Real Wedding; Lauren and Tom @ Worrowing

About You Two;

Who popped the question and how did it happen?

We spent the day moving apartments with the help of our parents, and Tom popped the question in our living room that afternoon, surrounded by moving boxes. It was low-key and caught me completely off guard. Our parents turned up shortly after with champagne. It was absolutely perfect.

Why did you choose your venue and how was the venue choosing process?

We live in Canberra but most of our family and friends are in Sydney. We don’t see everyone very often, and were drawn to the idea of a weekend away to drag out the celebrations for as long as possible. Our romance began down at Jervis Bay as teenagers, and after deciding we wanted to get married on the south coast, we visited a few venues. As soon as we stepped foot on Worrowing, we knew it was the one. We fell in love with it instantly, and it struck a good balance between DIY and not having to organise absolutely everything (tables, chairs, cutlery, crockery, etc, were included).

Quick Fire Overview;

How many wedding guests did you have?

108

Sit down or cocktail style?

Sit down

What month?

February

Planning The Wedding;

Was planning the wedding stressful or did you enjoy the journey?

We enjoyed it, but it was very time-consuming. Lucky we’re organised! When you’re spending a lot of time and money on your dream day, you want everything to be perfect. We also loved getting to know our suppliers – we worked with so many great south coast locals.

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?

I took the lead and did all of the research and engagement with suppliers. Due to my terrible indecisiveness, Tom helped me make all of the decisions. We wanted the day to reflect us as much as possible.

When it came time to choosing your suppliers and vendors for the wedding, what process did you go about doing this/how did you choose your suppliers?

Worrowing’s list of recommended suppliers was our starting point, and we reached out to a few suppliers under each category. We had seen a lot of the same suppliers popping up in our research too. After receiving quotes and some phone conversations to determine exactly what we were after, we locked in our suppliers. We chose a lot of south coast locals who were comfortable with our venue and could tell us everything they needed to make sure the day ran smoothly. They knew where to set-up, what we needed to hire for them, and made plenty of suggestions. It made our lives a lot easier.

What was the top couple of non-negotiables or important must-haves at the wedding for you both?

We wanted to make sure there was plenty of delicious food and alcohol for our guests, and we wanted a great dancefloor. Our aim was to have one big party with our favourite people.

What sort of theme, vibe or style did you go for?

I think you could call it ‘classic rustic’. It was simple, with pops of colour. Our florist Gypsy Carmen brought our vision to life. She was a dream to work with.

Are there any rituals, sentiments or traditions you incorporated into the day?

We included some traditions in our big day, including a (very casual) first dance, but did our own twist on others. We decided not to have a wedding cake and opted for a gelato van for dessert instead.

On the Day;

How did you both feel wedding morning?

There was certainly a mixture of nervous and excited (definitely not relaxed!). It’s a day that we spent so long planning and thinking about, so you want everything to be perfect, but you also want to get the celebrations started!

What was the best part or moment of your day?

We both really enjoyed the ceremony. It was such a special moment looking out at our closest family and friends and seeing all the smiles (and the tears!). The speeches were also a highlight.

Looking back, was there anything you would change about your wedding or anything that didn’t go to plan?

I don’t think we would change a thing. Worrowing was absolutely gorgeous (post-bushfires and downpours of rain), our suppliers were great, and we had an absolute ball celebrating with our loved ones. Sadly, the day goes so quickly!

After the Wedding;

Best investment or money well-spent on the wedding that you made?

Honestly, it’s impossible to go past Wed Event Creators. I thought I was organised, but little did I realise how much I hadn’t even considered until I saw Vanessa’s incredible Google Drive – Vanessa kept our planning on track, made sure every detail was considered, and constantly responded to our many emails with suggestions and assistance. Nat was our on-the-day coordinator – everything ran smoothly, which was no doubt a result of her impeccable set-up and organisation. Vanessa’s pack-up service the day after the wedding meant our family and friends could continue to relax and enjoy the celebrations, without having to worry about cleaning and packing up the furniture. I couldn’t recommend Vanessa and her team more highly.

Let’s talk budget. Did the wedding end up costing what you budgeted for, or do you have any advice on this?

From the beginning, we were very realistic about what we expected the wedding to cost, and we stuck to our budget. We had numerous spreadsheets to keep things on track and being organised definitely helped us make sure we didn’t go over our original budget.

Was there anything in the planning process that you spent a lot of time, effort, or worry on that on reflection wasn’t really worth bothering about?

The weather! Although, I say this after we got very lucky with the weather. At the end of the day, your wedding is going to be perfect no matter what. All of your favourite people are gathered together to celebrate you as a couple. It doesn’t get any better than that! Relax and enjoy. It really was the most special day of our lives.

Credits:

Set up/Styling/Hire; The Wedding and Event Creators
Celebrant; Marry Me Nicky
Venue; Worrowing
Florist; Gypsy Carmen
Photographer; Scott Surplice Photography
Catering; Rabbit and Co.
Bar Staff; Henry Clive Caravan Bar
DJ; Mark Matthews
Makeup; Samantha Lee
Hair; Jaimi Irving
Dessert; Merciers Gelato