kate + luke

I first met Luke at a (now closed) nightclub called Twister (those old enough to remember this place will laugh out loud about this, as the venue was not exactly a typical place you would expect find your future husband). He was my girlfriend’s friend’s friend and neither of us had planned on being there that night but as it was the place to go after midnight, we both coincidentally ended up there. We actually both arrived at the club at the same time in separate groups and as soon as I saw him I immediately thought he was super cute. Hilariously though, if you ask Luke he doesn’t even remember meeting me that night but I sure remember him! Despite not actually having a conversation with him I really liked him but unfortunately I was too shy to make a move on him that night. I did however mention to my friend Kate that I thought one of Adam’s friends was hot. It took 6 months of Adam and Kate playing match maker trying to get us in the same location at the same time until we finally met again and it was an instant connection. We had our first kiss that night and literally haven’t looked back since – this was on 9th June 2001. Yes, over 17 years ago!

We had discussed marriage a few times but after having 3 kids together and sharing nearly 17 years of our lives together, we were actually both really happy just being boyfriend and girlfriend. Plus I actually liked calling him my boyfriend as it often really confused people who knew we had kids together. The proposal was a complete and utter surprise and still to this day, Luke cant ex- plain why he thought it felt right to get married now after all this time.

It was my birthday and we were both incredibly hungover after attending our friend Adam and Josie’s simply stunning Wedding (yes the same Adam who played a role in getting us together). I was actually being really mean to Luke as all I wanted to do was veg out on the couch in a slightly hungover state and all he wanted to do was go for a walk along the beach! After much convincing we bundled the kids into the car and headed down to our local beach. We walked down the pier and went to the lower level to look at the fish when Luke pulled out a birthday card from the back of his boardshorts. The card read “To my girlfriend, you’re the one who makes me happy, and everything you do, just makes me realise more and more how much I love you… As I opened the card and read the handwritten words on the inside which said “Hoping on your special day to change this card to For My Wife”.

Luke got on one knee and pulled out a ring. I burst into tears as I tearily said YES and leant over to kiss him as he put the ring on my finger. As he did this the older two kids started fighting and our youngest nearly fell in the sea. It was the perfect proposal for our amazing but crazy little family!

We both love the beach so it was a natural choice for us to chose a wedding venue by the sea. We also both wanted a mini destination wedding – something not too far for a majority of our guests to get to but also far enough away for those who wanted to make a weekend of it to stay somewhere overnight. We looked at a few venues along the Mornington Peninsula which were all really lovely but as soon as we walked into All Smiles in Sorrento we both immediately looked at each other without saying anything and smiled. This was it. It just felt so right. The view – wow, what a spectacular view overlooking the back beach of Sorrento. The staff were incredibly welcoming, accommodating and warm and it was a cocktail style reception venue only – something we both really wanted, to help us create a true uninterrupted celebration and party atmosphere.

As most of our friends are already married I asked many of them for one piece of advice for us for the day. All of them encouraged us to do one simple thing – take a few moments during the day (as they all said it is going to go so quickly) and just physically and mentally stop and look around and take mental pictures of what we were looking at. This was truly the best advice as my favourite moments are when I did just that. We both took time to stop and look up and around and take mental pictures of all of our favourite people having fun, laughing, talking and celebrating us and our love – these are the moments I truly cherish.

That said, I also have to mention our 2 year old Billy insisting on stepping on the gorgeous long train of my dress after I walked down the aisle and being lifted off by my mum only for him to insist on trying to stand on it again. The looks on our guests faces was priceless. He acted like only a perfect mischievous 2 year old can and cruised around completely oblivious to the significance of the event, crawling between Luke’s legs, trying to pick the beads off the back of my dress and pat- ting my bottom! It was hilarious – he totally stole the show!

My friend purchased her dress from RC so it was actually quite natural choice for me to come and try some dresses on here as I knew how gorgeous they were and how many different options there are to choose from. The first day I went dress shopping I booked in to go to two different stores. I tried on 3-4 dresses from another store first before coming to my appointment at RC and trying on around 6-7 dresses. I thought I knew what I wanted in my dress and truly didn’t expect to end up with a strapless fitted dress like I did but wow I was so so happy I said yes to this dress. I completely trusted the amazing consultant Billie with her suggestions and was also really open to options from my wonderful Maid of Honour who is a professional stylist so I knew I was in great hands!

As soon as I put on the San Patrick Laia dress I felt incredibly overwhelmed and just so pretty (which for me is not a common occurrence so this said a lot)! The lace sweetheart bodice and deli- cate embroidered tulle and beaded Chantilly appliqués were truly stunning – it was simple but beautiful but also detailed which I know doesn’t make any sense until you actually look at the dress. The small belt fitted my waistline and created a stunning silhouette which I absolutely loved and the fact it wasn’t all white was a feature of the dress I was drawn to. I absolutely loved the back, it was low but not too low and really had that wow factor. And the train – ahh the train! It was just the perfect dress for me and everything I wanted!

As above PLUS… I only went to one other bridal store but the service I received from RC was a whole other level. I can not fault the attention I received, how I was made to feel so special and how patient Billie was with me as I um’ed and ahh’ed at each dress I tried on. As we got married just over 6 months after our engagement she was so helpful in getting my dress express ordered and confidently gave me advice on which brands to choose which would arrive on time!

Keep it simple! It is SO easy to get super excited to do and get literally everything you see on Pinterest which could cost you a small fortune or involve a significant amount of your time in the lead up to the big day. At the end of it all, your wedding is about your relationship and your love so

keeping it simple and not overthinking anything will see you have the best day and a wonderful time in the lead up to your special day. We didn’t do bonboneries, or go crazy with decorations and styling. Instead we invited our wedding party to stay with us across two big houses in the few days prior and enjoyed celebrating and spending time together all weekend! It was the best time and really extended our big day!

Also, can you give us a tip on how to keep a happy relationship?

Having been with Luke for 17 years before getting married I almost feel semi-qualified to answer this question! We have traveled extensively together, had 3 kids together, renovated houses together and shared a significant chunk of our lives together. Things have not always been perfect but this has to be expected as we are two different people with different needs and different expectations. I think the key to our happy, healthy and long relationship is to remember this and be prepared to sometimes make small sacrifices on your needs to meet their needs. Doing things some- times even when you don’t feel like it or don’t want to will see your partner do the same for you. This is true love and commitment and something I cherish about our relationship.

Dress: Raffaele Ciuca Bridal

Photographer: T One Image

Venue: All Smiles Sorrento Back Beach

Flowers: J & N Paradise Flowers

Cake: Brad from Oscars Hangout

Hair AND Makeup: Ellegant You