Our whirlwind romance began after first meeting at a local cafe. We would spend hours talking about our dreams, passions, experiences and sharing our stories. We were immediately enchanted with one another. From the moment we met, we kept trying to find ways to spend more time together and we fell madly in love.

I soon decided it was the right time to introduce Harrison to my children. When he met Ayla and Nate he fell in love all over again and it wasn’t long before we all lived together in our new family home. The four of us would spend our days at the park, snuggling up on the couch watching movies or seeking adventures on the weekend. The kids were absolutely smitten with the newest member of their family and forged a strong and everlasting bond with Harrison. Our beautiful blended family was born.

In 2017, on a cool winter’s day, I came home and unlocked the front door to hear our favourite song echoing through the home. I found a trail of roses, Haigh’s chocolate hearts and twelve love letters. I followed the trail, savouring every note and soaking up every minute of what would be one of the best days of my life. When I reached note twelve, Harrison appeared behind me, he got on one knee and opened a Cerrone purple box. It was boasting a stunning one-of-a-kind white gold engagement ring. He asked me to marry him. With tears streaming down my face, I proudly said “yes”.

The morning of the wedding I was surrounded by my closest friends and family. Waking up on the warm and sunny Mornington Peninsula was glorious. The girls organised an upbeat playlist to listen to while getting ready, snacking on their favourite platters and sharing their thoughts and feelings about the day ahead. My bridal party consisted of my best friend Georgina, my girlfriend Anabelle, my sister-in-law Emory and my darling daughter Ayla.

  Before the wedding day, we wrote each other a letter, to open on the morning of the wedding. My heart warmed with every word I read. I reminisced about when we first started dating when Harrison would often write me poems and love letters. He was incredibly eloquent and emotive with his writing. Today was no exception. A short five minutes later I received a text from my husband-to-be, “your letter made me cry already. I love you.”

I was so excited to marry the love of my life. As the girls started to get ready, I became overwhelmed in my beautiful gown. It has been a dream of mine since I was a little girl to wear a Raffaele Ciuca gown. I have watched so many of my family members, friends and other brides find their dream gown at their emporium. I dreamt one day I would too! Shopping for the gown with my bridal party, my mum and mother-in-law was an absolute dream. I love every detail of the lace work on the bodice, and how the train and three different colours subtly flowed down.

Harrison didn’t have to think twice when selecting the men who were to stand beside him on his big day. His best man Sam had been his best friend from kindergarten. The two have been inseparable for over twenty years and that isn’t changing any time soon. His groomsmen are his closest friends Cam, Ryan and Campbell, and of course our beautiful son Nathaniel. The boys had a relaxing morning getting ready, sharing stories and having a laugh over a few beers.

When looking together for the perfect ceremony location we came across Tanglewood Estate. The song Harrison proposed to me with is called ‘Tangled up in You’. It seemed a perfect fit for us as a couple. The beautiful 100+ year-old chapel overlooks the vineyard and was the right balance of beautiful simplicity for our special day.

The chapel became home to 30 guests. An intimate and small wedding of our closest friends and family. When Harrison and the groomsmen arrived, the celebrant Robyn Paterson and the Auslan-English Interpreter Georgia were ready to go. Robby sat with Harrison to ensure he was feeling cool, calm and ready for one of the biggest moments of his life. The guests started arriving and were all encouraged to sit in the front three pews because of course, it was such a small wedding everyone should be at the front. We chose an unplugged ceremony.

The ceremony commenced with, ‘Make it to me’ by Sam Smith. First walked Emory and the flower girl, followed by Anabelle, and then Georgina. It was finally my turn. I held my dad’s arm so tight. He has always been my rock, my constant, my support and my best friend. Having his support and encouragement for today meant the world to me. I walked into the chapel and soaked up every moment. All of the smiling faces of the most important people in my life. I scanned the room at all of the people I love so dearly, then I made eye contact with him. My world. My partner. My soon-to-be husband, Harrison. He was overwhelmed with emotion, his cheeks were pink, his smile was wide and his heart was open and ready for me. Once he shook hands with my dad, we just stood there, looking at each other, holding hands, refusing to let go. We didn’t break our gaze. He was all I saw in that moment. Those eyes I love so dearly.

The ceremony was officiated by Robyn Paterson and interpreted beautifully by Georgia Knight. My stunning bridesmaid Anabelle is deaf, as is my sister who was also a guest at the wedding. The interpreter allowed full access to the day’s events, speeches, teary declarations, stories, vows and special moments. Several of the guests are also bilingual which allowed for great conversations in both English and Auslan. A beautiful day shared by all.



We organised the incredible Laura and Cassie from Perla Photography to capture our day and Matt from The Wedding Fair for our wedding video.
For our reception, we carefully chose the Epicurean Red Hill. It wasn’t an easy process finding a location and venue for a sit down 30 person wedding. The Epicurean were delighted to host such an intimate event and ensured the us that everyone would be seated together like one big family. It was perfect for us.
The reception was in an intimate space with one long table hosting all of the guests and bridal party. A generous amount of alcohol and a five-course meal was shared by all. The mood was set by a string duo (Girls On String), playing the cello and violin, organised by my dad. He knows how much we love stringed music. They were absolutely incredible, doing beautiful covers of modern and classic songs. It was one of the highlights of our night and really set the mood.The reception was full of laughter, large smiles, glasses toasting, passionately signing hands and warm expressions. The kids loved every minute of the reception. Highlights for the kids? Our daughter Ayla loved ‘riding’ on my train and being escorted around like a princess. For our son Nate, it was being the unofficial photographer and holding many Polaroid cameras at once to capture every moment. A perfect day for a beautiful new family.