A Scottish lass and Devon lad meet in Australia and marry on Burns Night – A Match Made in Heaven!
After meeting in Australia in 2015, Tracy & Matt returned again in 2008 to spend a month travelling from Sydney to the Gold Coast. Matt surprised Tracy by proposing on a balcony over-looking the sea where it had all begun on the Gold Coast of Australia. With a touch of Braveheart playing in the background and the biggest fake plastic diamond ring you could imagine. How could a girl possibly say anything but yes!!
They had talked for a long time of going back to Australia to get married but didn’t want to miss out on sharing their special day with family and friends. They didn’t think the perfect place was out there until they saw an advert for St Audries Park appear on Facebook. As soon as they saw it they knew instantly it was perfect for their wedding. It felt like it was meant to be….. “A ‘wee touch of Scotland’ in Somerset.” They had booked within the week and were married within four months.
“The most important part to of our wedding day was to have somewhere that all of our family and friends could celebrate together in true Scottish style….St Audries Park had a feeling of being at home in Scotland and with the roaring log fires, tartan carpet and great hall to have a true Scottish Ceilidh, St Audries Park felt like a ‘wee touch of Scotland’ right in the middle of Somerset.” “
They booked to get married in January and, as a last minute booking, were able to negotiate with suppliers and stay within budget. The fact that so much is included in the St Audries Park package meant they could budget easily and they kept track of everything on a spreadsheet.
“St Audries Park found me…I never looked at any other venues…I knew from the moment I saw it that it was perfect.”
Tracy visited on her own as she was in Somerset and returned home to Matt saying that “It was everything I hoped for and more” and “can we book?”. The rest is history and Matt hadn’t even seen it!! When he did visit he couldn’t believe how perfect it was.
Tracey explains “My biggest stress was finding the right dress…with only four months to the wedding and being 5ft 1 I was limited to what I could choose. Three dresses later and I was in love with my Enzoani dress and so glad I choose my tulle cape for the evening.”
“Four bridesmaids (My best friend from home – Amy , My sister-in law Lisa, My lovely friends Jo and Kirsty. They all agreed on silver/blue dresses from Debenhams, with some fur shrugs to keep them warm outside.”
Loving classic, simple styling they choose Dusky blue, Grey and Silver as their colour theme. Along with a few Scottish touches, such as the boys in kilts, the piper and a few thistles it was just beautiful.
Their wedding couldn’t have happened without their lovely family and friends who helped in so many ways. It was a real team effort.
Matt had the best man deliver a stunning pair of diamond earrings on the morning of the wedding…they were just stunning.
Matt wore a modern style kilt and explained “Being English the first time I saw him in it was thankfully not on the day of the wedding as he had it on backwards!! I could not stop laughing. The bridal party said it made their day getting all dressed up in their kilts and there was definitely a bit more on show than there should have been throughout the day.”
Matt’s groomsmen were his best man from school, Craig, his brother Mark and another school friend Graham.
The flowers were created by ‘Flowers from Melanie’ based in Torquay, who did an incredible job.
The piper piped Tracy and her bridal party across to the Orangery to ‘Highland Cathedral’ with her brother, bridesmaids and daughters. It was truly magical. As it was Burn’s night it was only fitting that Tracey’s god father read a Robert Burn’s poem “Love is like a red, red rose”, Matt’s niece Anna read an excerpt from Captain Corelli’s Mandolin and one of Matt’s oldest friends Sean read “What makes a perfect marriage.”
One of Tracy’s most memorable moments was, “walking across to the orangery on the arm of my brother with the piper playing ‘Highland Cathedral’. As I walked down the aisle towards Matt everyone was so emotional.”
Music at the ceremony and during the drinks reception was played by Pat Mcintyre who was amazing. He worked really closely with Tracey & Matt to make sure he played exactly what they liked.
The delicious lemon and prosecco cake was made by their lovely friend Chris from #birchvillacakes who is based in Wellington.
So much of their décor was due to the kindness of Tracey’s work colleagues and students. Their favours were made by a beautiful friend, Maria, alongside the school gardening club. The seating plan, signs and table settings were all designed by Tracey’s colleague teacher Claire. Tracey’s Business Manager kept asking her every morning if she’s bought a dress yet. All the staff were so helpful, kind and thoughtful Tracey explains that she couldn’t have done it without them.
The photographer, Ben Simmonds, they met at a St Audries Park Open day and they loved his style. After meeting him they knew he would be just perfect for the day. On the day of their wedding he was just perfect and the photos are just stunning.
Their second most memorable part of the day Tracy explains “when we were piped into the room for the wedding breakfast and everyone was cheering as the piper did his Scottish toast. Just magical.”
Tracy & Matt’s daughter, Isabella, who is only 10, decided she would like to make a speech and said the loveliest of things, without preparing anything, she had everyone in tears. The best man and groom have been friends since school and there really is nothing that man doesn’t remember……. Most memorable part was definitely how Matt used to wipe his nose at school…just ask Aly!
“Geoff, St Audries Park DJ, was just amazing. He stepped in at the last minute when our band didn’t turn up.” Tracey explains “It just shows that whatever happens there is always a way round it and you should never let it spoil your day.”
“Geoff was also incredible…he couldn’t have been more accommodating and had everyone up dancing all night accommodating everyone’s requests.”
Their first dance was Josh Radin ‘They bring me to you”, no one knew it but it is special to them and always makes them cry.
“For the photographer we organised the formal shots and forgot about getting informal ones of just us and the girls. Time goes so quickly and we were just enjoying it too much to think of it at the time and I wish we had.”
“We could not have been any luckier that a few months before the wedding we were given a new wedding coordinator…the amazing Aly. After speaking to her lots on the phone I knew she was going to be the most amazing person to have around…and she was. All our guests commented on how wonderful she was throughout the day and I couldn’t have done it without her in the run up to the wedding. Aly made the organizing of a wedding in four months not only possible, but as stress free as could be and so enjoyable on the day.”
“It’s just the most stunning setting….faultless. I honestly wouldn’t have changed a thing about St Audries Park, If we could do it all again, we wouldn’t change a thing. It really was the most magical day.”
The joys of being a teacher… poor Tracy got to go back to work on the Monday. They spent the weekend of the wedding with all their beautiful friends and family who had travelled to be there on their special day. They got to share all the amazing stories from both the day and the night before the wedding…what a giggle!
“We are heading to Paris in the summer as both girls are dancing at Disneyland Paris, before heading to Thailand for some much needed sun, sea and sand.”
Suppliers:
Photographer: Ben Simmonds Photography
Wedding Dress : Enzoani
Kilts: Debenhams Formal Hire
Invitations: Zazzle
Musician: Pat McIntyre
Piper: Stuart Gisbey
