To be or not to be? To swipe left or to swipe right, that is the question!
Nick and Nicola lit the flame by matching on Tinder. They both remember nearly
swiping left because their names were so similar, but they ended up swiping right
and as soon as Nicola saw they were a match, she messaged Nick, “Nick and Nic, wouldn’t that be classic?”. Turns out it was!
To Nick and Nicola marriage means a commitment to each other as much as it is
themselves. It’s a commitment that they will both try their best to be the best they
can be, so that they can help support each other in every way possible. “A
partnership takes two, and I think it’s only fair to both put in the effort so that we can move forward as a team and overcome any challenges together.”
During a getaway in the beautiful Tamar Valley in Tasmania, Nick booked a night in
a glamping dome at Swinging Gate Winery. Nick had planned to pop the question
once they arrived, but Nicola needed a well-deserved nap after they enjoyed two
wine tastings and a big grazing platter before reaching their accommodation. 2 hours later Nicola woke up, and Nick surprised her by pulling out a little box with a
gorgeous ring from under the cushion on the armchair.
The wedding planning and organisation then begun! Nick and Nicola wanted
something that was a bit “city chic” when deciding on a venue. They loved The Lussh because it was inner city, convenient for guests and of course a beautiful setting for photos, whilst also still feeling quite private. The couple also loved the Arches in the bar and how they didn’t need to do much to make it look good. When Nick and Nicola had their first meeting, they fell in love with the space, their event co-ordinator at Lussh Sophie, making the whole process seem easier.
We wanted something that was a bit “city chic”. We loved the Lussh because it was inner city, convenient for most of our guests and of course a beautiful setting for photos. We also loved the Arches in the bar and how we didn’t need to do much to make it look good. When we had our first meeting, it was clear that Sophie (our event coordinator at the Lussh) knew exactly what she was talking about, and she made everything seem easier.
“I loved my gown. I wish I could wear it again! Thank goodness for Vanessa and the WFML team. From the first fitting, I had that fluttery feeling in my tummy trying on all the different options. I loved that you could mix and match fabrics, colours, and styles to personalise your look. I knew I wanted something fitted with a bit of lace. I actually thought I was going to choose a dress with lace the whole way down but when I tried on the Harper Gown it felt ‘the one’ and I actually got a little bit teary, so it must have been a sign!”
Nicola’s mum unfortunately had COVID when she went searching for her gown, but she made sure to have her on face time while Nicola’s sister and mother-in-law were there in person. “They were all honest which was good, I needed that!”
Nick chose his own suit as well as the groomsmen’s suits. Nicola believes Nick to
have “pretty good taste” and they agreed that if there’s any time to wear a tux, it’s at your own wedding. Nicola’s only requested was for the groomsmen to wear black. Nicks final attire consisted of a midnight blue tux with black lapels. It worked perfectly, and the bride was extremely happy.
Nicola and Nick added the small touch of gifting each other something to wear on
their special day. They also included little touches of them both throughout their
wedding. After the ceremony Nicola and Nick had Aperols and Margaritas for their
guests, their two favourite cocktails. “This was a bit fun and got the celebrations
started.”
On their very first date Nicola and Nick went to a café and were seated at ‘table N’ so for their seating plan they had Table N, 1, 2 and 3. Immediate family and the bridal party and their partners were seated with the bride and groom on Table N. “It was so nice to have our parents and all of our very nearest and dearest on the same table as us.” Nicola had some chamomile flowers placed in her bouquet. As a naturopath, she wanted to have one of her favourite digestive and nervous system herbs intertwined somehow. Their wedding guest book was embossed with ND Wedding because they now have the same initials, which is a bit of a running joke with their friends and family. Nick and Nicola’s MCs surprised them with really tacky but cute fake tattoos for all of the wedding guests. The tattoo was two hearts and ND Wedding 23.04.23. “It was so much fun seeing our guests with a little reminder of our wedding on them throughout the evening and for days afterwards.”
It was most important to Nicola that everyone enjoyed themselves. A big priority was having plenty of time to dance at the end of the night!
The best part of Nicolas bridal experience was “seeing everyone get excited for us
too with the hen’s parties and bucks and the whole lead up to the big day.” It wasn’t that they needed validation, but it was nice to know that others felt excited for them too.
The most helpful piece of advice Nicola said she received during her wedding
planning process was “Remember to enjoy the day!” The wedding can go so quickly so Nicola had her bridesmaids come up to her at multiple points throughout the day and remind her to take some deep breaths and look around once every so often. “It was so good to stop and soak it in.”
Nicola passed on four extremely helpful tips for future brides. Firstly, try not to get too hung up on the tiny details. While they might be important to you, your guests don’t know the difference and at the end of the day you’re probably going to be too busy to notice if something is missing or not quite right anyway. Second, get your bridesmaids to remind you to ‘stop and smell the roses’. Third, give your photographer a list of all the portrait combinations you want and have a family-friend to organise people for the family photos to make the process easier. Last but certainly not least, HAVE FUN! “I was worried about running behind and running out of time (which would mean less dancing time) but we ended up having two and a half hours on the dance floor, so in hindsight an extra 5 or 10 minutes taking photos wasn’t going to make a huge difference.”
Vendors:
Venue: @thelussh
Photographer: @danielchaferphotography
Celebrant: @hillscelebrant
Catering: @alfreshco_catering
Band: @betweenthecoversmusic
Stationary: @lauraelizabethdesign
Florals: @katedawesflowerdesign
Dress: @whenfreddiemetlilly
Suits: @blackjacketsuiting
Hair: @dominica.hmu
Make-up: @katedevlin
Cake: @cheeky_little_baker