CTCW Wedding Suppliers:
Ceremony Location: St Thomas Moore Catholic Church, Margaret River
Accommodation for your guests: Varied around Margaret River
Brides Dress & Accessories: Ormalu Silver Shop and Bridal Busselton.
Bridesmaid’s Accessories: Earrings from Ormalu Silver Shop and Bridal Busselton
Groom & Grooms man attire: Stepping Up, Dunsborough
Entertainment: DJ Darren Gittos
Celebrant: Dunsborough Anglican reverend, Desiree.
Stationery: The Purple Paper House, Busselton
Wedding Decorator: Wez Enterprises
Why did you choose Margaret River as your wedding destination?
I am a Margaret River girl, its home to me and it is such a beautiful place. I love where I grew up so it felt right to "marry at home".
What was the theme and colour scheme for your wedding?
We wanted elegant, traditional and natural - where our surroundings would speak for themselves. Colours were silver with hints of greens/creams.
What was the hardest part to plan for your wedding?
The stationery was a headache at times, but most things just ticked along nicely. Even the seating plan turned out quite easy to do.
Did you have a budget and were you able to stick to it?
Yes....sort of, but we found it hard to work out a 'budget' when you've never organised a wedding before and dont know how much things should cost. We simply got a few quotes, weighed up our options, choose the vendor and that became our budget for that item.
What was the one thing you weren’t going to comprise on for your wedding?
Venue, food, wine, setting - Watershed are top notch.
What were the gifts to your parents and bridal party?
We got the bridesmaids beautiful earrings from Ormalu. The boys got leather bracelets from DWB Master Jewellers in Eaton, they loved them.
How many guests did you have at your wedding?
110.
Details about your wedding dress and accessories:
Halter neck, white, A-frame with no train, frill hem with a flower feature and lace up back. I went for halter neck, as I felt strapless was what everyone was doing at the time. I skipped on the train, it saves money on the cost of the dress and from comments from a lot of friends, "they are a pain and just get in the way anyway". Lace up back because I love the look and it gave me some freedom considering our wedding was just after the indulgent Chrissy break.
Who did you take when you went wedding dress shopping?
Mum, best friend and sister.
Was your dress comfortable to wear for the day?
Absolutely!
What flowers were in your wedding bouquet?
Roses, privet berries, camillia leaves - basically I left it up to our amazing friend and florist whose attention to detail was amazing. She also popped a little daisy in my bouquet as that is my nickname.
How well did you sleep the night before your wedding?
Surprisingly well! I read until about quarter to midnight then fell asleep. I thought I would be a nervous wreck and not be able to sleep, but I was fine and relaxed and READY!
Tell me about the running of the day what time did you start preparing etc?
We were showered and ready to go by 8am, everything ran perfectly and we had about half an hour spare before we left the house for the church. It pays to be organised and make sure make up, hair, photographers and videographers are all on the same page regarding timing. For me the day didn't rush by in a blur, we had plenty of time to chill out and enjoy every moment. By the end of the night I was happily pooped.
The church at Saint Thomas Moore in Margaret River for your ceremony is already beautiful what additional decorations did you add?
We totally agree, thats one of the reasons we choose that church. We love the beautiful stone and wood work and it ties in perfectly with Watershed. We didn't want to over-decorate such a beautiful place, so we kept decorations to a minimum. We used the centrepieces for the reception tables around the church and some large displays were also designed to be used at the church and reception venue. We had some beautiful orchid and organza pew bows to add a sense of occasion.
What did your guests do after your ceremony while you and Mark went off and had wedding photos?
Most (aka the cricket boys and hockey girls!) went either next door to the Knights Inn or down to the Settlers Tavern. A few family members went back to my folks house to relax and have a light lunch. It was great that guests had time to freshen up, catch up with long lost friends/family or "pop home for a nap".
Where did you go for wedding photos?
Redgate Beach, Boranup Forest (where we got engaged) and some in the vineyard at Watershed. Natural, beautiful settings and the feeling of home.
How many venues did you look at before you choose Watershed?
Only one other but we were pretty set on Watershed from the get go. Our wedding date revolved around their availability (we booked 13 months in advance).
How did you decorate your wedding reception?
Again with such a beautiful, natural venue on a warm summer evening, we felt over-decorating would not do it justice. We had small centrepieces on each table with a few candles and scatters plus the large and very beautiful flower arrangements to frame the bridal table. The vineyard, lake, stone fireplace and sunset did the rest.
What happened at your reception? Any funny or meaningful stories?
We had the traditional toasts, the highlight being our amazing Best Man's speech - he had every one of the guests, irrelevant of age, in stitches. Our Bridal Waltz was hilarious - mostly ad libbed but it came off well. We also had a photo booth which was a hit and kept guests entertained. It was nice to see so many mums and dads, free of the kiddies, having a romantic night together smooching it up in the booth with the dress-ups! Also the stars came out for an impressive show for our guest from the UK who got to see the Milky Way and Southern Cross. We were swallowed up by the amazing night sky.
What food was served at the reception?
Canapés on the lawn to start followed by guests choice of either beef or fish then a light summery tart for dessert and our AMAZING wedding cake.
Best moment of your wedding day?
As cliché as it sounds, the whole day was amazing. Nothing beats looking at your new husband and thinking "I married him!" stoked! The love and laughter and all the comments from our guests about how much of a fun wedding it was.
Describe the look and flavor of your cake, plus any other desserts that were served?
Chocolate mud, 3 tier, each tier cut cross ways with a white chocolate ganache filling and white chocolate ganache icing. Heavenly! I cant wait to get stuck into the top layer (in our freezer) on our first wedding anniversary!
Did you make anything for your wedding?
We made our own stationery, lots of work but worth it in the end. We did the lot: invites, order of service books, place settings, table layout for the entrance etc.
What were the bombonieres for your guests?
The ladies got little glass perfume bottles and the men got chocolates with our personalised label.
Where did you spend your wedding night?
Darby Park Apartments. It was where I had my first job when I left school, back when it was The Freycinet Inn!
How do you feel now that your wedding is over?
Great, married life is wonderful and now we are expecting our first baby!
Were did you honeymoon?
We did a 10 night P&O cruise from Sydney to the Pacific Islands. It was my first cruise - utter bliss. I was exhausted after the wedding so it was a great way to relax and get away.
Advice for other planning brides:
Be organised from the start and you'll thank yourself later! Dont sweat the small stuff, its unlikely anyone else will notice on the day anyway. No matter what, you will be beautiful and radiate happiness - the most important thing is you are marrying the person you love. | 
Debbie & Mark's Watershed Margaret River Wedding 
