What is one word that would best describe your wedding?
Fun! Our wedding was so much fun! Everyone was just so incredibly happy on the day and it felt like a really big, fun party with everyone we love.
Almost everyone involved in the wedding was a friend of ours, including the celebrant, the MC, the photographer, the band members, the chefs and even the waitstaff. It meant that there was no stuffy/formal wedding feeling – it was just one giant love-in. Even with 180+ guests the day felt very intimate. Everyone had a great time eating beautiful food, drinking lots(!) of great local beer from the Bellingen Brewery, catching up with friends and dancing all night to the incredible bands we had play – Jealous Wolfe, The Mid-North and Magic Bones.
What is the most amazing thing about your man?
His hair… Duh. Joking! (Sort of.) The most amazing thing about Simon is his fun, outgoing personality, his fierce rationality, and his sweet, loving nature. He’s very affectionate and gives the best cuddles ever.
What was your aisle song?
My little brother Paris and his best mate played a beautiful acoustic version of “Here comes the Sun” by The Beatles. Since we were outdoors and the PA broke on the day it was all unplugged. They stood at the end of the aisle and as the bridesmaids and I approached over the river stones they joined the procession and walked down the aisle with us.
The two- and three-year-old flower girls decided half way down the aisle that they wanted to pick up all their petals and put them back in the baskets, so there ended up being a bit of a gathering on the aisle midway through the procession. It was actually great because it calmed everyone’s nerves and left everyone laughing, smiling, chatting and giving big warm hugs before the ceremony even began.
What was the most challenging part of organising a wedding?
Our wedding was pretty much completely DIY. We sourced everything ourselves, from the lights, vases, and other decor to the tablecloths, cutlery, crockery and drinking steins and goblets which were used on the day and were given as favours. It took many days of op-shopping and required lots of coordination to transport, set up and pack down. There was no wedding planner and not really any vendors or helpers to set things up, so we relied heavily on our close friends and family to help out. It was very challenging in the week before the wedding, but with so many people close to us putting their hands up to help out we knew it would all come together in the end – and even if it didn’t, the most important thing was that we got to share that special time with our family and friends.
There were things that went wrong – for example, the flowers froze in the cool room the night before the wedding and turned purple (they were supposed to be red and pink), but it didn’t really matter. We had a plan for how everything should be, but we didn’t let ourselves be bogged down by it.
As hectic as weddings are, it was important to us to keep perspective and remember that it’s the marriage part that counts in the long run. The rest is just a big party!
Any funny moments?
When the speeches ended my mum and stepdad casually wandered on to the stage and broke into rap! My brother and his friend clapped and stomped the beat at the side of the stage while Mum and Troy told the story of Ellie and Simon in rap form. It was hilarious and had the whole crowd in hysterics!
How was your experience as a Forever Soles bride?
We were so grateful to be able to get Forever Soles barefoot sandals for the bridesmaids at the last minute! I had already bought myself a pair of
Enchanted Barefoot Sandals because I have a hip problem and was worried I wouldn’t last the whole day in heels (and because they’re frickin’ beautiful!). But when the girls and I went to test our heels on the rocks a couple of days before the wedding we realised it definitely wasn’t happening and we needed to get some anklets, stat! After calling everyone we could think of locally and failing to find anything suitable, we remembered that a friend was driving down from Byron Bay the following day and might be able to pick up something from Forever Soles on the way. I sent an enquiry and Angie was super helpful selecting something in my price range in the colours I wanted that she could have ready for pick up the next day. The whole process was really easy and friendly.
We still had the problem of rocky terrain to deal with. When you can see where you’re walking the river stones are easy to navigate, but with the red carpet (which was just a thin layer of hessian) covering the stones it was really hard to balance and walk gracefully down the aisle. We levelled the rocks as much as we could and covered them in yoga mats underneath the hessian and it worked a treat!
If I have one tip for other Forever Soles brides, it’s to remember where you put your barefoot sandals when you take them off! I think out of the five pairs, mine were the only ones that survived the wedding night.
What is one scene in the wedding that will forever be in your memory?
There are so many moments that will stay with me forever. The excitement in the house while we were getting ready. The moment I stepped out of the car at the creek and my heart started pounding. The moment Simon and I walked back down the aisle together as husband and wife. Drinking too much champagne and having so much fun with the bridal party while we ducked off for photos. The look on my parents’ faces the whole day. Their rap/speech. Dancing with my new husband… And soooo many good hugs.
Has anything changed in your relationship with your husband now that you are a wife?
When you’re in a partnership with someone, you love them so much and you’re so dedicated to them and you think about them all the time and want to be with them all the time. You hear their voice inside your head almost as much as you hear your own. For us, that didn’t change, but it became less strained. It’s like any minuscule doubts or insecurities that were lingering in the back of our minds were wiped out and we could just relax into this. I think the best way to put it is that we stopped being partners and became family.
Thank you so much Ellie for sharing your beautiful wedding day with us! xx
