Olivia + Vincent

How did you meet?

We are the classic high-school-sweetheart-love-story! We met and became best friends for years. One year I went camping with his family and something shifted between us. It was still some time until Vinny actually asked me out though! We very quickly knew that it was something special.

When did you know they were the one?

We can’t really pinpoint a time! Very early in the relationship we were talking about our future and there has never been any doubt that it was ‘us’. Although we have both changed a lot since high school, we have always grown together and supported one another – and just keep having fun together! We’re each other’s lobsters!

What are your three favourite attributes of your partner?

He is romantic, thoughtful and has a great sense of humour.

Who proposed and how?

We were in Prague for Christmas in 2017, and he told me we were going for a special Christmas Eve dinner. We walked through the enchanted old streets across the famous Charles Bridge and headed up towards Prague Castle. I had a feeling that we were lost as we were walking a lot farther than expected, and he kept looking at his phone. We walked up Petrin Hill, and then through a path to the lookout, which offered a gorgeous view of the river and Prague. He walked me towards a picnic set-up with candles, flowers, chocolate fondue and then handed me a photo album with all these photos of us over the years, and the last page was a photo of my mum and sisters holding up signs saying ‘Liv will you marry me?’. He then got down on one knee and asked me to marry him! I then grilled him for the next hour on how he managed to pull it off!

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

I knew that I wanted my dress from Made With Love; I was obsessed with so many of Carla’s designs and there were countless dresses from the collection I could have worn on my wedding day and felt absolutely beautiful in. However, I found the ‘Peony” dress by Emmy Mae (MWL sister-brand) online and knew that this dress was “me”. I adored the lace which reminded me of Australian natives, and loved that it had a matching veil. It checked all the boxes that I was looking for – especially the subtle sparkle in the lace. When I put it all on together, and held a bouquet in my hands I could imagine wearing the Peony down the aisle, and got teary imagining the moment!

What was the best moment for you at your wedding? 

There were SO many!! I’m going for three moments as I can’t pick one! We had a first look and I am so glad that we did! I loved the rush I felt standing behind Vinny and seeing his reaction as he turned around. He looked so handsome and my heart was bursting. We were both quite nervous for the ceremony, so seeing each other beforehand just allowed us to take a big exhale and relax. It was a beautiful moment for us to take stock and whisper words of love. It made us both that much more excited to get married! My other best moment was walking down the aisle. What a build-up and entrance! It is a bit of a blur; but I remember just locking eyes with Vinny and thinking “this is it!” It was everything I had dreamed it would be! Lastly, our D-floor was incredible. I had THE MOST fun dancing the night away.

What were your favourite details? 

The weather on our day was horrible – hectic wind and rain that had been relentless, which meant we couldn’t have the ceremony or garden party that we had planned. Luckily, our venue had a beautiful wet weather option in the ballroom, and our florist was super flexible and instead of a flower arbour, made this beautiful little fairy garden. We had a very intimate ceremony and we could feel all the love from our guests. Somehow, not knowing what to expect made it all the more exciting! My other favourite details were my mum hand-stitching pearls that were on her own mother’s wedding dress, and then her wedding dress, on to my veil. It was a lovely touch. We printed photos of our grandparents and parents on their wedding days to decorate one of the rooms, which they enjoyed. Vinny and I also opted for Krispy Kreme donuts instead of a cake – delicious!

What advice would you tell other brides?

If you don’t have a wedding planner, make sure you give a list of all the things you want to do (e.g. photos etc.) so that they can communicate with staff/photographer etc. instead of you – you are having so much fun and in the moment to think!
Trust your vendors – they are the professionals, but also don’t be afraid to ask questions or see if there are other options.
A live musician makes all the difference. They create such a lovely vibe and can judge the mood of the D floor.
Go with your gut with decision-making. My husband and I did what we wanted to do and never felt pressured to make decisions based on other people, and it meant that every single thing in the wedding was what we wanted and had chosen together.
Afterwards: happiness comes from embracing and accepting moments for what they were, not what you imagined they would be.

Any standout vendors?

@daisyandcoflowers – she had to be flexible and change our vision for the day due to our ceremony location change, and still created an enchanted, romantic ceremony and reception for us.
@sarahneillhair – Hair Queen and a dream to work with and just so so talented! She fixed a near-crisis with my mum’s hair and made her feel fabulous.
@natalielucasbridal – Natalie is incredible and made myself, my bridesmaids and mum feel amazing. Our makeup lasted ALL day in the rain.
@twelve08studioes – Jack and Amy (our videographers) captured every single special moment and every time we watch it back we are transported to all the feelings and fun we had on our wedding day. I’ve watched it about 1200 times and still cry!
@featherandfinchphotography – Ryan was so much fun to have around and wasn’t phased at all by the rain. He encouraged us to embrace it and have fun
@gabbinbarhomestead – we picked this venue when we were still teenagers and not even thinking about a wedding! Gabbinbar created a gorgeous haven from the weather, and when the rain stopped for an hour, this magical mist settled and created an enchanted garden. The staff and service was incredible and all our guests commented on their attentiveness.

MWL DESIGN:

Emmy Mae Peony

PHOTOGRAPHER:

Feather and Finch Photography

RETAILER:

Made with Love Gold Coast Boutique