Karan and Brad’s VIC wedding at beautiful Tanglewood Estate was romantic with sprinklings of hilarity. Romantic in that they shared an intimate first look, which Karan describes as “a moment stolen in time” and funny in that when Brad was being blindfolded for the garter toss, Karan planted his groomsman in her place. “Once Brad figured it out, his face was absolutely priceless”. This was a wedding that their guests will remember for all of the right reasons.
Also, if anyone is on the fence about investing in a good photographer or hiring a wedding videographer, grab a box of tissues and scroll down to see the eye-wateringly beautiful work of Dan Brannan and True Story Wedding Films.
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How long have you been together and how did you meet?
Feels like a lifetime now during lockdown! Haha. We’ve been together for six years, and met at our old jobs at the swimming pool. Brad asked me out one day and I cheekily replied that I wouldn’t date him until he grew his hair two inches! And true to his word, he didn’t ask me out again until he grew his curls back. Persistence wore me down and I couldn’t ever say no again.
Can you tell us a bit about your proposal?
Brad and I were at his parents’ property in Mansfield, in the paddocks with his two family labradors, who I absolutely adore. He was insistent on bringing the dogs into the paddocks for a sunset photo (little did I know it was all a ploy!). Whilst I had both puppas sitting next to me, I was staring off into the sky trying to find the perfect sunset backdrop, to turn back around and see Brad dropped to one knee! His first words were “I can’t wait any longer” and mine were “Are you sure?”. Haha then I burst into tears and bowled him over.
Tell us about your wedding dress and Brad’s suit, how did you find it? What did you love about it?
In ultimate impulsiveness, I said yes to a Liz Martinez wedding dress whilst she was in Sydney doing a trunk show and I was up visiting my sister. The dress ended up being custom made in Israel (where the designer is from) and flown out to me.
I was never a big, full wedding dress type of gal (how can one dance) but when I tried this dress on… I just couldn’t say no. The intricate detailing and dusty pink/ivory undertones was exquisite. It was soft, ethereal and flowy – absolutely perfect for our wedding.
To cater for my original wedding dress preference, Liz made the overskirt detachable, with the bodice attached to a soft, slimline and lightweight dress underneath. So much easier to break it down on the dance floor.
Brad got his wedding tux from M. J. Bale. It was a timeless black tuxedo with a french cuffed white shirt and bow tie, paired with patent black Aquila dress shoes. It was timeless, sleek and made Brad as devilishly handsome as ever.
Did you write your own vows? How did you find that experience?
We wrote our own vows, which made them so much more personalised. Who would have thought it was so hard to express so much into a few lines?! We kept them secret from one another, and the amount of drafts I had, and proofreader bridesmaids coming to my rescue. We mulled over them individually in the weeks leading up to our wedding, and it was absolutely perfect on the day.
Was your wedding in your home town or was it a destination wedding?
We got married at Tanglewood Estate in Dromana, VIC – not too far from our home.
How did you decide on the location of your wedding and the venue itself?
I had a spreadsheet miles long of gorgeous venues with Tanglewood as our first visit. We met the owner Donna, saw the venue and binned the spreadsheet that night.
In a few sentences, how would you describe your wedding?
A pinnacle moment. The depth of love we were surrounded by, we felt so much warmth and pure happiness every second of our wedding. It was so much fun marrying my best friend and celebrating our day with our closest and dearest.
What was your wedding budget? Did you stick to it? If not, how much extra did you spend?
Our wedding budget was 60k. We ended up going 3k over, which in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t too bad. We did find unexpected costs so tried to DIY as much as possible!
How many guests did you have?
117.
Were you inspired by a particular wedding style or vibe when bringing your day to life?
We wanted a timeless, ethereal, yet laid back and fun wedding. We just wanted to have a big party!
Where did you gather your inspiration?
Pinterest! I’d be lost without Pinterest and Instagram. I found so many beautiful vendors, ideas and inspo there.
Did you partake in any DIY elements to your day?
I practiced calligraphy for months (zilch background in it) to write on all our wedding invitation envelopes. I had a painstakingly sore hand but it was worth it!
On the day, Brad’s dad made up two meter block letters B & K with fairy lights and florals entangled throughout.
A week or so prior to our day, we went around the paddocks hunting for logs for our menu holders.
We had name cards for each guest with a surprise personalised quote in each one, which we loved seeing everybody flip open once word got around that there were fun little quotes and comments folded in.
How did you find your dream team?
I’m a bit of a researcher, so once I combed through vendors (with the help of social media), when we knew it was a fit, it was perfect! We met people who were local in Mornington Peninsula and brought along a vendor from Geelong.
Now that you’re married, what’s the best piece of advice you can give other couples in the middle of planning their own weddings?
Trust your gut. And your other half’s. You will get so much advice and input from everybody around you, it can at times become overwhelming.
What are some of the most memorable and special moments of your wedding?
Walking into the reception, Brad decided on a whim to serenade me in – to nothing other than Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m on Fire”. I wasn’t expecting it and it was so much fun to get lost in the moment and sing and dance our way into our family and friends!
Brad was also insistent on doing a garter toss (which I found cringeworthy) and so whilst he was being blindfolded, I planted his groomsman in my place. Those grinding dance moves to Kylie Minogue’s “Slow” were a sight to behold. Once Brad figured it out, his face was absolutely priceless.
Lastly, I will never forget seeing Brad for the first time during our ‘first look’. It was such an intimate and private moment for us both before the craziness to just say hello to one another and realise, this is it. It was honestly a moment stolen in time that I’ll treasure forever.
Do you have any standout suppliers that you would recommend in a heartbeat?
Oh my gosh, where to begin. Dan Brannan our photographer. He was intuitive, upbeat, fun and what talent. Alongside Tearlach Wales our videographer (do yourself a favour and make sure you get a videographer for your wedding), they made the perfect hypemen.
We also absolutely adored our catering company (so yum!), Brad from Finesse Catering Group and our wedding cake supplier Lauren from Blue & Ruby Cake Art. The cake was beautiful, and tasted incredible. Their attention to detail is not lost on me.
I’d also love to mention my make up artist Isabella Quinn. That girl can paint a face to make you glow!
What are you most looking forward to now that you’re married?
Getting a puppy! We’ll hopefully be welcoming a Portuguese Water Dog pup in January, 2021. Watch this space.
CREDITS: Photos Dan Brannan // Video True Story Wedding Films // Venue Tanglewood Estate // Flowers Pretty Street Flowers // Catering Finesse Catering Group // Cake Blue & Ruby Cake Art // Wishing well and neon signage The Style & Hire Co. // Bridal gown Liz Martinez // Brides shoes Alias Mae // Accessories A.B.Ellie // Bridesmaid dresses Shona Joy // Bridesmaid shoes Tony Bianco // Bridesmaid gifts Le Rose, Jolie & Deen and Kitte // Grooms suit M. J. Bale // Grooms shoes Aquila // Groomsmen suits and bowties Peter Jackson // Groomsmen shoes Betts // Groomsmen gifts Etsy and Roger David // Rings Paul Bram Diamonds // Hair Maria Kaplanis // Makeup Isabella Quinn // Celebrant Father Noel Brady // Furniture hire Simmons Linen Hire.
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