Kate & Maya hosted a modern and contemporary wedding day in the heart of Melbourne. They incorporated some fun Polish blessings and traditions into their ceremony to honor Maya’s heritage and talk openly about what their marriage means to them.
Words by Kate
HOW THEY MET
We met five years ago through a mutual friend, but have only been together for three years.
I remember talking to Maya in the kitchen, and I could barely speak. I thought she was so beautiful. We both had other girlfriends at that stage, and when we met again two years later, that quickly changed.
THE PROPOSAL
We were off to London to have Christmas with Maya’s sisters, followed by two weeks driving through the snowy Scottish Highlands. I decided about four months before we left that I was going to ask Maya to marry me while on the trip. I just didn’t know exactly when and where. We were sharing luggage, and traveling light. So, I was constantly changing my hiding spot for the ring. Which, to be honest, was hard to keep track of.
Then we had a magical day staying in a spa in Pitlochry. I knew this was going to be the day. We were super relaxed after a few days driving through the dramatic and mystic snow-capped landscape and a full day at a luxe spa resort.
I decided to wait for Maya in our hotel room while she showered and prepared for dinner. I waited for her in bed and placed the ring under the sheets, on her side of the bed. By this stage, I found it hard to wait in bed and started pacing.
When Maya got out of the shower, she came to say hi before we went out for dinner. I quickly flicked the sheets up to reveal the ring and asked her to marry me. We both cried like babies and then promptly went out for a martini and steak.
It was the best day ever.
THE ENGAGEMENT
We were two women organizing a wedding. Naturally, we felt organized, and honestly, we smashed it.
We were going overseas if the [Australian Marriage Equality] vote didn’t pass, so only had three months to plan the big event, and everything except having our outfits made went perfectly. In the end, we had our first dress fitting one week before the wedding and picked up our outfits the day before.
Rupert on Rupert was the only venue we looked at. We loved the venue’s style, and when we met Mali for the first time, we put down our deposit right then and there.
THE WEDDING DAY
Our favorite memories are of the ceremony. We had 82 guests, and walking into the venue and standing in front of all our family and friends, saying our vows was particularly memorable and emotional.
Maya is Polish. We incorporated the traditional Polish blessing into our wedding, just as all our guests sat down for dinner. It consisted of her parents welcoming us, the newlyweds, with salt, bread, and two shot glasses – one filled with water, the other with vodka. Each of the newlyweds (that’s us!) had to pick a glass, and the one who picked the vodka is said to ‘rule the marriage.’
I won that one!
NEWLYWEDS
Maya had mentioned that the day after we got engaged, when she was walking from one of the cafe’s in Pitlochry to our car, before we started our drive to the Isle of Skye, that it was then that she felt that from the day forward her life had expanded into ours. Together, we had to support each other to grow into the best versions of ourselves and grow together in happiness and love.
For me, I’ve canceled my gym membership.
Our advice to other couples is to have fun with it. Choose a venue that is equipped for weddings and has done it all before. We wanted something elegant, charming, and fun but didn’t want to stress about the planning – we wanted everything about our wedding, including the lead-up, to be fun and joyous. Rupert on Rupert was perfect, and I would recommend it in a heartbeat.
DWH Recommended Vendor
Venue Rupert on Rupert
Photography by Jackson Grant Weddings
Florist Flos Botanical Studio
Jewellery Arbor Brunswick
