Kate + Tommy, Merewether Surfhouse
Venue: Merewether Surfhouse
The year was 2015, and while sharks and horses were featuring on TV screens, creating a buzz of background noise for the locals at the Gladstone Hotel in Stockton one rainy Saturday afternoon, local bar fly Tommy raised his schooner glass to his lips, and for a moment, time stood still. Shaking his head to see if he was dreaming, his mouth went dry. So he took a gulp. And then another. And then, as if in a trance, levitated towards the bar, towards a vision that drew him in, and he spoke the first words of a spell that would create a connection like no other… A spell that had stood the test of time for so many well worn romantic, star struck lovers. He took a breath, and uttered, “hey, can I buy you a drink?”.
The trance was shattered when the vision replied, “no thanks, I’ve already got one”...
And so began a snippet of Kate and Tommy’s love story, shared in their very fun wedding ceremony.
Kate and Tommy were the kind of couple that I clicked very easily with (it probably helps that we did their ceremony planning over a beer at the very local pub they met at). It meant their laid back ceremony was very exciting and fun to prepare. I knew I could scatter cheeky little surprises throughout this ceremony, like a letter from their dog who couldn’t be there, who sent a cardboard cutout instead.
The ceremony itself was simple in style (Kate arrived in a cab and we used the rug from my son’s bedroom as styling), but punched such an epic pack in emotion: you could tell every single one of the 130+ guests was truly invested in their happiness. Set against the backdrop of Merewether Beach before everyone turned around to head inside for a fabulous Saturday evening reception, their wedding was warm, fun, humble, and a celebration of good old fashioned, genuine love for two people who could not be more perfectly matched.
