Peel Manor House

What an experience! Dave and I got married on the 14th October; a day I had waited all my life for! It was an incredible experience right from the beginning. Mind you, the proposal "So will ya....", left a bit to be desired! However he has made up for it since and made a very dashing groom in his tall hat and cane!

We thought we would get married in the Swan Valley, and therefore set off looking for the right destination. Most venues we found catered for too many or not enough people and didn't have a large dance floor. As Dave and I met whilst undertaking ballroom dancing lessons, a large dance floor was a prerequisite.

My now, mother in law, had seen Peel Manor House on Postcards WA, and recommended that we go and have a look. From the minute we drove through the limestone gates and saw the cherry blossom trees in bloom and the beautiful manor, we both knew this was the place. This was reinforced when we met Paul and Ryan, 2 of the owners and the wedding planners for the venue.

The planning process was an enjoyable and easy experience due to the fact that we attended an expo at Peel Manor House, and were really impressed with the people we met and the services they provided. We met Cyrus from Lighthouse Photography, the wonderful photographer and the publisher of his own magazine, Soulman DJ, Cake-O-Late Cakes, Peel Horse and Carriage, Creative Elegance Wedding Decor and through recommendation went ahead and booked these people on the spot. All providers were friendly, caring and really helpful. The photos Cyrus took were increadible and it was great to see them on the big screen at the reception.

The morning of the 'Big Day' , went off without a hitch. We got half ready at home and drove to the Manor to get dressed. The boys arrived close to the time, all ready to go, despite leaving our overnight bag back at home. I had visions of having to wear my wedding dress at breakfast the next morning; however our wonderful brother in law went home during the night to collect our bag. Mental note, never leave a male such an important job!

The day was glorious, blue skies, warm weather and 80 friends and family. I arrived on horse and carriage with my mum and dad, and Dave and I both got teary as I stepped off the carriage as we saw how well we both scrubbed up. The ceremony was wonderful and emotive and made even more special by the personal touches.

Afterwards we wondered the grounds to have photos taken whilst our guests had canapes and hibiscus champagne. Then we made our grand entrance down the stairs to many flashing cameras and smiling faces. We spent the rest of the night dancing, talking and smiling.

We would like to thank everyone on the day especially Cyrus as we now have beautiful photos to look at to remind us all the little things we would not have otherwise remembered.

It was an amazing day that I never wanted to end. To stand at the top of the stairs and know that everybody was there to celebrate the most special day of our lives was a liberating experience. Take it in and enjoy every moment. And as the old saying goes, take the time to smell the roses!