Words: Elissa Friday Pictures: Louisa Jones
A dance-floor meeting leads to a temple-top proposal for central Geelong couple Prudence Laws and Sean Stockton.
Where they met
“We first met nine years ago and started dating two years later,” Prudence says.
“Both Sean and I went to university in Tasmania, in Launceston, and we met on the dance-floor at a university party. Sean popped his head around the corner, we started talking, and it all started from there.”
The proposal
“We were engaged in 2017 and had about a year and a half engagement,” Prudence says.
The couple went on a holiday to Vietnam and Cambodia, where Sean proposed on top of a temple at sunset.
“There were about a hundred other people there and Sean waited until everyone left to propose to me.
“We had to wait until the sun went down, which was about three hours. I was taking some photos when he got down on one knee.
“I was ecstatic. I was amazing and just incredibly romantic and unusual.”
The rings
Sean used a temporary ring for his proposal to Prudence.
But she was rapt with the special sentimental value of the real thing when it arrived.
“I love that it looks like mum’s,” she says.
“My engagement ring is aquamarine and mum’s is also an aquamarine.”
The pair chose simple bands for their wedding rings.
“Sean’s not fussy,” Prudence says.
The wedding planning
The couple wanted to keep their big day “pretty simple“, Prudence explains.
“Sean was very involved, which was really great.
“We had family to help but when it came down to it we both did all of it ourselves.
“We wanted to make sure our guests didn’t go away hungry and that they’d have as much fun as we did. I think they did, which is good“.
Hens and bucks
The couple had their shindigs over the Australia Day weekend.
“Sean went away to the coast in New South Wales for a weekend away,” Prudence tells.
Prudence’s sisters organised an Alice in Wonderland-themed party at Torquay Bowls Club.
“I was dressed up as Alice. I really enjoyed it
“It was heaps of fun and everyone got very into it.
The dress
Prudence had tried on just a couple of dresses when she found ’the one’.
“I knew what I wanted,“ she remembers.
“Marianna Hardwick was the designer and I didn’t have to alter it. It fit perfectly.
“It was done really well. It was too good to be true to fit so well of rack”.
“I was actually a little disappointed I didn’t have a lot of looking around to do for a dress.“
Bridesmaids and groomsmen
“I had two of my sisters as bridesmaids, Bianca and Magenta, and my best friend, Natalie, from kindergarten,” Prudence says.
“Sean had his brother, Neil, and sister, Amanda, and his best friend, Kareem, from primary school.
“Sean wore a tuxedo and the others wore black suits. Amanda fitted in with the bridesmaids.
“I also had my nieces and nephews, Mietta, William and Oliver. They were very well behaved and very cute.”
Photography
The couple called on the services of photographer Louisa Jones.
“We knew her photos were vibrant,” Prudence says.
“We had photos done at my parents’ house and where Sean stayed at an Airbnb in Ocean Grove.
We had photos done in front of a vintage bus that we also used for our transport during the day. We did some photos in the Drysdale Recreation Reserve pine forest, which was just out the back, and where one of my friends grew up over the road.
Flowers
Prudence chose lively blooms of red and yellow
“I’m not a pink girl. We just wanted it all to be bright,” she says.
The flowers included dahlias, some orchids and some billy buttons.
“Florist Courtney also made a ground arbour, which we stood inside to get married.
Prudence re-used the flower arbour later, creating multiple table displays at the reception.
The reception
The couple’s reception was at Flying Brick Cider Co.
“It was so much fun,” Prudence declares.
“We had canapes for the first hour or so and we had shared mains on long tables. It was kind of like a big feast.
“And they made three lots of home-made ice-cream especially for us: honeycomb, white chocolate and fudge brownie. The guests loved it.
“The venue was so open and it was a lovely hot day too.”
The cake
Prudence’s mum and auntie made the wedding cake.
“It took a couple of weeks to make and it was amazing,” she says.
“Everyone said it was one of the best cakes they had ever tasted.
“Because there was so much, I think we will have cake for the rest of the year.
A “lolly bar” completed the sweet treats, Prudence says.
“The peach hearts were up there with the favourites, as were the strawberry clouds.”
