Elise + Pete

How did you meet?

Pete and I lived only a kilometre away from each other, 15km out of a small country town in Gippsland. We went to the same primary school.  Pete is a few years older than me, but, the school was tiny, in which it ended up closing when I was in grade 4, as there were only going to be 7 children left at the school the following year.
During school, our mums were friendly, although, Pete and I have the same memories of primary school, each of us only knew each other vaguely.
We then went to the same high school, and despite having similar friend groups, we don’t remember each other specifically.
After school, when social media became a thing, Pete and I started following each other, he moved to Melbourne, so did I a few years later.  He is a talented artist, winning some art shows in our local town. After 10 years from being in our hometown, Pete messaged me on Instagram, insisting on a date. I thought the whole thing was a joke.

When did you know they were the one?

We dated, fell in love fast, and two years later he proposed.

What are your three favourite attributes of your partner?

Pete is such a caring, nostalgic and artistically minded guy, which I love.

Where did you fall in love with your dress and why?

My best friend had already got engaged a few months prior, and dress shopping for her was just beginning around this time, I sent her pictures of Billie by Made With Love, and we both loved this dress so much. We went to Bluebell in Melbourne, and she tried this dress on, and loved it in the lace, but, was undecided, and went with another dress.

Months later, we went back to Bluebell, this time, shopping for myself. I’d not had Billie in mind to try on for myself, but, on the way, my friend suggested I try it on.
I fell in love with Billie in crepe instantly!

Who proposed and how?

The proposal was soo well thought out, and so Pete.  Pete is such a caring, nostalgic and artistically minded guy, which I love.  With a huge detour, on our way to Daylesford for a weekend away to celebrate two years together, Pete had organised to go to a Belted Galloway cow farm, past Yae.  My family had these cows on our farm growing up.  I’m definitely not a country girl anymore, but, still have a soft spot for certain things from my childhood.
We arrived at this farm, with me being beside myself that this is where the detour led us. We walked around, and when I caught a glimmer of a table set up in the paddock with cheese & wine, I insisted Pete tells me what was going on.
Down on one knee, amongst 15 cows, in the middle of the paddock of rolling hills, Pete asked me to marry me, holding a beautiful bespoke ring from Cushla Whiting, designed be him, and an engraved lanyard ‘Marry Me’ off the cows neck.
We sat, drank wine and ate cheese in the paddock, gumboots on, and cows chewing on grass.

Where did you go to Honeymoon?

We went to Ireland for a week straight after our wedding, Pete’s family is from Ireland, and he’d never been, drove around, drinking Guiness.  Then two and a half weeks in Italy, where we travelled around, Florence, Tuscany, Amalfi, Polignano a Mare and Rome.  The time away was stunning, and very memorable.