Soph and Coll: Drunk in Love
Being Drunk in Love is how Soph and Coll describe the influence behind their wedding day. "We chose a winery," says Soph, "because Coll and I really enjoy drinking wine together." Between the bushfires and the global pandemic, Soph and Coll magically married surrounded by 70 of their nearest and dearest.
Photographer Duuet | Venue Brown Brothers
How and when did you meet? Tell us a little about the first time you met?
Coll: In 2016 Soph and I worked for the same company but in different states, Soph in VIC and I was in QLD. I had heard of this Marketing Manager that was referred to as a pink bulldozer, I was immediately intrigued.
We officially met for the first time at a work 2016 offsite in Melbourne, I heard Soph’s heels before I saw her. As Soph began her presentation, I did the ring scan and to my surprise and excitement, her wedding ring finger was bare. As everyone was packing up their cars for the day, I approached Soph and introduced myself “Hi, I’m Coll” to which she responded “Yes, it is cold isn’t it” before turning around and walking the other way. I knew at that moment I had my work cut out for me.
What was the first thing you noticed about each other?
Soph: Her sensitivity and her compassion towards others. I probably noticed it because it's such an opposite style to mine, and I loved it!
Coll: Soph’s confidence, the way she can own any room she walks into.
Any standout moments in your relationship?
Soph: We’ve had some incredible moments together; moving into our first home (after 3 months together), getting engaged (after 10 months together), bringing our fur-baby home and many others. Honestly, nothing compares to the moment that I saw Coll at the end of the aisle on our wedding day. That was pretty standout for us both.
Have you ever faced any issues of non-acceptance?
Coll: We met in an really amazing, incredibly inclusive workplace whose culture of acceptance was pretty standout. Our families were really supportive of us, my parents have always treated Soph as part of the family and Soph’s parents surprised us by flying in from the UK to come to our engagement party. We count ourselves extremely lucky to have such a supportive group of people around us, and to be accepted for being ourselves. We know that not everyone can say that, so we don’t take it for granted.
What does marriage mean to you?
Coll: It means you have truly and honestly understood and embraced another human, every piece of them. Marriage means a lifelong commitment to supporting, protecting and sharing life with that person, not because you have to but because that is what keeps your heart beating.
Who proposed and how?
Coll: Our first date was at Punt Road Winery so I knew that would be the place I would propose. It was overcast, the ground was muddy and it was starting to drizzle. Soph had a pair of new white Converse on and was not happy that I was set on a walk in the vines. However, she did forgive me when I dropped to one knee and asked her to please, please marry me.
When did you get married?
Soph: We were lucky enough to get married earlier this year in February. Between the bushfires that were devastating the state, the smoke haze that had been lingering around the area and the global pandemic, we feel extremely lucky to have managed to sneak our special day in. A bright blue sky and a mild 27 degrees, absolute perfection.
Soph and Coll’s story continues below. ↓
What was the main influence behind your wedding day?
Soph: Being drunk in love! We chose a winery because Coll and I really enjoy drinking wine together, and the wines and surroundings at Brown Brothers are just incredible. We fell in love with the rustic barn at Brown Brothers, and added some gorgeous flowers, centrepieces and candles to enhance the setting and give it a moody, intimate vibe. As a floral stylist, I had a vision for deep, dark foliage, beautiful tones of red roses and black candle accents. I was inspired by the Penfolds Grange bottle, and think the styling just added to the beauty of the barn.
What was the most important thing to you surrounding your wedding?
Family and friends, 50 of our 70 guests had to board a plane to be at our wedding. As amazing as the wedding day was, the days surrounding were full of love, wine and laughter.
Where did you find the bulk of your inspiration?
Soph: Having styled a few weddings in the past, I knew exactly the vibe I was after so as soon as we got engaged I started making albums and boards on Instagram and Pinterest.
How did you choose your suppliers?
Soph: Our photographer and celebrant were recommended to us, and they were just as good as we’d been told! As we booked most of our suppliers over 12 months in advance we managed to get pretty much everyone we wanted to be involved, even if that meant a 6 hour round trip for them to be there! Instagram was my best friend for finding suppliers, plus our venue has a great list of local vendors that they suggest.
Any standout suppliers?
Soph: Every single one of our suppliers helped make our day so special. From makeup and hair artists who travelled all the way to Milawa, to the band who learnt specific songs just for us, to the incredible staff at Brown Brothers who made us feel so relaxed and taken care of. I have to add a special shout out to my friends Kaz (Owner of Honey Jackson) and Faye (Owner of Chromata Florals) who spent hours with me creating the most magical style in the Brown Brothers barn. And had to listen to me contemplate the intricacies of table settings for hours on end!
Did you find it difficult to translate more common traditions into a ‘same-sex’ wedding?
Soph: I definitely had a few questions in my mind about which aspects of a traditional wedding we wanted to incorporate, but we really saw it as a chance to incorporate the traditions that we found meaningful and let go of things that weren’t important. For instance, Coll walked down the aisle with her mum after her bridal party and it was really special. They got a priceless moment together because we didn’t stick to tradition. I think the beauty of a same-sex wedding is that you aren’t bound by any of the rules, and people don’t really question why you did or didn’t do certain things.
Any surprises on your wedding day? Or anything that didn’t go to plan?
Soph: Speeches! Allow extra time than you think you need for these as they are incredibly special, but can be quite stressful when they run over. You, your family and friends will have really important things to say so don’t rush it.
What was the most difficult thing about planning your wedding?
Soph: Staying on budget! I found myself in many Pinterest black holes, casually turning to Coll and telling her we needed to find $700 to buy 60 sets of brass cutlery to match the centrepieces! Honestly, those things don’t matter and people remember the way they felt and the fun they had more than what colour their knives and forks were!
Where did you spend your honeymoon?
Soph: We managed to spend a week in Bali for a mini-moon and had planned to head to Europe for a honeymoon later in the year. We’ve had to save that part for post-coronavirus!
Any advice for other couples planning their day and finding it difficult to navigate the journey?
Soph: Remember that the most important part of the day is that you are marrying the person you love! Flowers, menus, signs and everything else is just icing on the cake. The ceremony was the most special part of the day for us, so make sure you don’t gloss over it when you’re planning. And finally, make sure you do find time to take a moment or two together during the festivities. The feeling of having the most special people in your life around you to witness your marriage is something that you really do need a moment to take in.
Coll: Take a minute to look at your family and friends during your ceremony, capture as many glances as you can. The love I felt in those moments was overwhelming and I will never forget it.
Suppliers
Photographer Duuet
Venue Brown Brothers
Soph’s Ceremony Dress One Day Bridal
Soph’s Reception Dress Rachel Gilbert
Coll’s Suit Institch
Flowers Soph did all of the flowers herself with lots of help from our friends Faye and Kaz who are stylists
Wedding Party Attire White Runway
Cake: Our gorgeous friends Sal and Amy baked six beautiful cakes for us, which we served with Milawa Cheese Company cheese boards
Stationery Fabled Papery
Celebrant Precious Celebrations
Soph’s Makeup and Bridal Party Makeup: Cosmetique Makeup
Soph’s Hair and Bridal Party Hair Hair Hollys
Tans By Spray Aus
Band Juke Box Dynamite
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