“It was a simple, small wedding which is one thing that we both agreed was important to us as our main focus was to make the day as personal and intimate as we possibly could.” For Cat and Mike, their day was kept completely simple, to let their details – including that of their story together, do all the talking. Says bride Cat “Looking back we are really pleased we did it that way as it didn’t overcomplicate things and we had the two closest people in our lives supporting us on the day.”

And as we’re celebrating weddings of black & white, we thought Cat and Mike’s honouring of the monochrome palette with a hint of blush and olive was just the ticket for your Wednesday needs. Add to that the beautiful photography that Robert Meredith Photography brings to the table and hump day isn’t looking so bad after all!

It feels like it really was always meant to be for Cat and Mike, the pair met at the wee age of 17, but didn’t get together until much later! Cat fills us in “We met through mutual friends at a dance party when we were around 17 years old. We were both in relationships at the time however remember the exact moment we saw each other. I remember very clearly standing in line and noticing Mike in the distance being very loud and animated making everyone laugh. I was instantly drawn to him and wanted to know who he was. As we were both in relationships at the time, the timing, unfortunately, wasn’t right, so we decided to become friends. A few years later when we were both single at the same time, things just fell into place. Timing is honestly everything!”

Cat wore the second, not the first gown, she purchased, finding the winner at Emmy Mae.”My experience was a little bit stressful as I can be a very indecisive person! The dress I wore on the day was actually the second dress I had bought but funnily enough, it was the first dress I had tried on! I always knew I wanted something relatively simple with a low back, but most importantly it had to be something I was comfortable in. The dress I wore on the day is called Bec from Emmy May Bridal. To say it was comfortable is an understatement! It was so light and easy to move in so I am glad I made the last-minute change!”

Cat and Mike chose the stunning outdoor courtyard of La Porte Space for their ceremony. “As soon as we entered the space we knew it was exactly what we had been looking for, it was perfect!” remember Cat. “We loved everything about this space! Our florist (Ellebore) completely brought it to life with her display of flowers but other than that the space was beautiful as it was!”

One of the groom’s favourite memories? Just before he headed to tie the knot. “From an incredibly stressful week, with COVID-19 emerging and gaining momentum, having a Scotch on my parents’ balcony, with my two best mates before I set off for the ceremony was truly a great memory from the day. It allowed me to collect my feelings and get set to commit the rest of my life to Cat.

Cat walked down the aisle to “Holocene” by Bon Iver.

Cat’s favourite part of wedding planning? “Writing my vows. Putting those words together meant a lot to me and reminded me what the wedding was truly about and how lucky I was to be marrying someone like Mike. Weddings can get so out of hand at times and even though ours was quite simple, it is easy to get a little lost in it all. My vows brought me back down to reality and reminded me that the day is purely about the two of us spending the rest of our lives together.”

The ceremony, officiated by Jessie Cacchillo, was kept very simple.  “We wanted the ceremony to be as personal and intimate as possible yet have everyone feel relaxed and a part of our day” explains Cat. “We felt the courtyard at La Porte Space had the perfect feel for what we were after as it was a small and inviting space yet had a lot of greenery which brought it to life. As the space was beautiful as it was, we knew that anything we added would be minimal. Due to this, we decided to just add a spot of colour in our floral arrangements which we found worked perfectly! We wanted the ceremony itself to be quite short and as we are both not very religious people, we decided against any readings.”

Says Mike “Crafting my vows was incredibility special. Being able to put on paper my deepest feelings for my wife to be, was very emotional for me, but made me feel more connected to her and our relationship.”

Let’s talk Mike’s look – he wore a black tuxedo from MJ Bale. Cat noting “Mike went for a classic black suit as he has always been drawn to the classic wedding look. Stylish and timeless.” While Matt adds “I thoroughly enjoyed the tailor experience at M J Bale. Being sized up whilst enjoying a beer and cracking jokes with my best man, this is when it hit me that the wedding was nearing and that soon I will have a wife.”

Cat and Mike’s choice of photographer is one they highly recommend. “We honestly only have great things to say about him! From the get-go he made us feel at ease, even with the stress and uncertainty of COVID. He always made us feel confident that he would pull through on the day which sounds crazy as that’s what you should expect, however with all the uncertainty around COVID and the number of friends and family that were dropping out by the second, it was a relief to know that we could count on him.”

Yet to tie the knot? Cat gives you this advice. “If there is any advice we can give, it is to go with the flow no matter what goes wrong and make sure you take a moment to take it all in together, as husband and wife. Keep it simple and don’t overcomplicate the date.”

As the sun started to slip down, Cat and Mike joined their guests for an evening reception at Three Blue Ducks. Says Cat “The venue offered an outside private courtyard space where we kicked things off with sunset cocktails before heading inside for the formalities.”

In a day that was as much about Cat and Mike’s loved ones, as it was about them, they even wove a few special surprises in, says Cat “We had a surprise in store for my mum as over 30 years ago when my parents got married, their DJ forgot the vinyl that had their first dance! It is something my mum has never been able to let go of. As soon as our first dance finished, we had our MC who is my dad’s brother, surprise them by welcoming them to the dance floor to finally have their moment. Let’s just say, my mum was an emotional wreck! It was such a beautiful moment and one we were grateful to have been able to give to my parents.”

For their dance floor debut, Cat and Mike chose “Get you the moon (feat Snow)” by Kina, Snow. Cat explains “We heard this song about a month before the wedding and knew it had to be our song. The song really connected with us and resonated more deeply than any other song had.” And the beginning? Completely in tune with these two. “When they announced our first dance I quickly disappeared to the bathroom leaving Mike to entertain the crowd by himself. In true Mike style, he kept the crowd entertained with some of his unique dance moves. Luckily I was only gone for a few minutes and he didn’t embarrass himself too much!”

A big congratulations to the newlyweds, thank you to you both Cat and Mike for sharing your stories with us. Thank you also to Robert Meredith Photography for sharing today’s beautiful images.