Seb & Paris by Motta Weddings

Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love, what is unique about you and your relationship … I (Paris) work as a Physiotherapist however I am currently studying to become a Primary teacher. Seb works as a fitter and turner and is the manager of his family agricultural engineering business.

We first met in 2007 (when we were 15) however we knew of each other a couple of years before this. We both went to different campuses and when our two campuses merged to Senior school we officially met. We first dated in Year 10 (2007) however this didn’t last too long and I dumped him (sorry babe). We went our separate ways and then reignited the relationship in Sept 2008 (the end of Year 11). We have been together ever since.

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…

The majority of the wedding was DIY. Seb made the ceremony backdrop, the welcome sign backdrop, wire stands for toilet signs, the wooden ‘P + S’ covering my Dad’s HUGE Carlton Draught light which I was not having a bar of. He also made the personalised name tags for the glamping tents, and the white ‘Paris and Sebastian’ sign which was positioned in front of the hay bales. Everything else was hired and set up by ourselves, friends and family. Although I did consider hiring a stylist for our wedding, I also wanted to look back on the day and say that we did it all ourselves. We sure put in a lot of work but were both SO proud of what we achieved together.

Tell us about your main outfits:

My dress was from Marquise Bridal in South Melbourne. I had tried on a lot of dresses prior that had elements that I loved but I wasn’t able to find a dress that everything that I wanted. I worked with Megan from Marquise to create the dress that I truly felt myself in. My wedding dress criteria was that it was comfortable, highlighted my individual style and that I could dance all night long in. Having our wedding on a farm, also meant that what I wore needed to be practical. It didn’t take me too long to find a dress but I did feel a little pressure from some bridal shops. However, I tried not to let this influence my decision as I wanted to be completely happy with what I wore on the day.

What were some of the most memorable/unique moments from the day?

We loved our ceremony SO much. Niki created the most amazing ceremony and we received so many comments about how beautiful it was. It was also super funny. We had both written our own vows and read them to each other for the first time during the ceremony. Seb managed to quote Ja Rule in his vows which definitely became a talking point throughout the night. My other favourite moment was when Alex took us away to take some photos during last light. It was so special for Seb and I to take a moment to reflect on how we felt and to look back to all of our guests who were having so much fun. We loved this moment so much and even more so that we were able to get the most incredible photos during this time.

Another favourite part of the day was when our bridal party returned from the photos following the ceremony. My best friend had a camper van set up so we all went into the camper van and had a few drinks together. It was really nice to have the time with just our bridal party before we celebrated with the rest of our family and friends.  Oh and we almost forgot to cut our cake, and to be honest we didn’t actually get it out of the box until we realised – oops! I can’t remember what time we ended up cutting it, but it did happen, it just wanted really captured on film haha.

Any advice for other couples planning to spend the rest of their lives together?

Always remind yourself of the real reason you are doing this. Your getting married to your most favourite person in this world. It should wholeheartedly reflect you, both as individuals and as a couple. Remember what is important to you as a couple. It can be so easy to get caught up in the social media world that can set unrealistic expectations on yourself and what your wedding ‘should be’. It is more than okay to use this to guide your day but don’t ever lose sight of what it’s all about. Make it you. If you want to throw a huge party, then throw one. If you want low key – do low key.

Also, be prepared. Particularly if you are doing a lot of DIY (as we did). We were lucky enough to have an amazing support crew who were working their butts off to get it all ready, but we still felt we were cutting it fine in the final weeks.

Photography: Motta Weddings | Venue: Mount Duneed – Brides Parents property | Videographer: Lightbox Media | Celebrant: Niki Currie | Entertainment: Luke Legs Music | Styling: DIY Bride and her best friend Jane Findlay | Hire: Memphis Hire | Flora: Wildfolk | Catering + Beverages: The Tipsy Colt, Lil Nom Noms & Primo Street Pizza | Cake: Two Birds Cake | Neon Sign: Sketch and Etch | Glamping Tents: Swell Shelter | Signs: Merv Jennings signs (Grooms Auntie and Uncle) | Bride’s dress & veil: Marquise Bridal | Grooms jacket & shirt: M.J. Bale | Grooms pants & tie: Peter Jackson | Rings: Paul Bram Diamonds | Bride’s Shoes: Jo Mercer | Bride’s Earrings: Isabella May | Makeup: Bri from Hilary Holmes Makeup | Hair: Grooms sister and bridesmaid – Georgia Milnes | Groomsmen’s Suits: Peter Jackson | Bridesmaids Dresses: Bec and Bridge