We made a really conscious decision to keep our wedding private in the lead-up and on the day itself. We asked our guests not to share any photos, videos or details on social media, and for a little while, it was almost as though our wedding had never happened to the outside world. And honestly, that was exactly how we wanted it.
With the media and social media being such a big part of our lives, we knew that once we shared our wedding, it would no longer be just ours. It would become something for the public to see, talk about and have opinions on, including people who don’t personally know us or our relationship.
We wanted to protect that little bubble for as long as we could. To be newlyweds, soak up every moment, relive the memories with our closest family and friends, and enjoy the magic of what had just happened without feeling any pressure to share it with the world.
It wasn’t about hiding our wedding or keeping secrets. It was about choosing to experience something so personal and special privately before inviting everyone else into it.
We put so much love, thought and emotion into our day, and we wanted to be the ones to tell our story, share our photos and introduce the world to our wedding when we felt ready.
Looking back, it was one of the best decisions we made. For those few precious weeks, it felt like we had our own little world, and we got to enjoy being husband and wife without any outside noise.
But here is a little insight into our day:
Our wedding day was everything we dreamed of and so much more.
In the lead-up to our wedding, I always found myself asking past brides one question: “What’s one thing you would change about your wedding day, and one thing you would never change?”
One answer that came up time and time again was, “I wish I had spent more time with my new husband or wife.”
So, Joel and I made one very important rule for our wedding day: we would stick together. And boy, did we do exactly that!
There wasn’t a moment we weren’t sharing together. From chatting with our friends and family, to sneaking away for a moment alone to take it all in, having photos taken, grabbing a quick drink or dancing the night away. We experienced every little moment side by side, and I wouldn’t change a thing.
We wanted our wedding day to be about us, celebrating our love and having the absolute time of our lives together. We also knew how important it was to spend quality time with all the beautiful people who had come to celebrate with us. So, we planned a recovery event for the following day, where we did the complete opposite! We barely spent a moment together, making sure we could give our family and friends all the attention, love and appreciation they deserved.
Now, back to the wedding morning…
The girls kicked off glam at 7am, and let me tell you, it was a VIBE! Music pumping, excitement building, and my incredible hairstylist Leigh McCoy and makeup artist Claire Andrea only adding to the fun and energy of the morning. I had my three beautiful bridesmaids and my mum getting ready alongside me, and it was everything I could have hoped for.
My mum had also organised something incredibly special. She had reached out to 20 of my closest family and friends and put together a Letters to the Bride book. Safe to say, I was absolutely bawling my eyes out reading through everyone’s beautiful words. Thankfully, we did this BEFORE hair and makeup!
Meanwhile, my groom, his groomsmen and his dad started getting ready at 11am in the man cave on-site. Their morning looked a little different to ours… playing pool, pumping music and, in true boys’ fashion, leaving the actual getting-ready part until the very last minute!
The funny thing was, the morning felt like it was going so slowly. We were relaxed, excited and just soaking it all in.
Joel and I had even organised walkie-talkies so we could chat to each other throughout the morning without seeing one another. Cute idea, right? Well, that didn’t last long once we realised we were on the exact same channel as the venue security team… OOPS!
Before I knew it, hair and makeup were complete, and Andy from Evernew Studios and Mitch from Mitch Birchall Studios had arrived, ready to capture all the pre-ceremony magic.
And this is where I was truly in my element.
I was walking on tables, lying across tables, posing for photos and feeling more beautiful than I ever had in my life. And that was exactly how I had always dreamed of feeling on my wedding day.
Then I looked at the time…
And suddenly realised it was getting away from us!
I still had my first look with my dad to do, followed by a first look with my brothers. Cue another round of happy tears!
Seeing my family all dressed up and ready for such a special day was a moment I’ll never forget. Being the only girl in my family made it even more emotional. Knowing how special it was for my dad to see his daughter in her wedding dress and then walk her down the aisle is something I will treasure forever.
Of course, no wedding day would be complete without a little unexpected drama…
And ours came in the form of a bridesmaid’s dress!
Now, of all the things I thought could possibly go wrong, this was NOT one of them. A brand-new Bec & Bridge bridesmaid dress completely busted at the zip. Something I had never seen happen before, and neither had any of my bridesmaids!
Enter our hero of the day… my very handy grandma!
She rushed over to the bridal suite and quite literally sewed my bridesmaid into her dress for the day. Crisis averted!
By this point, we were already running late. Surprisingly, I was still calm… although, if you know me, you know I am NOT someone who is ever late!
But we made it.
And suddenly, it was time.
Once all our guests were seated, I sneakily watched from behind the curtain as the groomsmen made their way down the aisle, followed by my soon-to-be husband.
Then our wedding song began.
Standing behind that curtain, watching my dearest friends and beautiful bridesmaids begin their walk down the aisle, the tears started flowing all over again.
And then it was my turn.
Veil down, heart racing, emotions running high. I began walking towards my dad, who was waiting to meet me halfway and lift my veil.
At that very moment, Joel was told to turn around so he could finally see me.
And honestly?
All I wanted was to get to him. To hold him. To kiss him.
Everything else around us seemed to disappear.
Our ceremony was filled with so much love, laughter, happy tears and the most beautiful personal vows. It was heartfelt, emotional, fun and perfectly us.
And just like that, with the exchange of our vows and a kiss to seal the deal…
I’M A RINTALA!
The beginning of our forever, and a day I wish I could relive a thousand times over.