About You Two;

Now, How did you two meet?

Through a mutual friend in the basketball world, Pippa, who made sure to let everyone know in her speech at our wedding!

Who popped the Question and how did it happen?

Nick proposed in our hotel room on a trip to Melbourne (my hometown). We got to celebrate with family and friends that weekend which was special.

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

Nick’s family have a house in Jervis Bay so we have spent a lot of time there together, particularly during covid. It’s a really special place for us and we didn’t give another location a second though. We actually didn’t visit any other venues either – one spontaneous Christmas Eve tour of Worrowing and we were sold. The property captured all the things we loved about JB and the team there were so easy going to deal with.

Quick Fire Questions;

How many wedding guests did you have?

107ish in the end

Sit down or Cocktail Style?

Sit down

What month?

February

Planning The Wedding;

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

The first few big decisions were a bit overwhelming but overall we both really enjoyed it and encouraged each other not to get too wrapped up in the chaos of it all.

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?

Shanae definitely did a lot more research on vendors (my instagram algorithm is only just recovering!) but otherwise it was very equal in terms of logistics, preparation and making decisions. Nick surprised us both by really taking a liking to making the friendship bracelets that we personalised for each of our guests.

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

JB location, photos beforehand so we could enjoy cocktail hour and Coopers beer!

Tell us about your dress and that dress-finding process?

I was so close to buying another dress that was so beautiful and princess-y but had this nagging feeling that it just didn’t feel like me. I thought I’d try one more store & dress that I had my eye on before I bit the bullet and was so glad I did. Kira at Prea James was such an angel and the Anouk gown was everything I hoped for. Super simple but fun and flattering. I adore the material.

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

We tried(!) to keep things relatively simple since the venue was so stunning. Nick graciously gave me full license to choose the colour scheme which was a very ambitious mix of oranges and yellows. It came to life even better than imagined, largely due to the mastermind that is Hannah from Flowerhead.

On the Day;

How did you both feel wedding morning?

Apart from a quick moment of overwhelm for Shanae, we both had a great morning with our bridal parties & families. Doing photos and seeing each other beforehand was also a great way to calm the nerves.

What was the best part or moment of your day?

Heaps to choose from but we both agreed that the ceremony was by far the best part. It’s such a rare experience to show so much emotion in front of all of the people you love and care about.

Anything you would change about your wedding or anything that didn’t go to plan?

Our only hurdle was the incredible humidity on the day. But how lucky are we that that’s the biggest complaint we have? Plus, the Worrowing walk in fridge saved the day there.

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

He doesn’t know I’m writing this but nick is really sentimental so it was particularly precious that he ended up with his dad’s dad’s wedding band. They never got to meet so it was really beautiful that it worked out how it did. Also, Nick’s family is Greek so we actually tried (and failed miserably) to do the zorba. That was one sweaty dancefloor!

After the Wedding;

Describe newlywed life in a couple of words?

Same same but different.

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

1000x over we would recommend an on-the-day coordinator (WEC specifically if possible 😉). There are so many tiny details and variables that you can’t possibly think about if you’ve not organised a wedding before. But it wasn’t Jade’s first rodeo so having her there meant the day went smoothly and minimised stress for both us and our families. I am also SO glad we changed our mind and got a videographer. Angus from Sommar Films was so sweet to work with, he and Sammy (sun & oak photography) felt like our long lost best friends from the get-go and made us feel really comfortable. It’s true what they say- the day is over in a flash so we’re so glad we have both photos & video to relive it.

Budget-over, under or what you estimated?

We really didn’t have a clue how much things would cost coming into this so we didn’t set a strict budget. Our wedding spreadsheet was a bit of a shambles. But we just tried to find a good middle ground for each financial decision and not get carried away with all the extras that wouldn’t matter to us at the end of the day.