Lauren + Justin

How did you meet?

High school – We were always in the same friendship group, but our friendship was really solidified at the beginning of 2013 when there was a spare seat next to Justin in our senior school homeroom. Justin even pretended to write in purple pen just to get my attention (I now know that he wasn’t pretending and it was an honest mistake… he’s colourblind lol!)

When did you know they were the one?

I did some charity work in the Solomon Islands at the end of 2013… 10 days on a remote island, no phones, full of human connection and wholesome time with my adopted family and siblings led to a lot of reflection and thinking! I think I could tell by how much I missed him and my Solomon’s mum could tell by how much I spoke about him. “Justin would love to jump out of that coconut tree into the water” and “Justin would love to make a game out of an empty water bottle and a rock.”

Who proposed and how?

A spontaneous (and suspicious) trip to the Hunter Valley to “work out what wines Justin likes before our big Europe trip 4 days later.” I had been asking to go to Bimbadgen Winery for so long, as it is dog friendly so we could bring our Pandy girl. Then all of a sudden we were going, 4 days before our big 6 week European adventure… all without our Pandy girl. In hindsight it was quite obvious, however I wasn’t overly convinced as it is not out of the ordinary for Justin to cram in so many activities into so little time- he cannot sit still! So a “nice drive up to the Hunter and a relaxing afternoon of wine tasting” sounded great, I was so excited either way!

I was still so shocked when he dropped the knee that I didn’t look at the ring for a solid few minutes. It must have felt like an eternity for him as he said “okay Loz this is really nice but can you have a look at the ring now?”

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

‘Summer’ was the first beauty in the first shop that I tried on! Nat from MWL Sydney was sooooo accommodating, welcoming and made my experience so special. Could not believe that I said yes to the dress that day! The immaculate studio and champagne made the experience all the more luxe!

What was the best moment for you at your wedding?

Other than finally getting to say our vows to each other and celebrating our love with our family and close friends, it was definitely the dancing! Made all the more incredible by the Summer gown herself. Perfectly comfortable to dance in!

What were your favourite details?

The low back, scooped neckline and scalloped straps were all amazing, but the flowy skirt and split were definitely my favourite dress details!! Other than the dress, getting to wear my grandmother’s tiara that she also wore on her wedding day almost 60 years ago was pretty special!

What advice would you tell other brides?

Get the dress you FEEL the best in! (Not the dress you think you should get, not the dress that your mum/bridesmaids think suits your figure, not the dress that will look amazing if you go to the gym for the next 12 months).

Any standout vendors?

Photographer/videographer- Zee and Cee Studios @zeeandceestudio
Celebrant- Kahlia Wilkin @kahlia.wilkin.celebrant
Hair and Make Up – White Hair and Make up @whitehairandmakeup
Cake- @_sammiecakes
Flowers- @friendsofdaisy
Acoustics- Joshua Keane @dj.jakae
DJ- Jo @dj_jomeca
Cars- Krusin Kombis @krusinkombisnewcastle
Flowers- Friends of Daisy @friendsofdaisy