Melissa and Murray’s big day was originally postponed by covid, it then faced rain, road closures and flash flooding all before they got to say “I do”. Despite challenges, the day was incredible, and nothing stopped this couple from beaming all day, taking every road bump in their stride. When Mel and Murray first met, they clicked instantly. The pair bonded over their love for hiking and the outdoors. When we met with them we loved their vision for an elegant yet moody vibe for their big day set against the backdrop of the families stunning property. The wedding was held in Jerry’s Plains – the family property has always provided great memories, serving as an escape from the hustle and bustle of Sydney over the years. Many months were spent excitedly preparing the property, pruning olive tree orchards, ensuring the atmosphere was perfect for the big day.
The day before the Dooley’s were set to get hitched, Jerry’s Plains was hit with a storm, hail and heavy rain bucketed down. The ground was saturated, but the Marquee survived. We planned for the reception to be moved to a local hall but the ceremony would remain amongst the family memories and olive orchards. The big day arrived and so did the flash flooding. With plans to walk down the aisle at 3.30, the midday torrential rain was less than ideal. The flash flooding covered the only access to the property and car park for the reception hall. Our team kept this on the down low so Mel could focus on a stress-free morning getting ready.
With the florist stranded thanks to the flood water, one of our team members used her 4WD to ferry the blooms across to the reception, bringing the florist with her. When police arrived to close the road, they were happy to wait it out seeing that it was passable with a 4WD. The wedding musician, Howard Sherman, had to detour twice thanks to the floodwater, but after some directions from our team made it just in time for the ceremony. With our whole team crossing their fingers for a miracle, the flooding receded right before guests were due to arrive. By this point, the ceremony had also been moved to the hall, but with floodwaters gone a last minute, decision was made to move it back to the picturesque backdrop of the olive orchard.
Despite the weather, nothing could stop Mel from walking down the aisle to marry the love of her life at 3.30 as planned. And at 3.30 on the dot, she was walking down the aisle to become Mrs Dooley. The rain stopped just in time for the ceremony and held out for the beautiful couple. Although the rain had stopped, the waterworks certainly hadn’t with Murray becoming emotional as he saw his bride walking toward him. The ceremony had an especially personal touch, with Mel’s best friend as the celebrant. Ally had travelled all the way from Perth to be at the wedding and did a fantastic job of highlighting just how special these two are. As Murray made his vows to his soon-to-be wife, he was filled with emotion again, becoming teary as he promised to love her for the rest of their days. All of the guests were left in stitches though as Amy retold the story of how this couple met and the tale of Murray’s botched proposal. Mel & Murray sealed the deal with their first kiss as a married couple and walked back down the aisle showered in white heart-shaped confetti. After the ceremony, our team enlisted help from the fabulous guests to relocate the arbour, blooms and decorations back to the hall for the reception before the next downpour.
The hall had been transformed for the reception with dark features and a moody vibe. With everything from black candles and decorative bull skulls to burgundy chiffon and a red ‘Til Death’ neon, the atmosphere was set for everyone to enjoy the night. The reception kicked off with a touching father-daughter dance to the cover of Toy Story’s ‘You’ve got a friend in me’ which lead into a beautiful dance with the groom and his mother. Guests enjoyed woodfired pizza and a delicious dessert grazing station thanks to Cake Me Away while the bride and groom shared their first dance to a specially recorded cover of their favourite song.
With the way they overcame every challenge thrown at them on their wedding day, we’re confident this couple will weather any storm life may throw at them.
Wishing Mr & Mrs Dooley a lifetime of happiness.
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