Real Wedding – Paige & Lachlan, Ocean Grove VIC

August 31, 2022 In Real Weddings, Victoria, White By Ivory Tribe

Real Wedding – Paige & Lachlan, Ocean Grove VIC

As most pandemic-wed couples can attest, going through a postponement isn’t easy – and Paige and Lachlan rescheduled no less than four times before reaching their dream day! However, silver linings abound in the end, as they celebrated their love with their baby boy present and found a whole new level of chill, relaxation and grounding approaching the day.

And what a sunshine-filled, stunning soiree it is, set against the oceanic backdrop and clean modern lines of reception venue The Dunes. A blend of classic and contemporary styling made for a timeless look in a palette of creams, vanilla and soft greenery, elevated with sharply modern acrylic signage.

Paige was an effervescent queen, stunning in her custom gown by designer extraordinaire Luci Di Bella. We love the flatteringly modern silhouette and sleek lines, overshone only by Paige’s truly infectious smile. Alongside her dapper new husband in his Bell and Barnett suit and with their baby boy in their arms, they are a picture of buoyant bliss, captured to perfection by photography legend Jess Nicholls.

For these two divine humans, finally saying their I Do’s after 702 days of waiting was a genuinely gorgeous moment. The emotions were beautifully evident in the sweetest of ceremonies created by celebrant Linda Hamill and with a soundtrack by our faves, The White Tree. Scroll on for a dose of fresh, beautiful aesthetic energy.

The meeting.

We met at a mutual friend’s wedding in Byron Bay. I was a bridesmaid and was on full bridal duties, so we didn’t meet until the recovery!

The ‘one’.

I realised Lach was the one, probably within the first few weeks of meeting. Lach was living overseas at the time of our initial meeting, so it wasn’t until three weeks later we could have our first date. I ate mushrooms on our first date, and I hate mushrooms – so I knew he was something special!

The proposal.

Ocean Grove is our favourite place to go. We spend so much time down the coast with Lach’s family, and it feels like our special place. Lach told me we had a special dinner planned, and we had to go down for the long weekend. As we walked along the beach to get our morning coffee, Lach had already started crying, and as he struggled to get the words out, he dropped to one knee.

Planning process.

Where do I begin?! Our wedding was 702 days in the making (As many covid brides can understand). We, unfortunately, had four postponements in total to get to our big day, but we had a special guest, our beautiful one-year-old son, so it was all worth it. Even better to enjoy the day as a family.

We always knew we wanted to get married in Ocean Grove and have the ceremony at Lach’s family house. We had walked past The Dunes being built, and I knew I loved the location overlooking the water as well as the modern aesthetic. It was a no-brainer for us. My expectations and priorities had dramatically changed from our first wedding date, so I felt super relaxed in the weeks prior and was just happy to celebrate with all our close family and friends.

Style inspiration.

Classic, timeless, but modern garden party. I wanted to look back on photos, and hopefully, they would never date. I always knew I wanted white florals with soft neutral table settings. I am not a very creative person, so I stuck with very safe themes. I loved the frosted acrylic stationary, and as I got into a Pinterest hole, it all started to evolve naturally. Using a hire company like The Small Things Co was also helpful as they laid pieces out that would work well together and gave amazing advice.

Pinterest and Instagram were so helpful in finding the look I was going for and helping me decide on what I liked. I trawled Ivory Tribe for couples who had been married on the Bellarine to find suppliers, and that was a massive help as I knew I wanted to keep all our suppliers local. This was a blessing when it came to having to re-shuffle dates multiple times as everyone was so accommodating.

The ceremony.

Our ceremony was so special and sentimental to us as we were married in the backyard of Lach’s family home. We found out we were pregnant after our first postponement, so having our son there and walking down the aisle was absolutely amazing. Our celebrant Linda Hamill was also an absolute dream. She had been with us since 2019, and after so many years, it felt like a friend was marrying us. I feel so lucky we were able to be married by her.

The look.

Dress shopping was not my cup of tea! I think I felt a lot of pressure to have this “say yes to the dress” moment, and I never had that excited feeling when I tried them on. I found parts of dresses I liked but was never able to find the whole package, so after so many disappointing and tiring trips, I decided to get my dress made at Luci Di Bella. The ladies at Luci Di Bella were amazing and helped design a really classic dress that incorporated all the features I had liked in other dresses.

Lach had always wanted a classic tuxedo and had it made at Bell & Barnett. They even stitched in our initials and original wedding date into the inside, which was a nice touch. The only problem was fitting into our outfits three years later!

Favourite moments.

The ceremony, declaring our commitment to each other in front of our loved ones and signing the paperwork. It was sheer relief and utter disbelief when we were finally married.

Meaning of marriage.

Loving each other as equal partners in everything we say, show and do.

Wedding soundtrack.

Aisle: Crazy Love by Van Morrison

Recessional: Signed, Sealed, Delivered by Stevie Wonder

Reception entry: Bust a Move by Young MC

Funny stories or near disasters.

Besides a groomsman’s phone going off as I said I do, my auntie and uncle (who had come from overseas and never met Lach) turned up early, and Lach was still in the pool and clearly running late! They promptly left and then turned up just as I was about to walk down the aisle, with Lach fully dressed!

Planning surprises.

Organising two venues was a little harder than we imagined. We didn’t realise how many elements go into a wedding, so having to organise a garden party at the house with food, accessible bathrooms, furniture, music, and decorations required a lot of juggling. Luckily The Dunes were amazing and took care of everything for the reception. They were so meticulous and had such an eye for detail that I didn’t have to worry about anything.

Words of wisdom.

It’s okay not to have everything perfect or include every little detail you see in weddings online. I became a crazy person about linen, whereas I didn’t even notice on the day it wasn’t there.

For Paige and Lachlan, and so many couples, the ceremony is the heart of the day. But how do you prepare for that magical moment? We’ve got the low down on what to consider when it comes to your ceremony situation here on the blog.

PAIGE & LACHLAN’S VENDORS

A big thank you to our suppliers who we managed to move dates four times!

Ceremony venue: Lach’s family home Ocean Grove

Reception venue: The Dunes

Celebrant: Linda Hamill

Photography: Jess Nicholls

Styling: The Small Things Co, myself

Florist: Botanica

Hair & make-up: Blondie

The dress & veil: Luci Di Bella

Shoes: Tony Bianco

Rings: Cushla Whiting (Bride) Uniform Black (Groom)