Wedding date: April 26 2014
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The meeting:
The perfect opportunity for me to become Stacie's knight in shining armour presented itself on the very first day we met when my damsel in distress turned up for a job interview at the place where I worked, still shaking with shock immediately following a minor car accident. Stacie's car needed a couple of small repairs to get her back on the road. Of course I happily obliged.
Stacie got the job. Showing her courage and resilience in these circumstances must have impressed not just me but the boss too. It was not until some months later though that I finally got the courage up to ask her to a party. The rest is history.
The proposal:
Eight years later, I proposed to Stacie on an isolated beach at Indian Head, Fraser Island. Even got down on one knee, but then had to say it quickly and get up again as four wheel drives started coming down the beach! Yes, I was a bit slow...all family and friends could say was 'about time!'.
We had been very busy up until then though, focusing on our careers, travelling and renovating houses.
The wedding day:
We had our dream wedding in Bali, along with 55 guests - all family and friends who had travelled from Australia plus one mate from Jakarta to share our big day with us.
Many had never left Australia before. One particularly special guest in this boat, so to speak, was Stacie's 87 year-old grandmother Ida Wright.
We began with a welcome dinner on the Thursday night, so all the guests got to know each other before the big day.
Close friends Chris McAteer and Sarah McCarthy were out witnesses, and my nieces five year-old Yasmin and seven year-old Amelia were our flower girls. Stacie's two sisters and my sister did readings and also undertook many duties during the week, becoming our 'Bride Slaves'
The ceremony was held at Samaya Resort in Seminya followed by a reception at a wonderful Spanish- Argentine restaurant called La Sal.
The ceremony was on the beach just before sunset. Whilst it was very hot for our guests it was a perfect setting. At the ceremony we had photo booths, DJs, non-stop food, cocktails, an open bar, ...you name it! We even had helpers to assist us with everything from getting dressed before the ceremony to getting constant drink top-ups at the reception!
We had a bride helper and a groom helper which was helpful. With the help of a local wedding planner, Stacie co-ordinated everything mostly via email and it was AMAZING!
We did go to Bali nine months prior as a quick stop off after our friends wedding in Thailand to check out where we wanted to get married. This was really helpful because you got to know what things looked like rather then just relying on a website.
My hair dresser was Jacki Gallagher from Spa eleven. I told everyone that I was bringing my own personal hair stylist, however, it helps when they are a good friend and cousin.
First dance:
Our first dance was a cover of Hotel California by the Cat Empire sung in Spanish. A strange choice I know, but I have an attachment to all things Spanish after living in Spain years ago picking olives.
Stacie loves the song too, so for us it was something fun and different, yet familiar enough for our guests to enjoy. Plus we were at a Spanish restaurant.
The dress:
Stacie wore an off white Grecian style dress.
"I wasn't the type of girl that had been dreaming about her wedding dress all her life. What I did know is that I wanted something plain and elegant and as I kept saying to the dressmaker... boring. I even made a final call to add sheer sleeves onto the dress two weeks out.
It was a beach wedding in the tropics so the dress had to be practical.
The cake:
The cake was a two-tier chocolate cake by Ixora Seminyak.
The photographer:
We organised a local photographer (BaliPics) with our wedding planner at the Samaya. They were fantastic and made everything very easy.
The honeymoon:
"With three weeks in Bali altogether, Stacie and I spent the last five days by ourselves for our honeymoon. It was the perfect way to wind down our Bali wedding.
"Everyone had a ball, and we can thoroughly recommend Bali as an unforgettable place to get married."
Matt has been to Bali 12 times and Stacie six times. Stacie has already got plans to go back in November for a girl's week away.
"Regardless of what you hear on the TV Bali is such a wonderful location, great people, beaches and it is only six hours away."