#RCREALBRIDE Carlie looked like a vision of perfection in her La Sposa gown in Ralea. A satin princess ball gown complete with a V neck and back feature. Carlie + John were married in a stunning cathedral and the newly weds spent the night with loved ones at the beautiful Mt Mitchell Estate. Its clear to see the love these two people have for one another. Photography: Madeleine Chiller Photography THE FIRST SIGHT John and I first met at the local pub, we knew of each other through mutual friends but somehow never met. We had known each other a few months before it turned into a relationship, so it really started from a friendship and common interests. We never really went on a first date as such, John moved to Western Australia for work not long after we started seeing each other… I followed him two months later. I think then we knew that we were in it for the long hall. THE PROPOSAL I had definitely been laying some fairly serious hints before we moved back to Victoria, after 2 years in WA. We went travelling for three months and I was positive that he was going to propose…. he kept me waiting another year. I was hopeful, but John does not give much away and he kept it very simple. A Thursday morning before work, in bed. He had proposed on a Postit note, (which I hadn’t seen) So then he actually had to ask the question, which of course, I said “of course”. THE VENUE Well, this is a story. We essentially planned two whole weddings. We had booked a venue within weeks of getting engaged, who cancelled at relatively short notice. Needless to say that I was devastated after already changing the original date to secure the caterer that we desperately wanted. It seemed our wedding day was doomed trying to find a new venue with availability in peak wedding season. We desperately wanted to keep the same date as we had guests from WA and the UK that had already booked flights. We found several other venues that we liked but they all had to many compromises, eg: cutting down the guest list, not being able to choose our catering etc, nothing else we found fit “us”. We toyed with the idea of eloping or having the wedding at John’s family farm. Once we found Kate, from Mt Mitchell Estate, it was a no brainer. I fell in love with the venue, although John didn’t actually see it until two days before the wedding. Mt Mitchell was spectacular to say the least, and the weather gods were kind to us, giving us the perfect day. However, booking this venue did come with more compromises, John had already lost his ideal church due to the date change and he really had his heart set on a church wedding. We eventually booked a small country church close to the venue, only to find out (after sending out invitations) that the small church had a “bat” problem. Luckily my mother in law was able to help us out and we ended up with the Cathedral. It really couldn’t have been more perfect. FAVOURITE MOMENT The food was definitely a highlight, Tracey from Charlton Catering went above and beyond catering to our food desires. Most of all we loved having all of our family and friends in one spot to celebrate our love. It was just an overall happy day. THE DRESS I really had no idea what I wanted, I had tried on a few but with nothing that I loved. My dress was the first one I tried on at RC, as recommended by Jo, my stylist. When I looked it, I didn’t think I would like it. But as soon as I put it on, I was sold. I loved its simplicity and the “feeling” it gave me. I found that it hugged me in all the right places. FINDING THE ONE Jo came recommended to me by my cousin, who purchased her dress from RC about 12 months beforehand. She was amazing. We had been to a few other stores before RC and found the sales staff from other stores to be a little forceful. Jo made us instantly relax, I had selected some dresses to try on, and Jo had chosen some that she also thought would suit me and my body type. We bought the first one we tried on, one of Jo’s selections. We then styled veils and head pieces and had a ball. ADVICE FOR OTHER BRIDES Find ten minutes to stand with your husband or wife and just observe the wedding and enjoy the day/night together. Relax. I was definitely so tense in the lead up to the wedding. I was so stressed about everything, but in the end, you cannot control what will happen so just enjoy the time. My tips on keeping a happy marriage is just communicate and take some time occasionally to appreciate each other, say thank you often. It’s not always easy but it’s the little things that make the it easier. VENDORS Dress: Raffaele Ciuca Photographer: Madeleine Chiller Photography Venue: Mt Mitchell Estate Flowers: Lou Lou’s Florist. Cake: Hayleymade Hair: Fringe by Paris Makeup: Bella at Rubilicious