Great Ocean Road Wedding - Polka Dot Wedding

Lucy and Stew

Lucy and Stew took a laid back approach to their Great Ocean Road wedding (captured by Cam Grove Photography). They stayed at a holiday house in a tiny town with their families, setting up a marquee at the local caravan park and holding their reception at the local general store cafe. Having met at a friend’s party years earlier, they took to their coastal wedding with an added a 50’s/60’s edge to it.

The weekend festivities were held at the little town of Wye River. Lucy tells, “Wye river was a perfect location for the wedding – a sleepy inlet on the Great Ocean Road. A small town with one pub, one store and a surf club. My family all stayed in the one beach house with nieces and nephews and a view to the ocean. Stew was able to surf hours before the wedding and I had a freezing swim at sunrise with my bridesmaid. It was intimate and all our friends and family were able to meet at the beach and then spend the next two days together. ”

Lucy remembers, “The photographer said I was the most hands on bride hence the photos of me with my hair in curlers setting up the marquee.” Lucy and Stew chose Wye River Caravan Park for their ceremony.

Stew was gifted cufflinks from Lucy, who tells, “My ring was diamonds and sapphire taken from a ring from my grandmother and reset onto white gold by Arbor in Brunswick. I gave Stew bike cufflinks on the day also by Arbor.”

“My hair was done by local makeup artist Diane Baker and I was keen to have a 50’s style pin curls.”

Wunderplant created the floral arrangements for the day, Lucy remembering, “I said ‘no roses’ to my florist, just white flowers with green foliage and there needed to be a thistle on Stew’s boutonniere because of his Scottish heritage. The floral stylist Amy from Wunderplant did an amazing job of finding heather and spraying it purple like a thistle.”

Of their wedding day attire, Lucy remembers, “My wedding dress was made in Kansas USA and purchased from Etsy and Stew’s suit was a mod suit from the UK. We had both fitted by a lovely Italian lady Gina on Rathdowne Street, Carlton who has been a seamstress for over fifty years.”

The wedding car held a very special story – it was the car from the start of Lucy and Stew’s relationship! Lucy tells “When Stew and I were first dating I bought a 1971 Type three Volkswagon. We loved driving down to coast in this car and staying at Torquay swimming and surfing. I had to sell it after a few years and kept in contact with the person who bought it. I approached the guy before our wedding to ask if we could borrow the car and once again we were driving the Volksie down the coast packed to the brim with our wedding gear and Stew’s cousin from Canada. It made sense that the Volksie was our wedding car.”

Lucy walked down the aisle to Cat Power’s “Sea of Love”.

The couple were married by Lucy’s aunt – Judy Aulich. Lucy tells, “She was able to create a simple ceremony with no fuss but lots of laughs. We wrote our own vows.”

Of their photographer, Lucy remarks, “Cam Grove was a close friend but also a respected photographer. I felt he had a documentary style and would capture moments rather than setting up traditional shots. We gave him free reign and rarely directed him.”

Wye River General Store hosted the reception, Lucy remembering ,”The Wye River General Store were great to work with and we used where possible, local suppliers and products eg Wine, cheese, Otway Bacon. We had two huge seafood paella’s for our main and a dessert bar with macaroons, chocolate tarts, and our wedding cake was made by the Wye river baker. An Italian sponge with candied fruit. There was no formal seating we just had the run of the cafe/general foodstore.”