Colourful Geelong Surprise Wedding.
Aimee and Matt surprised their guests with an engagement turned wedding..
I was there as it was announced that they were in fact getting married and from that point the energy ramped north in a huge way!
A riot of colour, balloons, streamers, hangings and music references adorned the space. A caravan serving cocktails, a live band and the most epic backdrop EVER were just some of the ways they made it theirs.
Aimee was very pregnant on the evening and had suffered miserably with hyperemesis her ENTIRE pregnancy so she was an absolute trooper getting through the evening. I asked her and Matt and for their advice to couples planning their wedding now.
1. What was the best decision you made?
Doing it as a surprise! It meant absolutely no pressure in the lead up at all. I know so many couples who have issues with guest lists and everyone wanting to add their 2 cents in.
Having an ‘Engagement Party’ just meant everyone was coming for a good time with no expectations.
The other big one was no long stints of formal photos. All our pics are really candid and fun, there are the obligatory family ones but other than that they are all just of us being us.
Mel from Still Muse Photography was a dream to work with and has created a visual diary of our night without any stuffy stages pictures that just don’t reflect who we are.
2. Did anything not go to plan/ what would you do differently?
Our wedding didn’t start as a surprise. We were genuinely having an engagement party on the 20th of Jan and getting married later in 2023 but I fell pregnant (with our little miracle
baby!) and we needed to change what we were doing as we were heading OS to get married (Matt is from England so we were planning a halfway point wedding so both families got a
holiday!). Once we spoke to Matt’s family and knew they could come to Aus in Jan we started planning.
I genuinely wouldn’t change a thing. As I said earlier, there was no pressure. We did everything the way we wanted to - no stress, no people pleasing! Just a fun, party atmosphere
with no big formal moments to get nervous about. Our brief to Nat was to keep it short and simple, fun and lighthearted and obviously she nailed it!!
3. What was your fave part of the day?
The announcement that we were there to get married! My brother and sister in law started by thanking everyone for coming and the usual stuff about the happy couple etc and then
announced that it would be a waste to not do something special that night. Going to the chapel started playing and they said we were getting married! We didn’t know how they
planned to announce it so it was really fun for us, but seeing everyone’s reactions was the best! Genuine shock, right through to the ‘I knew it!’ on people’s faces was so good!!
We then took our time to go off and get ready and just enjoy the moment with our son, bridesmaid (best friend) and best man (Matt’s brother).
4. In a few words- what advice would you give couples planning their wedding now?
Stress less! If something does go ‘wrong’ or not to plan, 99% of the time you will be the only ones that know!
Your opinion is the only one that really matters. It’s your day so make sure it reflects you as a couple and not other people.
Traditions are lovely, but don’t do things because you think you have to because that’s ‘just what you do’.
HAVE FUN!!! Enjoy every moment, soak it all in and let people come to you. If you want to dance all night, people will come to the dance floor to chat! You do you!!
looking for the same kind of vibe as aimee and matt at your wedding? check this blog post, RIGHT HERE for 20 Ways to have an Awesome Wedding.
VENDOR LIST:
Venue: The Warehouse
Photography: Still Muse Photography (Mel)
Tunes: Baker Boys
Celebrant: Nat Sproal
Decor: Boutique Balloons
Neon: Neon Hire Australia
Event Planning and Furniture Hire: Memphis Hire
Dress: Soho Bride
Suit: MJ Bale
Hair and Makeup: Jemma Hair and Makeup
Champs Bar: The Champagne Bar Geelong
Food: Happy Camper Pizza & Ohemgitsglutenfree & Platter Co
Overnight accom: The Studio Warehouse
HEY THERE LEGENDS! I’M NAT SPROAL, A MELBOURNE WEDDING CELEBRANT, AND AFICIONADO OF ALL THINGS HITCHING-RELATED.
Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog! You’ll find loads of no-BS advice and tips on how to create the day of your dreams - without the wedstress and the drama.
There are also lots of ‘real’ weddings I’ve been part of, with priceless advice from the couples themselves.
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