One of our favourite parts about the pandemonium (if there could be a good part!) is the two wedding phenomenon. Caity and Alastair are part of this one – the pair who postponed their original wedding plans due to Victorian COVID restrictions, instead eloped the day before their original wedding date, with only their parents as witnesses, on a beautiful Summer’s morning in Daylesford. Part two is coming for these two, by the way. They’ll be celebrating in style on their first anniversary, surrounded by everyone they love.

This was a day that was light, bright and full of stunning moments, as captured by the lovely Fran Jorgensen Photography. The groom’s classic black tuxedo, and the bride’s fun white jumpsuit, just the beginning (and right on point, shows how black &  white, can be used in a more casual, sunny summer setting).

It was Tinder that helped these two to meet, in Caity’s words “We met the old fashioned way. Tinder at its peak in 2014. We spoke for a week or two first. Al let me message him for a whole day before casually dropping that it was his birthday, around 8 pm. I felt horrible for forgetting, so I offered to buy him a drink the next day at Northcote Social Club to make up for it. It was the day in between both our birthdays, a Wednesday afternoon. We sat and talked and laughed for hours, it was so easy!”

Alastair popping the question during Caity’s birthday week. “On my birthday in 2019, Al had organised a week away. Everything was kept a secret, I had no idea there was a proposal on the way. Throughout the week, Al kept giving me little envelopes which told of the next surprise. These included INCREDIBLE accommodation at the top of Arthur’s Seat, a private yoga session at Peninsular Hot Springs (I should have guessed something was up after this one!), dinner at Jackalope and a surprise visit from my Mother at the end of the week.

Our anniversary occurred while we were away (the day before my birthday). As we explored our gorgeous accommodation overlooking the peninsular, I thought it would be the perfect time to give Al his gift, some Japanese ceramics. I thought this gift was UNBEATABLE. I was wrong. He handed me another little envelope. I opened it up, it said: “turn around”. When I did, he was on one knee! We kept it to ourselves for a couple of days and enjoyed being in the bubble, just us. It was incredible!”

Caity found her incredible Rime Arodaky jumpsuit on Still White. She paired it with blush Jimmy Choo shoes. “I wore the Patsy jumpsuit by Rime Arodaky. I had the sleeves cut into little cap sleeves, which I love!

When we decided to postpone our big wedding, I decided I would save my dress. I had always dreamt of wearing the jumpsuit for a reception outfit and thought this could be a nice consolation since our elopement was going to look so different from our original wedding. I found the jumpsuit second-hand on Still White and purchased it without even trying it on!

I can’t wait to finally wear my dress on our first anniversary this year!”

Alastair? He wore a suit by Peter Jacksons. Caity noting “Alistair chose to go with a very classic tux. It is aptly named the Clooney! He doesn’t usually wear black, but this suit looks so good on him!”

Alastair’s favourite memory of the day? “Caity’s jumpsuit! We did a first look before the ceremony and turning around to see her in the jumpsuit took me by surprise and took my breath away. The jumpsuit was perfect on her and perfect for our elopement.”

The blooms for the day were styled by The Lakehouse team and included one special addition. The bride telling  “Deb from Lake House was a dream to work with. I wanted a classic collection of flowers including Roses and Babies Breath. A week or so before the wedding, Deb contacted me saying Lake House had the last of the peonies leftover from spring. They were added to the assortment and they truly made it so special!”

Caity and Alastair have rave reviews for their photographer Fran. “We came across Fran Jorgensen while looking for vendors when adapting our plans. She is such a genuine person, which made the whole experience a joy. We both felt comfortable, not at all rushed and as if she was a friend. Fran has a knack for capturing natural, intimate moments. I love the way all the photos just seem so natural.

She was so knowledgeable and gave us amazing advice about the timelines for the day. She provided enough direction for us to make interesting pictures but not so much that it felt unnatural. We were, and are, so grateful to have found her last minute.”

The couple wed overlooking the lake.

Although she couldn’t have exactly what she wanted to play as she walked down the aisle, Caity was still surprised. “Music was one of the most important things to consider for me when planning our wedding. While one of my closest friends was supposed to sing “To Love Someone” by Ben Abraham as I walked down the aisle, obviously this had to change. I was just going to play the song instead, and he surprised me by sending me a recording of himself singing it a couple of days before the big day. It was one of the most special and personal parts of the day for me and I’ll never forget it!”

The couple were married by Jane Gould Dowen.  Caity explaining “We were lucky enough to have a friend lead our ceremony. I went to uni with Jane and we met up with her while all living in London in 2015. She wrote the whole ceremony based on our own words. It was so personal to us, with lots of humour and love loaded in. Although we couldn’t have all our family and friends with us, having Jane was a special treat to share the day with her.”

The bride’s heirlooms were all down to her mum. “I used my Mum’s vintage bag on the day, I couldn’t go without some reference to her.

She also (hilariously) stole and dried some rose petals from the house we had just bought when she attended a house inspection. They were thrown after our ceremony as we toasted to our marriage!”

Caity and Alastair’s day unfolded at the beautiful Lake House. Says Caity “While our original wedding is going to take place at Churchill in Taradale on our first anniversary, we wanted to save it for when we can fill it up with all the people we love.

We came across Lake House as an option for an elopement and couldn’t go past it. We had stayed there before and knew how incomparable it is. The whole experience was just incredible. Throughout a lockdown, the team were attentive and so helpful. They made the stressful experience of the last-minute change feel easy.

The set-up for the ceremony was absolutely gorgeous. Afterwards, we all went in for a long and boozy lunch to celebrate. Of course, the Lake House is famous for its food and wine and this experience was no exception. We had our own area to ourselves which was laden with flowers. It was intimate and unforgettable. Not at all how we’d planned our wedding to look initially, but somehow it was perfect. We are so thankful to Deb and the whole Lakehouse team, for providing the day which was honestly beyond our wildest dreams. We still feel so lucky to have been married in such an incredible place.”

“Don’t sweat the small things!” advises Caity, “I’m sure this is the common message from any Covid bride, but it is so true! The circumstances made me reconsider what the most important things are when it is YOUR wedding. In saying that, I am bursting with excitement to celebrate with family and friends in our original venue later this year!”

Caity’s favourite party of wedding planning? “Just bouncing off all the people around me, my new husband, my family and bridal party (a special shout-out to my go-to consultants Kay and Mother-in-Law Bronwen). They put up with a lot of uncertainty and emotions over the course of 2020, I honestly don’t know how I would have made it without their support!”

And after photos, the newlyweds celebrated with wine and cheese (perfection!) “It was just the unexpected charm of having such an intimate day. ” noted Caity, “Staying at Lake House with my Mum the night before was so special, then having a beautiful morning ceremony and lunch with our parents. Afterwards, they left and we had the day to ourselves. We lapped up the love bubble, got room service for dinner and even went to the local wine and cheese bar later that night! So many people say that they barely got to see their spouse during their wedding, but we did. It was truly about us. A perfect day we will never forget, or regret.”

  

A big congratulations to you both Caity and Alastair and all the good vibes for your celebration! Thank you for sharing your elopement with us and thank you to the lovely Fran Jorgensen Photography for sharing today’s beautiful celebration!