When Mikalah and Matthew first met, it wasn't exactly love at first sight, in fact, it took the couple almost three years for them to realise they might just be the perfect match.
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Mikalah first met Matthew when she enlisted his help to realise her goal of becoming a fitness model.
“Matt was my coach for a few years when I was doing fitness modelling and he just gradually became my partner,” Mikalah said.
Two years and many gym sessions later, Matt dropped to one knee on Stewarts Bay beach for a surprise proposal.
Having grown up holidaying at a family shack in Stewarts Bay, the proposal location was a special spot for Matt.
“Matt spent a lot of his childhood there and has lots of good memories, it has become pretty special for us too, even when we first started dating we would visit quite a bit,” Mikalah said.
“We were driving to the shack, just like any other time and it was pouring rain.
“Just as we were driving into Port Arthur, the rain cleared up, and Matt suggested a walk on the beach.
“ He was oddly quiet, so I struck up a conversation about his childhood growing up on the beach, he started talking about having lots of happy memories, and he asked if I wanted to make it even happier.
“That’s when he dropped to one knee, and I started crying.”
Matt’s surprises weren’t over there either; the couple enjoyed a champagne lunch of Mikalah’s favourite foods on the beach before spending a night at the Stewarts Bay Lodge.
When the couple began planning their big day there was no question of where they wanted to say their vows; it had to be on the same beach.
Describing their relationship as “non- traditional” Mikalah and Matt wanted to reflect that in their wedding by doing things a bit more differently and having a more relaxed day.
Breaking away from first dances and bridesmaids dresses, Mikalah and Matt wanted everyone to feel comfortable, relaxed and enjoy their day.
Being the eldest in her family, Mikalah wanted to have her two sisters and brother involved, along with Matt’s sister.
“ My little sisters were the junior bridesmaids, they aren’t overly girly, so I didn’t want to dress them in something that wasn’t them, and it was the same with my maid of honour Kate, it would be unusual to put her in a really long elegant dress,” Mikalah said.
That’s when he dropped to one knee, and I started crying
- Mikalah
Enlisting the help of her grandmother, Mikalah decided to opt for playsuits for the girls completely handmade and matching perfectly to the colour scheme.
“Once we found Kate’s jumpsuit I knew I wanted the girls in something similar, they are a bit different, but it suited them and us., “ Mikalah said.
When it came to her wedding dress, Mikalah knew exactly what she wanted from the start, finding it, however, was a challenge.
“I had an image in my head of exactly what I wanted and what style would suit me, which is pretty much the dress I eventually got,” she said
“Kate and I went on a day trip to Launceston trying on dresses in every boutique, but I didn’t find anything that was my style.
“We then went to Melbourne, and it was in the very last shop Kate was flicking through one of the magazines and called me over to look at a dress I thought it was perfect, and we hadn’t seen anything like it during our search.
“We asked, and they had the dress out the back, I put it on and straight away I knew this was the one, it was the dress.”
Mikalah was able to deal locally for the dress ordering it through Little White Boutique.
The morning of the wedding Mikalah pitched in to help decorate the reception and decorate the beautiful cake handmaid by her mother.
While Matt, his grandfather and groomsmen took an early morning fishing trip to catch some tuna before setting up the beach arbour.
While rain was threatening their beach nuptials, the couple managed to escape the worst of the incoming storm.
“ It was forecasted to rain with thunderstorms, the start of the day turned out to be a beautiful day, and we thought we were going to be lucky,” Mikalah said.
“After the ceremony we had a couple of locations picked out for photos, we went out to this paddock on the hill, and just as we finished, it started to spit with rain, and by the time we got to the next location it was bucketing down.
“Matt and I took the opportunity to have some downtime together and have a drink back at the boys Airbnb which was nice to have some calm down before we headed back to our guests.
“If anything the rain added a special touch, we wouldn’t have changed it.
It rained for the rest of the night, but luckily Matt and Mikalah and their guests were partying undercover at the Stewarts Bay Lodge and celebrating their big day.
- To read more local bridal stories and get tips on planning a Tasmanian wedding click here