Real Wedding; Tahleya and Tim @ Merribee
About You Two;
Now, How did you two meet?
We met at uni. We did the same undergrad degree and were in a couple of classes together, but it wasn’t until we both started our Masters degree at the same time that we got to know each other better. After a number of casual study dates/watching sitcoms in the library, Tim asked me out on a real date.
Who popped the question, and how did it happen?
Tim! We went on a trip down to Tassie and spent 10 days road-tripping down the coast. One night, we stayed in a little Airbnb cabin that overlooked a private beach. The hosts had told us that if you walk down to the beach at dusk, you can usually see penguins coming home to nest in the rocks on the shore. We went down, and we sat and chatted on the beach for hours, waiting for these penguins during the sunset. Unfortunately, no penguins were to be found, but the sunset was the most incredible that I think I’ve ever seen (I’ve added a picture for reference!). We accepted defeat to the penguins, but as we got up to walk back, Tim stopped me, got down on one knee and asked me to marry him.
Why did you choose your venue, and how was the venue-choosing process?
We pretty quickly decided that we wanted to have our wedding on the South Coast. It’s a place that we love to travel to together and any chance for a weekend getaway, it’s always our first choice. We weren’t exactly sure about venues initially, so we packed lots of site visits into a weekend, but as soon as we visited The Merribee, I think we both knew that was it. Its versatility and stunning gardens were hard to go past for us.
Quick Fire Questions;
How many wedding guests did you have?
80
Sit down or Cocktail Style?
Sit Down, banquet-style dinner.
What month?
October
Planning The Wedding;
Was planning the wedding stressful, or did you enjoy the journey?
It was definitely a mix of both. We had a broad idea about how we wanted our wedding to feel, and we wanted it to be bright and joyful with a focus on our guests’ enjoyment as well as minimal stress for us on the day. Although to reduce the stress on the day itself, there was a lot of planning and prep in the lead-up that would allow this to happen. Once we booked all our vendors, the process got so much easier because of how knowledgeable, supportive and open they were.
How involved were you both in the wedding planning, did one of you take more of the lead on certain aspects than others or were you both equally involved?
We both were involved in the planning process. We wanted to make sure the day reflected us both and that what we created was something that would bring joy to us equally. In terms of organisation and logistics, I probably took the lead, but when it came to booking all our vendors, we both were a part of the decision-making process.
What were the top couple of non-negotiables or important must-haves at the wedding for you both?
Overall, our key non-negotiable was having the day be as authentic as possible. We wanted to be present with our guests and experience all the parts of it we could.
We wanted our wedding to reflect us as a couple, so we wanted to find creative ways to incorporate our interests into the day. (e.g. our seating chart was based on our favourite books, with the place cards all bookmarks, for our guestbook, we asked our guests to give us movie recommendations based on movies that made them laugh the most or that are guilty pleasures, we had our board/card games available to play during cocktail hour). It’s one of the highlights for us. Because one of our priorities was guest enjoyment, booking great live music was also a must-have.
Tell us about your dress and that dress-finding process.
I was (still am) absolutely obsessed with my dress! I invited my mum and sister on a dress-finding weekend, knowing that they would be the most excited and the most honest throughout the whole process. We went to the first store on our itinerary; the sales assistant asked me what I was looking for in a dress, and not knowing exactly at the time, I gave her a few vague cues. She brought up a bunch of options but said, “You should try this one on first”. I tried it on, and that was it for me, it was everything! The design itself was very simple, with a fitted corset torso into an A-line skirt, but it was just 1000% sparkles! But as a very practical/logical person, I convinced myself that I couldn’t just pick the first one. So we went on the arduous journey of trying more dresses, but none of them lived up to that first one.
What sort of theme, vibe or style did you go for?
We wanted the theme of our wedding to be joyful and relaxed. A key reason we loved the Merribee was that we could have the whole day at the same venue. It really fit the vibes we were after with a beautiful, relaxed setting, with lots of space to move, but also the gardens perfectly suited our fun, joyful vibes and fit easily into our bright colour scheme.
On the Day,
How did you both feel on the wedding morning?
Tim – I felt like I should have been a lot more stressed than I was! The morning was relaxed for me, with little to no rushing. I was able to have breakfast with my family, and then once the groomsmen and I were on-site for the day, Emily (from WEC) and Alana, our photographer, kept everything so simple that we got to enjoy ourselves.
Tahleya – I was initially a little nervous about how the day would pan out after so much planning. Then the rain started. It poured down while I was getting my hair/make-up done, and I was worried about making a call on final locations (i.e. indoor vs outdoor ceremony/reception). At that point, Emily came in and laid out a perfect plan for how things needed to be changed for the day, and all she needed was a yes from me to make it happen. That was the turning point for me that morning, from feeling worried to just being present for what was happening. We turned the music up (late 90s/early ‘00s bangers can fix any mood) to drown out the rain. Emily was unbelievable in making everything happen without me noticing at the time (but it is certainly not unnoticed now).
What was the best part or moment of your day?
Tim – When Tahleya entered the Secret Garden, I got to see her in her dress for the first time. I knew that her dress was sparkly in some way (I kept finding glitter all over the house in the lead-up), but I loved that I finally got to see her in a dress that made her so happy.
Our first dance was also a favourite, particularly once it was done. We had practised so much, and when it went exactly as planned, it felt so good.
Tahleya – It is hard to narrow down, but I think my favourite part of the whole day was the feeling of love from our guests. They were so present, and their joy for us all at once is hard to describe.
Honourable mentions:
The feeling after the ceremony was done, the relief of having the formalities done and knowing that we could just enjoy ourselves with our friends and family.
Our first dance was so much fun. I love how many people were surprised; we had so many compliments about how great it was.
The flowers were incredible, and seeing them repurposed for the reception was also so much fun! I wanted to sit at that table all night.
Anything you would change about your wedding or anything that didn’t go to plan?
The wet weather in the morning was probably the only spanner in the works. We did have to move our reception from outdoor to indoor, but we absolutely loved how that turned out in the end.
Are there any rituals, sentiments or traditions you incorporated into the day?
Not really. One special thing we did was save a bottle of whiskey we bought in Tasmania on the day we got engaged, with the plan to drink it on our wedding day.
After the Wedding,
Describe newlywed life in a couple of words.
Mostly the same, except getting to say “my husband”/“my wife” is fun.
Best investment or money well spent on the wedding that you made?
All of it! Our team of vendors were incredible, and we loved how well they all worked together.
The decision to invest in WEC for our on-the-day coordination was a standout. The way Emily was professional but so down-to-earth made everything go off without a hitch. As I mentioned before, she was the difference in the morning, taking away any extra pressure from us. So many things happened without us even thinking about it, but we’re so appreciative of all her work to make our day what it was.
Budget-over, under or what you estimated?
The budget was a little bit more than initially planned (it all adds up so quickly!), but we spent a lot of time talking about what things would be worth going slightly over budget to align with our non-negotiables and what things had to be left behind.
Credits:
Coordination/Set Up; The Wedding and Event Creators
Celebrant; Coastal Ceremonies
Venue; Merribee
Florist; The Flower Pursuit
Photographer; Alana Taylor Photography
Catering and Cake; Bumpy Road
Bar Staff; Henry Clive
Entertainment; The White Tree
Hair and Makeup; Michelle Cato Bridal