Real Wedding – Rorey & Milly, Curlewis VIC
Rorey and Milly had a vision for their dream day that touched on everything they love; all whipped up in a vision of bright blush and crisp white details against a stunning bay backdrop at Baie Wines.
With only six months to plan their wedding, they made the smart choice to engage a planner, who ensured every moment was considered and every detail a delight. The result? An exquisite experience for the newlyweds and their guests.
From the light-hearted, fun-filled ceremony by our gal Jo Betz, a mouth-watering menu by tribe faves Truffleduck, to the heaving outdoor dancefloor, Rorey and Milly’s wedding day was a party for all the senses.
Joey from Allume Weddings was behind the lens to capture every elegant moment.
The meeting.
We first met at work in 2013 when we were both very early into our property careers. It took a Tinder match for us to build up the courage to start talking to each other, and the rest is history.
The ‘one’.
Life always had an uncanny way of ensuring our paths continued to cross even after I changed companies. We would bump into each other in random bars throughout Melbourne, at the Football or in the CBD. Seeing Rorey always gave me butterflies, and we had so much in common.
After meeting his family and living with Rorey and two other boys, I knew we were destined to be together forever.
The proposal.
We had booked a winter getaway to Noosa and with the help of his sister (our amazing wedding planner), Rorey secretly organised a private boat on our first afternoon (called the Noosa Dream Boat!).
After an hour of cruising around the waters of Noosa, we pulled up on a private beach where my favourite bottle of French champagne and oysters were ready for our arrival. After a couple of glasses and some long awkward silent pauses, eventually he built up the courage to get on one knee and ask the question!
It was the most perfect day and setting, which I’ll never forget. After a few photos and facetime calls to our families, the Dream Boat dropped us to our favourite restaurant, Ricky’s, for Dinner and a few Aperol Spritz’s to celebrate.
Planning process.
Rorey was so confident in the proposal (typical!) that he had already been speaking with Jayde about potential venues and dates for the big day. Once the ring was on the finger, we were both very keen to get married sooner rather than later as we didn’t feel we needed to wait any longer.
After getting the all-clear from Jayde that 6 months was enough time to plan the perfect wedding, we found our venue and locked in a weekend almost immediately after the engagement.
Leading up to the big day Jayde was in control which really allowed us to enjoy the special time and not be put under any pressure or stress. She took on a huge workload (including being in our bridal party) and always did it with a huge smile on her face.
Style inspiration.
Jayde spent months in the lead up to our wedding researching styles, inspiration and compiling design books with her amazing ideas for the day. She had an incredible vision which oozed everything that we love and involved the bay, outdoors, nature and an incredible glass marquee with an outside dance floor.
Jayde stuck with an elegant yet modern theme incorporating beautiful blush florals with lush greenery. We love crisp white especially against the backdrop of the bay so we had white tables, chairs, blush napkins with gold cutlery and black laser-cut acrylic place cards.
Jayde worked with Hydi Florals and Pro Light and Sound to create the most impressive floral installation in the middle of the marquee above the bridal party.
The outfit.
The dress! Where to start.
This was always going to be my biggest battle given how indecisive I am, timing constraints (five months) and that I had never thought about my ‘dream’ dress.
After spending hours and days trawling through Instagram, I found a dress that I thought was the one. A few weeks after I got engaged, I went to three boutiques and was so overwhelmed by the process that I went with a dress that I liked more on Instagram than the real thing.
I never had those ‘special’ moments when I tried the dress on and despite being already committed to one dress I couldn’t help but scan social media for other dresses. The warning signs were there and with four weeks to go, I finally made the call that I didn’t want to be unhappy with my wedding dress and regret the decision for the rest of my life.
With the help of Jayde and with three weeks to go until the big day, I got an appointment with Sonia Cappellazzo. I went into our catch up with an open mind and let Sonia create a masterpiece with her amazing vision and talent.
Sonia got me into a strapless dress and I stood on a small box in front of the mirror. From there she worked her magic and tied strips of material around the dress to show me her vision. I will never forget that moment. I think we both let out tears and I could never imagine a dress could be so perfect especially after what I had just gone through with the other dress. I didn’t want to take it off!
Sonia was an absolute dream to work with and I am so grateful for everything she did in creating the perfect dress in such a short timeframe.
Favourite moments.
There are so many that it is hard to choose just one so we have picked our top moments;
- All of it! We wanted a very relaxed, intimate but fun ceremony and made sure that our readings and vows were just that.
- Andrew Loadsman playing some of our favourite tunes just to the bridal party prior to walking into the reception.
- Walking into the most incredibly styled marquee with a panoramic view of the ocean, filled with our closest family and friends from all around the world – that memory will stay with us forever.
- Surprise pre-dinner dance. We wanted to make the most of our outdoor dancefloor and the view onto the bay before the sunset. We had 20 minutes allocated to getting everyone up and onto the dancefloor prior to the first speech and main course.
- We organised the night so that all the formalities were done by 8pm, giving us three hours to party the night away under the stars on the dancefloor. We couldn’t have asked for a better party and everyone joined in. It didn’t stop! Andrew Loadsman and Rutherford made sure that no one left the dancefloor for the whole three hours. McDonald’s Cheeseburgers & Foam Party Hands came out halfway as a little surprise to our guests from Rorey & I.
Meaning of marriage.
It solidifies that we want to spend the rest of our lives together and a promise to continue to laugh, live life to the fullest, travel, have fun and support each other forever.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle:
Groomsmen – Beautiful Day by U2 (sung live by Andrew Loadsman)
Flowergirl & bridesmaids – Follow the Sun by Xavier Rudd (sung live by Andrew Loadsman)
Bride – Can’t Help Falling in Love With You by Kina Grannis (sung live by Andrew Loadsman)
Recessional: Finally by Cece Peniston
Reception entry:
Bridal party – Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson & Bruno Mars
Bride & Groom – September by Earth, Wind & Fire
First dance: Sky Full of Stars – Coldplay
Last dace: Horses by Daryl Braithwate
Funny stories or near disasters.
Aside from the close reality that I nearly didn’t have a wedding dress for my own wedding, we had tornado wind gusts that threatened to blow people off the dance floor. However, looking back we are just so lucky and fortunate that our wedding could go ahead given everything that is happening in 2020.
Planning surprises.
The general amount of work, time and planning involved by so many people to make the special day a reality.
Words of wisdom.
Soak up every single moment of the day and ensure that the day reflects you and your partner.
We also strongly recommend hiring a planner to assist with the lead up to the day. They are invaluable and allow you to enjoy the special engagement phase.
As a close friend once said to us in the lead up to our wedding, it will be the only time in your lives where you will have 180 of your closest friends and family together to celebrate you and your partner. Enjoy it as it will go quickly.
Love Milly’s incredible gown and wondering where to start searching for your dream day dress? We chatted to one of the best in the bridal couture biz, Georgia Young, for her advice on finding the gown that is perfect for you.
ROREY AND MILLY’S VENDORS
Ceremony and reception venue: BAIE Wines, Curlewis
Celebrant/Officiant: The amazing, Jo Betz
Photography: Joey Willis from Allume Weddings
Videography: Humdrum Films
Styling: Events by Jayde
Florist: Hydi Florals
Hair: Blondie Salon
Make Up: Hilary Holmes
The dress and veil: Cappellazzo Couture
Shoes: Bianca Buccheri from Dolci Firme
Rings: Paul Bram
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Hexie
Groomsmen’s suits and bow ties: Nicolades
Bridesmaids & Flowergirl PJs: Neue Blvd
Catering and bars: Truffleduck
Favors and signage: Sketch & Etch – Laser cut black place cards and Giant Personalised Foam Hands from Dynamic Gift
Cake: Donut Pyramid
Entertainment: Andrew Loadsman (Acoustic + Live Entertainment). Rutherford Entertainment – DJ Dan (DJ & Saxophone) & Aaron (Percussion)
Hire: Glass Marquee with clear roof, outside dancefloor, furniture – Dann Event Hire
Dancefloor Snacks: McDonald’s Cheeseburgers
Gelato Cart: Bianco Latte
Honeymoon: France (Skiing in French Alps, road trip through Champagne region & Paris)