Kirstin & Ben
How did you and your partner meet?
Ben and I met at work where I was a lawyer and he was an engineer. We were both dating other people at the time but I was definitely interested in him. Sometimes the girls at reception would send me messages to let me know he was in the office. One afternoon we were both in the city. I was on my way home after having cocktails with the girls. Ben had just been to Officeworks to pick up picture frames. We were crossing the road on opposite sides and met in the middle. It was the first time we had seen each other in months and the first time we'd seen each other out of work. We exchanged details and started chatting from then on.
How did you or partner propose?
Ben proposed on a walk through Centennial Park one Friday afternoon.
Why did you choose to have your wedding at Terrara House?
I had originally booked Terrara House as accommodation for my extended family when Ben and I were planning to get married in December 2020. Albeit, sometime during 2020 our plans of having 150 people at our wedding ended up being put on hold due to COVID restrictions. Ben and I really wanted to get married so we brought our family along to Terrara House for a little getaway and eloped. We loved it so much that we moved our wedding there and celebrated again on our 1 year anniversary. Terrara House was the perfect choice for us for a number of reasons. Mostly because the space is so beautiful on its own; it’s unique; it has plenty of accommodation for my large family; many spaces to get ready and have photos and the team who work there are super friendly and very professional.
Did you have a theme for your wedding?
A romantic formal garden party followed by dinner under the stars. What was your menu on the night? A banquet of burrata and tomato salad, meatballs, lamb shoulder, smoked brisket, golden syrup dumplings , espresso martinis and wedding cake.
What was your favourite part of your ceremony?
Having our bridal party write their own vows for us. The bridesmaids each asked Ben to make a promise to me and the groomsmen each asked me to make a promise to Ben. They were all a complete surprise on the day. Also our mums gave a champagne toast during the ceremony which was so sweet. What did you love about your reception? So many things, the styling, the food, the band!! Ou guests were dancing so much, I was a little scared we would break the floor.
How many people attended your wedding?
120
What was your favourite location in Terrara House & The Estate and why?
I love, love, love the gardens. They’re so perfectly manicured; a beautiful serene place to unwind and connect with nature. Did you plan a post wedding ‘honeymoon’ celebration and if so, what experience did you plan? We originally planned a trip to Canada for the ski season but we’ve put that holiday on hold until the International borders open. Instead we spent a couple of nights at Bannisters in Mollymook. We had dinner at Rick Steins, couples massages, cocktails by the infinity pool; highly recommend.
What is your advice for any future couples planning their wedding?
Work with good vendors and trust them to work their magic; they know what they’re doing. Don’t overthink it; your wedding will be amazing.
THE DETAILS
Photographer: ImageHaus @imagehausweddings
Bride’s Dress: bespoke Suzanne Neville from Helen Rodrigues @helenrodriguesbridal and @suzanneneville
Brides shoes: Manolo Blahnik @manoloblahnik
Bride’s accessories: Keren Wolf earrings and headband kerenwolf and Peter Langner veil peterlangner all from Helen Rodrigues @helenrodriguesbridal
Bridesmaid Dresses: Fame and Partners @fameandpartners
Groom’s attire: MJ Bale @mjbale Engagement & wedding rings; Kenndy Jewellers @kennedyjewellers
Celebrant: Coastal Ceremonies Celebrant @Coastalceremoniescelebrant
Hair & Makeup: Kyzo @kyzo.bride
Florist: Two Wild Hearts Co @twowildheartsco
Venue: Terrara House @terrarahouse
Catering: Blue Swimmer @blueswimmer_restaurant
Cake: Faye Cahill Cake Design @fayecahillcakedesign
Planner: White Top Venues @whitetopvenues
Stylist: She Designs @she_design
Stationery: Byv @byv____ Invites; Byv @byv____
Entertainment: Clear Strings @clear_strings; White Tree Band @thewhitetree; DJ Nana Blade @nanabladedj