Chole & Jody WON the $10,000 Wedding Competition with ABIA.
With ABIA's beloved bi-annual Wedding Competition, Chloe & Jody were able to win $10,000 in Wedding Cash towards their special day. The ABIA team had the chance to catch-up with the winners and discuss their wedding journey with ABIA. 
(Photographed by Clover Leaf Photography)
Tell us about your proposal!
We were at Oakdene Winery near Geelong on the Bellarine Peninsula for the long weekend and to attend Toast to the Coast the day before - which was crazy, but lots of fun!
Jody asked me to come and sit on a bench with him, then he basically fell onto both knees nervously and finally pulled out the ring! Afterwards, Jody said he had the whole speech in his head but went completely blank at the time. To celebrate our proposal, we indulged in a long degustation lunch at Igni (Geelong) and drank a lot of champagne!
(Photographed by Clover Leaf Photography)
What were your favourite Wedding Moments?
Jody & Chloe both agree their favourite wedding moment was definitely the ceremony. "Walking down the aisle and saying our vows was the most incredible moment, hard to describe- just full of so many emotions
said Chloe. Jody said he was pretty emotional seeing me walking towards him down the aisle. He held it together well though - bless these two!
​ (Photographed by Clover Leaf Photography)
How did ABIA make your wedding planning easier?
Using ABIA was great as we could use qualified recommendations, which is just as good as word of mouth so you know you are working with a quality brand. The $10,000 really helped us with those extra things that we might not have had otherwise. Those extra touches made the night that much more memorable and special for our guests.
See a list of these amazing vendors that I would recommend in the last question!
What was your wedding theme?
Country, Casual and Relaxing in the Vines.
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What was the Colour theme?
Colour theme was white, grey and rose gold with native flowers and olive branches.
Dress Code?
Garden cocktail was the dress code for the guests, so summer dresses and shorts for the boys as it was hot.
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(Photographed by Clover Leaf Photography)
What did you love about your wedding dress?
I love how simple it was. I am not a lace or bead person, so it was really me. The best thing was it had pockets!! But it was also something I can wear again. I had already seen it before we got engaged and knew it was the one. An acquaintance owned it, so I tried hers on (wrong size) and luckily found my size online straight away and got it within a week of being engaged, Easy! It was a Toni Maticevski gown so kept to a local designer as well.
(Photographed by Clover Leaf Photography)​
What was your biggest surprise?
Because I planned the entire event, I knew what was happening so there weren’t tons of surprises for me. But when we went for a spontaneous ride on the Polaris four-wheeler around the vineyard, that was not planned! And we got some great drone footage of us waving to our guests as we zoomed past.
What song played for your first dance?
‘Fire and the Flood’ by Vance Joy. It was our song when we first met and then we saw him play live this year.
We did a choreographed dance (using our prize money with 8 Count Dance) to the song and it was amazing!
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(Photographed by Clover Leaf Photography)​
What is your favourite photograph of the day?
Our first kiss one. Black and white taken by my sister. Or the silly one with all the bridal party with Jody pretending to pour champagne into my mouth. So very us!
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(Photographed by Clover Leaf Photography)​
What advice would you give to wedding couples?
The best advice I got was to make sure you look at your future husband when walking down the aisle. It is too easy to be distracted by everything and everyone around you. This is your special moment together and a super emotional one so look at each other the whole time!
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​(Photographed by Clover Leaf Photography)​
Who were all of the vendors that made this magical day happen?
Blakes Feast: Our caterers. Quote guests ‘Best wedding food I have ever had’. Fantastic from start to finish.
Undersky: Our amazing Sperry tent marquee. Would highly recommend.
The Table Station: Chair and table hire. Great prices and customer service.
Cloverleaf Photography: She takes amazing photos and is very relaxed!
Lauren Kristy Creations: Beautiful hair for my bridesmaids and myself on the day.
CG Skin and Beauty Studio: Does the most amazing make up and got my skin ready for the big day!
Megan Thomspon: Our lovely celebrant. She was fantastic
Castlemaine Floristry: Local florist. Super creative, unique designs and they nailed the brief.
Hattie and the Barin: Our On the Day Coordinator. Worth every cent! Allowed us to relax on the day. Hattie was absolutely incredible on the day and I would highly recommend any bride booking one if you are planning the event yourself.
Valley and Peak Videography: Recommended by a friend. Super chilled and relaxed with fun and beautiful videos. Drones are a bonus too!
Mighty Signs: My Uncle’s sign writing business. He made beautiful signage and was really flexible.
Undisposable: Great alternative to the Photobooth. Disposable cameras on the tables for guests to take shots and then Polaroids are printed- two copies. Great to look at post-wedding!
The Candy Buffet Company: The best alternative to having a catered dessert! Looks fantastic and guests just help themselves and can take lolly bags home too.
Peninsula Cake Art: Beautiful tasting and looking cakes. Handmade with love.
8 Count Dance: The best money spent! Maria was incredible. Jody and I are not dancers, but she was very patient and crafted and amazing dance for us. Keep it a surprise too! Our guests loved it and it was nice to show off a bit.
Homebodii: Best spot for Bridal robes and gifts.
