Marc and Mel's intimate wedding

A small intimate gathering of those closest shows how big love is when it is shared with others.

Meet the couple

Marc and Melissa are outdoor lovers and food enthusiasts. Marc is an audio and lighting technician and Melissa works for a local not-for-profit. They met while living in London.

“We had so much in common and found ourselves hanging out so easily. We started traveling together (that’s how you get to know someone!!) and eating our way through Europe and hiking our way through the USA. Eventually, Marc came back with Melissa to live in Australia. We have now been living here together for 4 years and have a 17-month-old little girl who has an interesting British/Australian twang!”

Who proposed?

Marc did. We were back in his home town in the UK and we went on a scenic hike up the Moelydd, in Trefonen. We had spoken about marriage and even looked at rings, however I didn’t expect the proposal.

How did you choose your ceremony and reception venue?

We wanted something small, we saw Araluen advertised on a Facebook post and it was such a pretty place with beautiful scenery. I contacted the owner and we went and had a look at grounds. She was so accommodating with our idea and the venue was just perfect for our little wedding.

What was your wedding theme?

No theme as such, we just wanted something that was relaxed and family orientated.

What made your wedding unique?

How small it was, everyone had a little job in the ceremony and by 3pm we were sitting on the balcony at Araluen sipping on a glass of Steels Gates Pinot Noir as a married couple. Bliss!

Is there a story behind your dress(es) and veil/headpieces etc?

I always knew I didn’t want to wear a traditional wedding dress. I searched high and low and ended up finding my dress online from a shop in the UK. The picture made it look like it was a cream dress and when I got it in the post, I was shocked it was lavender/grey – but I loved it!

Tell us about your wedding bands/other special elements of your day.

To continue with not being a traditionalist, my engagement ring wasn’t a diamond. However, my wedding band had a few! We decided to buy our rings from a small business – Windfall Jewellery.

What makes your marriage?

I’ll let you know!

What’s your best advice for planning the perfect wedding?

Go with what you want, the wedding is about you and your partner and celebrating each other, no matter how big or small the wedding is. And be relaxed, it’ll all work out in the end!

What were the highlights?

Having our daughter there and being able to sit with our family and have a relaxed reception at Steels Gate Wines. We had two children there and a baby and they catered so well for us.