Stephanie + Louis

How did you meet?

We met at an infamous nightclub in Melbourne. I wish it was something a bit more classy but this sums us both up perfectly. Both love to go out with our friends and have a good party. I saw him straight away, and mentioned my interest to my friends, and like any good wing-woman would do, one of my girlfriends called it out and made it super embarrassing for me! We began chatting and instantly hit it off. It was love at first sight

When did you know they were the one?

Before I met Louis, I had planned to go to Europe and travel around solo. When we got together, some of his friends had planned to go at the same time, so we decided to go together. Unfortunately, Louis couldn’t receive time off work so he stayed at home while I partied it up with his friends in Europe. We had only been dating for 6 months at this time. When I got on the plane, Louis had snuck letter into my bag, to ease my anxiety of flying. In the letter, he said that he would do absolutely anything and everything to make sure I was safe, protected and loved for the rest of my life, and that even though we had been together a short time he was completely devoted to me forever. This blew me away. Safe to say I was in tears on the plane! The moment I knew he was the one was when I returned from Europe. I was greeted back with another letter (and Louis had not shown himself to be the heartfelt type so this again was another beautiful surprise). In the letter, he made a set of promises to me, with the last promise saying that “lastly, he promises to one day make me his wife, and that this ring was a symbol of that promise”, and then brought out a beautiful ring, that I still wear to this day. This is when I knew he was the one, and so much more than that!

What are your three favourite attributes of your partner?

The first would be his fierce loyalty. Louis goes above and beyond for those closest in his life, and there is so much trust between us in our relationship due to his 100% devotion.

The second would be his humour. Louis always finds the bright side in life and has taught me to focus on the positives even in the toughest of times. This is something I am forever thankful for.

The last would be his love. He just brings so much love into my life, and loves me more everyday.

Who proposed and how?

Our proposal story is something I never get tired of telling. We were away for Christmas, on a snowboarding trip in Niseko, Japan. We were walking back from dinner, and the street we were walking down looked absolutely stunning, lit up romantically with fairy lights and snow falling gently around us. I was walking a few steps in front of Louis, in total awe of how beautiful our surrounding were when I said ” This is so beautiful, this would be the perfect moment for a proposal”. You can imagine my total shock when I turned around with Louis already down on one knee. It was a beautiful moment that I remember so clearly and will treasure for the rest of my life.

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

I first saw the beautiful ‘Archie’, when the dress was posted on instagram when it was first released. I took a screen shot straight away and sent it to my bridesmaids, saying this was the dress of my dreams and I needed it for my special day. Sure enough, when I went to my MWL appointment in Melbourne, I cried as soon as I saw myself in the most beautiful, elegant dress I had seen in my life. I fell in love with Archie for many reasons. The first, the most breath taking back with the button features, and the perfect train that hugged my figure and had a sense of elegance and sophistication. The next was the plunging neckline, slightly sexy but still that sense of class. This dress will never date, my wedding guests were in absolute awe of how gorgeous it was, they said it was perfect.

What was the best moment for you at your wedding?

Wow – everything! I have two best moments, I can’t choose one! The first moment would be when Louis and I went out to the vineyards after dinner for our sunset photos. We were laughing, singing, and having the time of our lives. We quite literally could not wipe the smiles of our faces, it was very special. The photos during this time are so organic and capture our mood perfectly as well, which really highlights how much fun we were having at this point in time. It was just me and him, in our own little world soaking up the married life in a stunning location. I am smiling just thinking about how I felt. The second was a moment from my Mum, Jenny. Mum is a singer, and for her speech, she wrote us a song and sung, and played guitar for us. The song was written so beautifully, talking about my life growing up and how proud she was of me and thankful I had found someone who was there to give me the world. There was not a dry eye in the room.

What were your favourite details?

Just how authentic, personal and memorable each moment was throughout our wedding. I think what made our wedding so special was just how happy our family and friends were to be there. There was so much love and positive energy, everyone was exchanging stories with one another and people were just so genuinely happy, laughing and having a good time. Our venue was gorgeous, rustic vibes and it was perfect weather.

What advice would you tell other brides?

Be present. Take a moment to soak it all in, look around the room to see the love and happiness. Having an organized bridal party is key as well. Really take the time to choose your bridal party carefully. Don’t feel obligated to choose people if you have been a member of theirs. Choose people who you know are going to go above and beyond for you to make your day special, but more importantly to make you feel relaxed and comfortable. Although I was nervous, my bridesmaids planned everything so well that there was never a moment I needed to stress. They had my back always.