The Romance
I had just finished my training course as a Transit Officer and it was my second night on the job. It was late on a Friday night and I was at McIver Train Station on the platform waiting for the last train back to Midland. Mark was in the patrol vehicle this particular night and he got out and introduced himself. As soon as I shook his hand and our eyes met, I felt an instant connection and I knew he would become someone very special to me. We formed a strong friendship which blossomed into romance.....
The Proposal
>We went on our first holiday together to Singapore in March 2016. We stayed on Sentosa Island and the whole holiday was just magical. It was the second last night and we went in the cable car up to Faber's peak to a restaurant called Spuds and Aprons which is now called Arbora. Arbora is such a beautiful and romantic restaurant, especially at night time. The trees are lit up with fairy lights and there is a bell of happiness which also has fairy lights that light up at night. Mark wanted to take a "photo" of me next to The Bell of Happiness. When I had turned around he was down on one knee with a box in his hand. That is when he asked me to be his wife and of course I said yes!!
The Planning
Our big day took around a year to plan. I wanted a Cinderella/Fairy-tale theme as I had finally found my prince charming in my fairy-tale!! Google was my new best friend!! I had sourced a lot of stuff from America which included my Cinderella castle with slipper cake topper, Cinderella carriage table numbers that lit up, wedding favours, customised cake boxes, save the date magnets. I had my wedding invitations/rsvp/menu and seating chart customised to a Cinderella theme which was beautifully done by Wedding and Event hire. They also provided a spectacular pink horse and carriage wishing well. My cake was made by Just Cakes who did an amazing job!! Then there was the table centrepieces, flower girl basket, Bridesmaids dresses and jewellery, suits, limo's, flowers, flower wall, rings, photographer, videographer, DJ, hair and make up, celebrant and of course my dress and accessories. There was a lot to do and I am proud to say that I organised the whole thing myself. I did consult Mark with all my ideas and of course he agreed to everything I suggested, lol. Everything pretty much went to plan and I didn't have any Bridezilla moments!!
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The Wedding Day
The day was amazing and everything was exactly how I imagined it to be. I got ready at my Mum and Dad's house along with my bridesmaids and flower girl and Mark got dressed at our house. I didn't see him the day of the wedding and we slept separately the night before. Mark was extremely nervous before and during the ceremony. I was both excited and nervous. I started to get more nervous as the limo arrived.
The Ceremony
Our Ceremony was held at Caversham House which is truly a magnificent venue. The Bride Squad and I waited in the bridal suite until it was time to walk down the red carpet. I could feel my heart going a million miles. I was just hoping that I didn't bawl my eyes out walking down the aisle or during my vows as I am quite an emotional person being a Pisces and all. I walked down the aisle to Halo by Beyoncé. Mark and I both wrote our own vows which made the ceremony more personal. Mark broke down and cried and I am happy to say that I made it through without a tear (I didn't want my makeup ruined) and I thought to myself that an acting job on Home and Away actually seemed possible!!
The Reception
Our Reception was also held at Caversham house and it truly was a beautiful location. The gardens are magnificent, especially for photos. The staff catered to my every whim and nothing was ever too much effort. The food was amazing. I went for the buffet option and personalised the menu to suit our tastes. To add an extra bit of magic to the evening we hired Robbie T the Magician to cast a spell over our guests and boy did he deliver. Guests were left spell bound by his tricks and he certainly entertained the crowd. If you are looking for a wedding or party with a difference I would highly recommend Robbie for your function.
The Honeymoon
We had our honeymoon in LA and Hawaii. OMG it was amazing!! I had planned our honeymoon for a good part of a year. We first went to San Diego, Hollywood and Disneyland. We visited San Diego Zoo and Sea World. Walked down Rodeo drive, went to Santa Monica Pier, Universal Studios, did the walk of fame and celebrity home tour and of course visited Disneyland where we had a private meet and greet with Mickey Mouse, lol.
Hawaii was spectacular. We first went to Kona (The big Island) where we stayed at The Hilton Waikoloa. We went snorkelling; Zip lining and we did a helicopter/Volcano tour. Next stop was Honolulu where we stayed at the Kahala Resort. I was lucky enough to meet and have my photo with Adam Sandler who was also staying at the Resort. I gave him an Aussie Koala bear which he absolutely loved and was extremely thankful. We visited Pearl Harbour, Polynesian Cultural Centre and Kualoa Ranch where they made films like Jurassic Park and Jumanji. While at the ranch we did a movie set tour, ATV tour and horse riding. We also did an underwater scooter tour, Diamond Head Segway tour, swam with dolphins, visited the Polynesian cultural centre, and did the Hawaii 5-0 TV show tour where we got to see Alex Loughlin (Steve McGarrett) filming. Drool!!
We also went to a magic show, waterfall hike and sunset dinner cruise. We certainly had a full itinerary and would definitely love to go back in the near future.
Wedding Advice ...
Do plenty of research, especially if you are having a theme wedding. Google was my best friend!! Shop around and don’t be afraid to bargain prices. Week day Weddings are becoming very popular and you can save thousands of dollars. Most importantly have fun!! Wedding planning doesn’t have to be stressful. Organisation is the key and having a check list. Most importantly enjoy every minute of your special day as the day goes so quickly.
If I had my time over the only thing I would do differently would be to get dance lessons and do a choreographed first dance instead of just swaying, lol. Everything was pretty much perfect and all my planning and hard work was definitely worth it.
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