Real Wedding - Megan & Neil, Waurn Ponds VIC

August 27, 2019 In Country, Green, Outdoor, Peach, Real Weddings, Rustic By Natalie Drum

Real Wedding – Megan & Neil, Waurn Ponds VIC

For Megan and Neil, being married at their own home meant bringing together all of their favourite people, in their favourite place.

These two down-to-earth gems were married on their property in Waurn Ponds and worked tirelessly to create a magical garden setting, self-constructed arbour and truly beautiful surrounds for their guests to enjoy. With cocktails, paella, a decadent dessert table and their very own olive grove as a photographic backdrop – there is so much to enjoy about this dreamy day.

Long Way Home Photography was there to document all the darling details – including a super special ceremony performed by our wonderful Tribe celebrant Kim McClelland.

In their words…

The meeting.

We met 11 years ago at C59 nightclub in Warrnambool. Out with friends at the local nightclub and being a little intoxicated, Megan broke the heel off her shoe. Feeling a bit disappointed that her night was to end early, she asked Neil – the nice guy who had bought her a drink earlier – to fix her shoe. Like the thinker he is, Neil asked her for the other shoe and right in front of her snapped the other heel off!! There you go, problem solved! We hit it off straight away and the rest is history.

The ‘one’.

It sounds cliché, but we both always knew we were each other’s “one”. Being together felt so effortless! We had a bunch of common interests and a shared sense of humor right from the start.

The proposal.

Neil popped the question unexpectedly one weekend three years before the wedding in OceanGrove/Barwon Heads. On a walk along the beach in winter he dropped down onto one knee. He had a picked a perfect ring and secretly organised a beautiful cheese platter, dinner and night away. Megan said YES of course, and the rest is history.

The process.

We didn’t get married until three years after our engagement. Both of us were not in a hurry to get married, instead enjoying each other’s company, going on overseas trips and making a home together with our fur children Lucy (dog) and Romeo (horse).

We got inspired and decided about seven months prior to get married and have it at our property!

Both our parents were great helps getting the garden and house looking great.

Style inspiration.

We really wanted to create a space that felt relaxed and inviting. Having it at our home felt just right, as both of us are fairly fuss free people! This allowed us to share our property and (mostly Neil!) do lots of great DIY with beautiful recycled materials from around the property (including making the bar, arbour, pews, signage and collecting all the foliage used in the hanging installations/florals).

Vintage furniture pieces from The Hattie and Bairn Tribe collection were tied in with the rustic DIY by utilising old fence rails, concrete water troughs and the dried foliage from around the property. Hattie really brought the two styles together to create a beautiful space.

Having it cocktail-style allowed guests to mingle and relax. We passed on some traditions such as a first dance and cake cutting, opting for an amazing dessert table instead.

Megan’s mum was also a great help in getting the garden looking good.

The dress.

I had no idea what dress I wanted… But knew I didn’t want it to be too fluffy, sparkly or fairytale bride! That just isn’t me! It needed to be comfortable for dance moves and I was somewhat opposed to spending a large chunk of our wedding budget on one!

I found the process a little overwhelming at the start. Having tried on a number of dresses in Melbourne, I ended up finding the perfect one locally, in Geelong. None of them felt right until I tried mine on! It was from the White April collection, fitted perfectly with beautiful lace detailing.

Favourite moments.

All of it!!! Especially being able to share it with our family and close friends.

Meaning of marriage.

Happiness, laughter and love.

Wedding soundtrack.

Aisle: Love is All by Tallest Man on Earth.

Funny stories (or near disasters).

No near disasters (that I’m aware of!). A few of the dog’s toys ended up on the roof, and a number of guests were found sleeping outside the morning after!!

A great surprise on the day was our dear friend – a winemaker – personalised our wine bottle labels.

Planning surprises?

Not really! Just setting things up takes time. We highly recommend having a great stylist like we did to help take care of this.

Words of wisdom.

Enjoy every minute of it; the day goes way too fast!

Find good vendors and let them work their magic! It really makes it enjoyable and stress free.