Erinn + Ben

How did you meet?

My husband Ben and I actually met on Tinder, which seems to be the way of the world these days!

When did you know they were the one?

Admittedly, Ben lied about his age on his Tinder profile so I found out on our first date that he wasn’t my age but in fact, 3 years younger. I remember thinking “well this isn’t going to go anywhere!”… but here we are.

What are your three favourite attributes of your partner?

His sense of humour, how he looks after me and our two fur-babies and the fact that he comes across all tough but is really a big softy inside! (he’ll hate me for saying that…)

Who proposed and how?

Ben proposed on a weekend away in the Hunter Valley for my 30th Birthday. We were staying at the cutest little cottage in the middle of a vineyard at Audrey Wilkinson winery, cooked up a delicious breakfast and sat on the front porch overlooking the vineyards then got dressed up to go to a few different wine tastings and a long lunch. Before we left, Ben suggested we go for a walk down to the vineyards to have a look and when I turned around, he was down on one knee, stuttering his way through a cute pre-prepared speech!

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

I came across Made With Love on Instagram and fell in love with all of the dresses so immediately booked an appointment. I tried on a few and honestly could have bought them all. I felt the Harlow was extra special and seemed to fit our ‘theme’ the best for our low key, micro wedding in Byron Bay. I loved the detail on the lace and especially the open back with the ‘belt’ around the middle. It was absolutely perfect and I loved how confident I felt when I was wearing it.

What was the best moment for you at your wedding?

The weather was meant to be cold and rainy all day. We woke up to a beautifully sunny and warm morning. I was just waiting for it all to turn and pour down by our afternoon ceremony. This moment never came and thank goodness because we didn’t have a wet weather plan! As we were on the beach taking our portraits after the ceremony, the sun was about to set and the sky started to look a little grey. Our photographer said “I think we’re done!” and, almost like clockwork, it started pouring. I couldn’t believe the timing. By then, no one cared and we laughed as we ran across the beach towards the Kombi van waiting to take us back to our venue.

What were your favourite details?

We were due to get married in 2021 however Covid lockdowns had other plans. Fast forward to April 2022 and we’d moved states, both changed jobs and added another fur baby to our pack. During that time we decided to downsize things completely and just elope with some family present. We changed venues, did away with our reception and just did a nice dinner instead at a local restaurant and honestly – I’m SO thankful that we did it this way in the end. I wouldn’t change it for the world.

What advice would you tell other brides?

Do not listen to the requests and opinions of anyone else – do what YOU want to do and what feels right for you. It’s your day after all!

Any standout vendors?

Honestly, all of them! I couldn’t have asked for a better tribe to help us with our day but a huge shout out to Tarnie and Ben from Hitched In Paradise – they coordinated our day for us and made sure everything ran smoothly. Ben was our celebrant and he was so fun and made the day extra special and memorable.