Darren and Kali fell in love with Howqua Valley Views, a country VIC venue that overlooks the valley and is nestled down alongside the river. Plus, The Stables provide onsite accommodation for 12 people, with the option of a luxury tent for the bride and groom.
Check out their day below, captured by Neil Bertucci.
In a nutshell, how would you describe your wedding day?
Absolutely perfect. We’ve spent a lot of time prior to the wedding working on a partner visa as Kal is not from Australia. There was so much effort, stress and money that went into our visa plus the added stress and money of planning a wedding. It was really great to put everything aside for the day and just have a celebration of our relationship and all that we have accomplished together as a couple. Being surrounded by family, friends and a beautiful venue really helped to make it the perfect day. It was honestly the first day in a while where we could both relax and just have fun!
What did you expect was going to be your favourite part in the lead-up? What did it end up being?
Definitely seeing each other for the first time – and we both agree that’s what it ended up being! We’re not very traditional so we had a reveal before the ceremony and a bit of a private moment. We didn’t get very emotional but had a good laugh instead. I guess for those of us who know us best it makes sense. It was just really nice to share the moment with each other before sharing it with everyone else.
What was it about your wedding venue that made you choose it?
We met at Mount Buller and spent a lot of our relationship at ski resorts and in the mountains. We decided we really wanted to get married in the mountains and close to where we met. After looking around we fell in love with the venue and the views. It’s a really great location with a lot of privacy and the owners were super friendly and helpful along the way!
Now that you’re married, what’s your best piece of wedding planning advice you can share?
Just relax and enjoy the day. There’s a high possibility that you’ll have freezing rain and things won’t be perfect on the day, but that’s okay. The real reason we’re there isn’t to get a suntan, anyways. Just enjoy every minute and soak up the company you’re surrounded by. The day goes by faster than you realise. Also – hire Kate from Good Day Club. We feel like its really easy to say “just relax” on your wedding day because we didn’t have a thing to worry about. We entrusted her with everything and showed up to an immaculate ceremony and reception space.
If you had your time again, is there anything you’d do differently?
Honestly, no. Everything was perfect. Even though it was freezing rain. Everyone just got really cosy around the space heaters, had a few too many drinks, and danced! We both loved every minute of it.
Finish these sentences: My partner is…
Darren: My partner is a strong and intelligent woman who always has the right answer. She is very passionate about everything that she does. I could not imagine spending my life with anyone else.
Kali: My partner is my best friend and support system. We’ve faced a lot of difficult situations together and they’re things I wouldn’t want to experience with anyone else.
The best thing we did at our wedding was…
Hire the vendors that we did. They made everything so easy. It was ten times less stressful on the day and they made everything perfect.
We saved on…
Food! We didn’t necessarily want a fancy, sit down dinner. We ended up hiring a food truck and it matched the feel of our wedding perfectly and was less expensive than other options we had researched prior.
CREDITS: Photography Neil Bertucci // Flowers Little Lady Blooms // Venue Howqua Valley Views // Catering Smokin Barrys Food Truck // Cake Miss Ladybird Cakes // Styling, Vintage Furniture and Neon Hire Good Day Rentals // Bridal Gown and Veil Anna Campbell // Rings Alexis Russell //Hair Milena Rose Hair and The Perm Nerd // Makeup Tara Emily // Music Cooper Howard-Smith // Celebrant David Ayliffe // Transport Benalla Bus Lines // Vintage Hire Betty May Vintage // Mobile Bar and Cocktails – Turbolover Bar
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