Clare & Blake

In a culmination of ‘meant to be’ moments and set amongst their favourite coastal walks, this beautiful wedding included a #tinderella meeting and a fairytale ending! Daniel Brannan was there to capture an incredible and special day for Clare and Blake as they said ‘I do’ with their closest family and friends. 

Blake and I swiped right on Tinder and from our first date, knew we were onto something special. It was easy and relaxed and as though we’d always known each other – a perfect fit!

My Dad lives on the Mornington Peninsula so it’s where we visit and get away from it all at every available opportunity. We spend all of our free time enjoying food and visiting wineries and going for walks in the beautiful forests and beaches and vineyards down there. It seemed the perfect place to get married.

We first approached Montalto, immediately after getting engaged, about 18 months away from a desired date. Sadly, our numbers wouldn’t fit and they couldn’t do stand up weddings. We had to move on and keep looking. A year later, we had locked in all our fabulous vendors and sent out save the dates, when disaster struck – our venue had to cancel on us due to permit and renovation construction issues!

Miraculously, after a panicked night contacting every place and person on the peninsula we could think of, Montalto let us know someone had just cancelled their wedding, ON OUR DATE. And, they’d just decided they’d start doing cocktail weddings – so they could fit our numbers. It was meant to be!

I got ready at my Dad’s place with a few of my oldest friends. We chose not to have a bridal party. Blake got ready with friends and close relatives at Southampton accommodation in Red Hill – his “side” were mostly all interstaters.

We met for a first look at one of our favourite walking spots – a trail above The Pines beach in Shoreham. It was our favourite part of the day: just us, taking the edge off, seeing each other, getting to enjoy the moment alone.

The weather was looking terrible – thunderstorms and black skies. But we felt some special people in the heavens (not religious, but I believe my Mum’s watching over me) had a word with the weather gods – the sun started peeping through and it was a stunning, sunny afternoon. Not even wet underfoot!

Then the whirlwind began. My beautiful family friend, opera singer Jos Rechter, had flown over from Germany to perform a special song to walk down the aisle to. Walking down the aisle to Blake with my Dad was such a happy and emotional moment – lots of happy tears!

From there the party began, and we had such a fabulous night. Everyone loved the stand up / relaxed vibe. Everyone, even the 80 year olds, spent the whole night on the dancefloor!

The food was INCREDIBLE, the wine delicious, the decorations and venue divine, the photobooth fun, the cake sensational. It was filled with joy and colour and great music and all our favourite people.

We had the best night, and I think our incredible photos and videos demonstrate exactly that.

Congratulations Clare & Blake! We couldn’t be happier that everything (including the Melbourne weather) worked out and made for a fabulous day! All the best for your long and happy lives together.