Real Wedding – Zoe & Patrick, Oxley VIC
Fast forwarding their wedding plans, Zoe and Patrick celebrated their love story in a perfect country setting.
Worried that she may not find the dress of her dreams, Zoe fell head over heels for couture specialist Georgia Young who created a gown that left everyone in awe.
Overwhelmed by the love and support of their family and friends, this loved up pair could barely wipe the smiles from their faces as they celebrated and Tess Follett was there to capture every moment.
In Zoe’s words…
The meeting.
We met in our late teens at a mutual friends house party.
The ‘one’.
About 18 months after dating, we started to plan our future together, which mostly involved travel at that point in our lives. We moved out together and started saving for our adventure. So, at that point (however I don’t think we realised it at the time) we had both found ‘the one’.
The proposal.
It’s a bit of a long story so I’ll give you the short version (or at least I’ll try, as I love to tell it). It was an ordinary Tuesday in December 2015 and I was up getting ready for work, Paddy was on holidays, and right before I walked out the door he gave me a kiss and said, “today is going to be a good day”. Without thinking too much about it I set off for work. I arrived home and decided to go for a run, on the way home my dad had called (my dad rarely calls) and wanted to chat. Chatting away as I was walking up the driveway, I saw Paddy at the front door. He says to me with this goofy grin on his face, “you’re going to have to get off the phone, I’ve got a surprise”. Ending our conversation short, I tell dad I’ll call him back. Looking expectantly at Paddy he pulls out a blind fold from behind his back, blind folds me and walks me inside. He sits me down on the couch and explains to me he has an early Christmas present for me. He takes off the blind fold and there in front of me is a cheese platter and a glass of wine. Two of my favourite things! He then presses play on the TV and there starts a video he had made of all the photos and video footage we had collated on a 6-month trip we had recently returned from together throughout Europe and South America. Sitting watching the video, laughing together at all the amazing and fun memories my eyes start to dart around the room. Candles lit on the dining table all set for a meal (not normal behavior from Paddy) and I start to feel myself get all hot and anxious. At the end of the video he turns to me and says, “I’ve got one last surprise”. He then got down on one knee, said some really lovely things about me and us as a couple and then asked me to marry him. I was a shaking, blubbering, sweaty (from my run) mess, but managed to pull myself together to say YES!
After a romantic candlelit dinner (though I was too excited to eat) I called dad back (along with many other family and friends).
Planning process.
Paddy and I were originally in no rush to get married, we enjoyed a summer of celebrations with family and friends and had plans to buy our first home. So, we decided to focus on that prior to setting a wedding date. However, my mother became suddenly unwell and it was then that we decided to get married sooner rather than later, opting for a wedding in September that year. Within 5 short months we had planned our special day. It was a crazy few months but we managed to pull it off.
Style inspiration.
Once we had decided on the venue for our wedding everything else kind of just fell into place. I would describe our wedding as country/DIY.
The dress.
Due to time constraints, I didn’t have a lot of time to find my wedding dress. After spending 2 days looking in Melbourne (on separate occasions) with no luck, I had started to feel a little defeated. My last stop was a young lady called Georgia Young who owned her own couture business. From the moment we walked in we were greeted with this gorgeous big smile, and bubbly personality. I tried on a couple of her dresses, and one stood out from the rest. And that was it! Georgia was just a breath of fresh air and made what had initially been a stressful and not very enjoyable experience so exciting and fun! Nothing was too much effort for Georgia, she worked within my time constraints and made me feel so relaxed!
Favourite moment.
The moment I locked eyes with Paddy as I was walking down the aisle. It sounds cliché but it was one of the proudest moments of my life walking side by side with both my parents, knowing I was about to marry my best friend in front of our closest family and friends!
Traditions.
We included the traditions that meant something to us and eliminated the ones that didn’t.
Meaning of marriage.
I remember being asked this question as we were planning our wedding and it took some thought. And I still don’t think I am very good at articulating what it means to me.
The wedding was a celebration of our love and commitment for one another in front of our closest family and friends as we embark on a new chapter of our lives together. And the marriage, well, I don’t believe much has changed for Paddy and I, however the vows we made and the rings we wear symbolise lifelong unison and partnership, and we hope to one day role model these values to our children.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: Ed Sheeran, Thinking Out Loud
First Dance: Justin Timberlake, Can’t Stop The Feeling
Funny stories (or near disasters).
It flooded the day after our wedding, roads were closed and guests had to take detours to get home. Other than that Paddy along with half our bridal party were struck down with sickness the week of our wedding however they all pulled it together on the day!
Planning surprises.
Apart from the cost, the outpouring of love and support we received in the lead up to our special day was nothing short of amazing. It was a pretty stressful time trying to juggle wedding planning and caring for my mother who at the time was quite unwell. We couldn’t have done it without our amazing network of friends, family and colleagues who all took on jobs big and small to alleviate the stress!
Words of wisdom.
Don’t get carried away, stay true to what matters to you and make your day a reflection of you as a couple.
Fancy some country chic on your big day? Then Sam and Melissa’s wedding is an absolute showstopper!
ZOE AND PATRICK’S TRIBE
Ceremony venue: Private Property, Willoaks B&B, Oxley.
Reception venue: Oxley Hall, Oxley.
Celebrant/Officiant: Meagan Carroll
Photography: Tess Follett
Videography: Moon and Back Films
Styling: DIY
Florist: Seed & Bloom
Hair: Maria Ladgrove
Make-up: Kayla Canny
The Dress: Georgia Young Couture
Jewellery/Accessories: Monpurse, Jolie and Dean
Shoes: Senso
Rings: Lacy Jewellery
Bridesmaids dresses: Lover, White Runway & ASOS
Grooms suit: The Suit Shop
Catering: King River Cafe
Favors/Cake: DIY by my sister, bridesmaid
Stationey and Signage: DIY by my sister, bridesmaid and friend Sarah
Entertainment: The White Tree
Transport: Cullen’s Transport Wangaratta
Honeymoon: We are yet to go on one, life’s been busy, but we are about to head to the Blue Mountains for a belated getaway.