Real Wedding – Rach & Sam, Silvan VIC
Real Wedding – Rach & Sam, Silvan VIC
Real Wedding – Rach & Sam, Silvan VIC
Real Wedding – Rach & Sam, Silvan VIC

Real Wedding – Rach & Sam, Silvan VIC

 

Rach and Sam certainly didn’t sweat the small stuff when it came to throwing the perfect party, and with Tribe party planners Will&Jac by their side, there was no need to!

Their vibe was relaxed with a touch of rustic as they used pops of greenery to create a lush country vibe. Keeping fuss to a minimum they started the day with a romantic ‘first look’ before enjoying a short and sweet ceremony. The day was low key, yet beautiful and there to capture it all was Bonavita Photography.

 

In Rach’s words…

The meeting.

We have been together almost 9 years. We met in New Zealand (where we’re both from) through our matron of honour, Ana, when we were 19 years old.

 

The ‘one’.

I don’t know that there was a specific moment where we thought ‘this is the one’. It is more an ongoing collection of moments throughout our lives together that makes you think that ‘this is my person’.  Moments such as being goofy and silly together, going on adventures or spending time with our beloved puppies, they all create this special bond that we will cherish for the rest of our lives.

 

The proposal.

Sam proposed in Bali on his 26th birthday (so I would not suspect anything) on 10 September 2015. We had gone out for a lovely dinner that I had planned for him. After dinner, as we were close to the beach Sam suggested that we go for a walk along the beach to walk off dinner. It seemed like a sensible suggestion to me, so again I was none the wiser. We were walking along the beach in Seminyak, alongside the soft lighting of the resorts beach, when Sam dropped to his knees and proposed! Immediately after the proposal I forgot all the lovely things that Sam just said. Luckily some friends of ours happened to be in Bali at the same time, so we met up with them and celebrated long into the night!

He told me later he had bought the ring 9 months prior. During that time we had moved house so it’s a miracle that I did not come across it by accident!

 

Planning process.

Overall, it was just a matter of one thing at a time with a ‘lazy’ attitude! Neither of us were concerned about ‘the perfect’ this or that, we were happy with anything if it suited our purposes and was cost effective. Once we found venue through Wil&Jac Events, the planning was much easier than we initially thought, as Gum Gully put together an amazing booklet of local and trusted vendors. We were also conscious to not go overboard with the little touches, as that can cause a lot of stress and extra cost.

It can be very overwhelming with the mass of options online these days and all of the little details that need to be organized. So, recommendations and guidance helped reduce the pool of options. Only hair, makeup and a few small details were sourced outside of that booklet, and that was a result of word of mouth or the input of friends and family.

Also, having an event planner in the bridal party and a chef mother helps too!

 

Style inspiration.

The vibe was definitely relaxed with a touch of rural rustic. We are both from rural areas in New Zealand so green, relaxed, country vibes are very much our aesthetic! We wanted the venue to be the decoration itself, rather than a blank canvas that we had to decorate. We kept it pretty low key with lots of greenery in place of florals.

 

The dress.

From the very beginning there was a Made With Love dress called Frankie that I had loved from Instagram. I googled what bridal stores had the Frankie dress, which lead me to Bluebell Bridal. I went and tried it on, and loved it. I had already booked another two appointments at different bridal stores the following weekend, so I went along. During that weekend there was a simple, classic dress that I loved at Fairytale Bridal in Moonee Ponds. So, the following week I went back to Bluebell Bridal to try the Frankie again, and asked if they had anything similar to the Fairytale Bridal dress just so that I could try a similar style in the same place as the Frankie, and this similar dress was the dress I fell in love with and bought! So, it was a happy accident.

 

Favourite moment.

My favourite moment would be our first look – Sam was waiting and facing away from me, as I walked

up the gravel road behind him. As I was walking up there was a gaggle of geese walking in front of me.

When the photographer asked me to stop halfway for some snaps, the geese stopped – it was hilarious!

Then obviously when I tapped Sam on the shoulder and we saw each other for the first time, it was

such a special moment! Just the two of us, and six geese!

 

Meaning of marriage.

Marriage to us means having your best friend with you for life. We have been together for so long, so it does not feel like that much has changed, but there is a nice settled feeling to making it official. And we still get a little buzz out of saying ‘my husband’ or ‘my wife’!

 

Wedding soundtrack.

Aisle song – Thinking Out Loud Ed Sheeran

Recessional – 24k Magic Bruno Mars

First Dance – Set In Stone Guy Sebastian

 

Funny stories (or near disasters).

We had a bit of a cake debacle. My friend who has a cake making business was to make our cakes.

However, my mum, who is a chef, was to decide on quantity etc. For 80 guests my mum, who always makes oodles of food, decided that FIFTEEN CAKES would be the minimum for 80 guests! Sure, they were stacked three tiers high (so five three-tier cakes) but that is still a lot of cake! My friend did not have the room in her kitchen for that many cakes, so mum and some of our guests had a huge cake- making day the day before the wedding to make our lemon sponge and red velvet cakes. Luckily beforehand Mum decided that twelve cakes would do it, which turned out to be plenty. And they were delicious!

 

Planning surprises.

Be aware of how precious people can be about invites, who you invite and whether they can bring a partner or their children.  Also, RSVP’s – your closest friends, who will assume that you will just ‘know’ that they will be coming, will be the worst culprits!

 

Words of wisdom.

Try not to sweat the small stuff, no one other than you, will know what was supposed to be!

 

 

Need some top tips for keeping stress free on your wedding day, then be sure to head here.

 

RACH AND SAM’S TRIBE

Ceremony and reception venue: Gum Gully Farm

Celebrant/Officiant: Julia Handford

Photography: Deanne from Bonavita Photography

Styling/ Event plannert: Will&Jac Events

Florist: Lakeside Flowers

Hair: Pamela Sotiria Hair

Make Up: Amelia Webb Makeup

The Dress: Q’nique from Bluebell Bridal

Veil: borrowed from Rach’s Maid of Honour

Bride’s Shoes: Senso

Rings: Michael Hill Jewellers

Bridesmaid’s dresses: ASOS

Groom’s suit: Connor

Catering: Yarra Valley Catering

Bar: Dan Murphys

Cake / Cake topper: lemon sponge and red velvet cake made by bride’s mum (family)

Favors: DIY by the bride

Entertainment/DJ: Spotify playlist on bride’s phone

Guest transport: Crown Coaches

Décor: Sassafras Flower Design

Honeymoon: Inaya Putri, Nusa Dua Bali




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