Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love, what is unique about you and your relationship…
- Sarah- I am a nurse at the Austin Hospital in the Intensive Care Unit, and I also work in a nurse educator role on the Liver Transplant ward. This year I have been studying my Masters of Nursing Practice- writing a minor research thesis on a study I have been working on. I have been nursing for over 7 years and love my job!
- Joel- I am one of three Victorian area operations manager for Young Guns- a company that unpacks shipping containers in various company factories nationally.
We both love the beach and going on holidays and weekends away. We are both very close to our families and friends and very social. We are always out and about doing things. We are typical Melbournians that love getting up on a Saturday and taking our dog Archie for a walk up to our local coffee shop for brunch.
Our relationship is unique because we both fell head over heels pretty quickly- going on a holiday together after only 2 months together.. but have been inseparable ever since. We genuinely love spending time together and love growing our life together. We have achieved a lot in a small amount of time- countless holidays, bought a house, bought a dog and got engaged and married all in 3 and half years!
Tell us about your special day, was there a specific theme or style? Tell us a little about the setting, the styling and some of your favourite details…
We are both extremely social and fun-loving people so we wanted the day to reflect that. Nothing too over-the-top and we wanted the venue to speak for itself and allow everyone to take in the natural landscape and charm of the winery. My flowers and arbour also reflected this, boasting beautiful native foliage. We wanted to be there for as much as the wedding as possible so opted to do bridal party photos before the ceremony- which was by far the best thing we did! Our ceremony wasn’t formal- I didn’t even walk down an aisle. We had drinks and antipasto platters on arrival pre-ceremony so everybody could relax and get into the social and fun vibe quickly! I guess the overall theme was an eclectic, relaxed rustic theme!
Tell us about your main outfits:
Kara at Kara Jade Designs was an absolute stand out- it was exactly as I had envisioned my dress would be in my head. It fitted me perfectly, the quality was so high, the cost so reasonable and the process seamless. We designed the dress based on one of her own collection designs but removed the back and added sleeves. My gown was kept simple and hugged my figure with a simple train.
I opted to keep the veil slim and long to reflect a more contemporary look.
The team at Briggins were great in helping us get a look for the boys that was sleek without looking too formal. We opted for a dark navy suit and black accessories. We love that the suits were tailored so that they fit perfectly on each.
What were some of the most memorable/unique moments from the day?
Our ‘first look’ captured at the start of our bridal party photos before the ceremony. Getting to see each other for the first time before the ceremony allowed for some intimate and special time together and bask in the day that was yet to come. We loved seeing each other dressed up for the first time and it was so special we got to do that just us and our bridal party. We left feeling so excited and incredibly relaxed for the ceremony- many people commented how relaxed we appeared.
In the days leading up to our wedding Victoria was issued a severe storm and weather warning for the entire weekend. The Bureau of Meteorology were advising people to leave work early on the Friday, to expect flash flooding, a 10/10 storm the worst Victoria has ever seen! My mum- deeply concerned for our guests was searching for umbrellas for the day last minute and got onto 3AW to ask if anybody knew where to get them- A kind listener got in contact who had 30 umbrellas from his own rained out wedding that gifted them to us as a wedding present!
Any advice for other couples planning to spend the rest of their lives together?
Have fun! So many people underestimate the importance of fun. Life is too short- don’t sweat the small stuff. The small stuff most of the guests won’t even notice!
A great wedding is really about the people that are there- and as long as everyone has a drink in their hand and there is lots of food to go around! 
Photographer: Jackson Grant | Ceremony & Reception location: Phillip Island Vineyard & Winery | Celebrant: Pam Lewis (Phillip Island Ceremonies) | Entertainment: Dream Shake Band | Flora: Bec Newman at The Shed Phillip Island | Food: The Phillip Island Vineyard & Winery | Cake: Katielou’s Cakes | Bride’s Dress & Veil: Kara Jade Designs | Groom & Groomsman’s attire: Briggins | Rings: H & H Jewellers | Shoes: Portmans & Florsheim | Jewellery: Samantha Wills | Bride’s Clutch: Olga Berg | Makeup: DMV Makeup Artistry | Hair: By Bessy | Bridesmaids Dresses: Sass & Bide; Dion Lee; Keepsake
