and nine months took a lot of research, but we did it, and the girls were beyond excited to all be wearing the same thing – it was adorable.

Words of wisdom.

Try to let go of any expectations of what a wedding should be. You really can do whatever you want, and this will ensure your day is reflective of your personality, relationship and start of your marriage. At the beginning of planning, it’s a good idea to come together and decide what you both want your wedding day to feel like and shape it from there. Also, put your trust in the people you’ve engaged to help create your day; they are the experts!

I know everyone says it, but it really is the best day ever. Things will pop up in the planning process and on your wedding day, but you won’t even care because you’ll be overwhelmed with immense happiness as you’re soon to marry the love of your life!

Looking for the perfect celebrant to set the tone for your dream day celebrations? We’ve got some of the friendliest, most fabulous bunch of people in the business, in our directory. Get booking now, and you’ll be in the safest of hands!

MEG & SANDY’S VENDORS

Our venue ‘At The Heads’ had a recommended supplier list, and that is how we found our amazing photographer, Ryal Sormaz and Celebrant, Hannah Clarke.

Ceremony & reception venue: At The Heads, Barwon Heads, Victoria. Maddy from ‘At The Heads’ is an absolute gun and so amazing to work with. She went above and beyond to make sure every little detail was taken care of, not missing a thing. Her communication and organisation skills are next level, and she genuinely cares about creating the best experience possible.

Celebrant/Officiant: Hannah May. We trusted Hannah was going to be an amazing celebrant the moment we met her. Her communication and coordination were so good – she was so organised and always willing to answer any extra questions we had. So many of our guests commented on what a beautiful ceremony we had, and many of them assumed that Hannah was our close friend as all our interactions with her were so genuine and caring.

Photography: Ryal Sormaz. If you’re lucky enough to secure Ryal to photograph your wedding – get ready to be absolutely blown away by the way he captures every single moment in such a natural, special and personal way. Ryal is super laid back, personable and caring. We only met him a couple of days before our wedding, and it honestly felt like we were catching up with a close friend we’d known for years.

Styling: Myself

Florist: Lucy Jones, luvluc. Our incredible florals were lovingly created by Lucy Jones, founder of luvluc. To this day, I’m still blown away by what Lucy was able to create for us to suit our day and work within our budget. Her ability to understand my inspiration, her attention to detail, care, creativity and overall loveliness is truly something special. She even ensured that our stunning arbour arrangement was made in a way so it could be re-purposed into the reception as our main installation – she is just so so good.

Hair: Brooklyn at Salon Utopia

Make-up: Hannah at Enhance Skin and Beauty

The dress: Rachel Gilbert

Veil: Pearls and Roses

Shoes: Midas

Rings: Michael Hill

Bridesmaid’s dress: Thurley via Glamcorner

Groomsman Kilts: Squire Shoppe Geelong

Catering: At The Heads

Cake: Gifted from Grooms mothers’ friend, all the flowers were edible!

Stationery / Signage: Welcome sign decal – Fixate Designs and wood from Sandy’s brother

Entertainment: DJ Eddy