East Gippsland Wedding Planner

www.eastgippslandweddingexpo.com.au | EAST GIPPSLAND WEDDING PLANNER 2017 15 Who: Tammy Gilmore and Joel Kelly When: March 11, 2017. Where: Ceremony by the water on Fort King Island, Paynesville, with the reception at the Mitchell River Tavern in Bairnsdale. Bridal party: Kelly Stewart (matron of honour - friend of bride), Rhys Robinson (best man - friend of groom), Kara Whelan (bridesmaid - friend of bride); Paul Elliott (groomsman - friend of groom) and Naomi Gilmore (junior bridesmaid - niece of bride). Flower girls: Hayley Gilmore, Rhiana Gilmore, Harper Kelly, Matilda Kelly, Emerson Kelly (nieces of bride and groom). Guests: 140. Gown: Stella York gown from Fairytales Bridal Boutique in Nunawading. It was a vintage lace trumpet wedding dress. Colouring was ivory lace, ivory and moscato tulle over café lavish satin, accompanied by a veil for the ceremony. I selected the gown while having a ‘quick look’ during a trip to Melbourne by herself. Locally, Kara Somerville undertook the alterations. Flowers: Rachel Morgan of Twig and Ivy – mix of soft pastel roses and cluster roses, lisianthus, with hints of grey foliage and eucalyptus buds. Hair: Mirror Image. Make up: Make-up and Beauty by Jess. Transport: Black stretch Hummer. The Hummer was enjoyed by all the bridal party, but especially our little nieces. Ceremony: Rhonda James was the celebrant, who assisted us to have a ceremony that was exactly how we wanted – short, personal, to the point and entertaining! I was given away by her brothers, Rodney and Matthew Gilmore, while my nephew Rhys Gilmore was the ring bearer. The song I walked down the aisle to was Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s Over the Rainbow . During the signing of the wedding register, All of Me by John Legend featuring Jennifer Nettles and Hunter Hayes. My friend, Tara Snelling, and cousin, Tracey Fall, both did readings for the bride and groom during the ceremony. Colour scheme or theme: Romantic elegance – an elegant, unique romance set the scene for our wedding with touches of red surrounded by soft whites and gold throughout. Decorations: Adele from Ella del Wedding and Events decorated the reception, along with our family and ourselves. Adele also created a stunning sign for the backdrop at the reception venue. Belinda from Bairnsdale Party Hire provided our wedding PREPARATION THE KEY TO A SWEET DAY supplies, while signage and beautiful handwritten place cards were made by Karinda from Eat My Words. Reception: The meals were delicious. Our guests thoroughly enjoyed what was served, and Tavern staff were more than accommodating of any of our requests. Menu: Alternate drop set menu. Entrée – lamb ragu with Gippsland gnocchi, shaved parmesan and fried basil; barbecue bourbon glazed pork belly with mash puree, pork crackle crumb. Main - slow cooked beef cheeks, creamy potato mash, seasonal vegetables topped with zesty gremolata; chicken scallopini with roasted vegetables, broccollini with a creamy garlic, white wine and bacon sauce. Dessert bar of macaroons, melting moments, coconut ice, donuts, cupcakes, wedding cake, and a lolly bar. The wedding cake was white chocolate with butter cream icing, made by Joel’s sister-in-law, Sara Kelly. Music: Duo, The Lone Hands. The bridal dance was choreographed to Keith Urban’s Without You . There were a few surprises and provided the guests with some entertaining dance moves and lifts, and a very cheeky finale. Master of ceremonies: Joel’s cousin, Sally Bennett, who was a wonderful host and coordinated the evening. She was, however, unsuccessful in stopping the guests from devouring the lolly bar before dinner! Photographer: Aldona Kimec’ Photography. Touch of us: Our wedding was a good mix of traditional and non-traditional aspects. We were equally involved in all the ‘wedding’ decision making. We had a ‘high tea’ style dessert, which we loved, with lots of our favourite sweets. Favourite wedding day memory: Loved and appreciated all the family involvement and assistance in our wedding. Having our nieces as flower girls and junior bridesmaid really made our day. Also, the speeches were another favourite part. It was nice to sit back and relax and watch others do the hard work! Proposal: Joel proposed to Tammy on Eastern Beach, Lakes Entrance, after they walked a long way while Joel was overcoming his nerves. Tammy suspected something was up as Joel doesn’t like to walk very far! He eventually got down on one knee and popped the question. Words of wisdom: Prepare well in advance so there is little stress on the day. Do things your way - how you want them!