Bride: Susannah Ritchie
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Bridegroom: Edward Smelt
Wedding date: February 21, 2015
The meeting
The couple first met through good friends from the University of Melbourne. While they saw each other at the Lorne Pier to Pub ocean swims and parties it wasn’t until 2010, at a mutual friend’s housewarming, that they got together.
With Ed growing up in Bendigo and Susannah’s family harking back to Ballarat, they both share a love of the country and the beach.
The proposal
In February last year, Ed secretly planned to propose to Susannah, going so far as organising a post proposal dinner with both sets of parents.
Susannah remained blissfully unaware. Even when Edward suggested a romantic walk on the Lorne Pier and started to reflect on the significance of the spot, all Susannah could reply was, ‘Yes, it looks like a bloody long way to swim’. It was in that moment that she realised that Edward was on one knee and asking her to marry him, as the fisherman around them started to clap. Of course, she said ‘yes’!
The wedding day
The wedding day was on one of the few really hot weekends of summer. The ceremony was held on a clifftop overlooking the beach at Queenscliff and the reception was at the nearby historic Vue Grand Hotel.
It was the perfect mix of old-world charm and vintage glamour as they danced the night away with their 120 guests.
The weather stayed picture-perfect for a relaxed post-wedding brunch held at Ed’s parents’ (Elizabeth Heathcote and John Smelt) beach house in Point Lonsdale. Ed and Susannah even got up early and went for a swim the next day – the best wake-up!
The dress
The lace on the wedding dress had to be ordered in from New York and adjustments made by a local wedding dress designer in Melbourne. The silk dress was inspired by vintage Hollywood with modern simplicity. Susannah wore pearl earrings by Samantha Wills and a pearl bracelet.
The cake
The wedding cake was a three-tiered fruitcake, topped with fresh roses from Sweet Designs by Claire in Belmont, Geelong.
It was a family recipe, with thick marzipan icing. They also had many passionfruit sponge cakes from Freshwater Creek Cakes for dessert, with a lolly-bar and port table.
The photographer
Based in Brisbane, Brooke Adams from Brooke Adams Photography, was engaged to capture the special day. They were delighted with her beautiful and intimate portrayal of the day.
The honeymoon
They spent a few nights in Lorne immediately after the wedding, but as a teacher Susannah had to get back to her classroom.
They are planning to have a longer honeymoon to escape winter with a week in Lombok combined with a trip to Darwin to visit family in July.