An intimate and romantic vineyard wedding at Red Hill, Vic: Alicia & MJ

There must be something in the maple syrup in Canada. For, like Sylvia & Matt whose paths crossed randomly in the wintry country, it wasn’t until Aussies Alicia and Marc each moved to the British Columbian city Revelstoke that they met and fell in love.

It’s also the first Aussie proposal I’ve come across that involves an avalanche beacon!

Adelaide-born Alicia Winter was (ironically) on a

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working holiday in Canada when she met Melburnian, Marc Joiner, or MJ. She tells, “MJ had already been living in Revelstoke for four years when we met. It was at our local pub in December 2010 and he was dressed in a suit for a funny ‘suit-up’ night he and his friends had planned. Although all we said was hello, a spark between us was immediate (might have been his dashing suit!)”

She adds, “The next time we saw each other was at a party on Christmas night and from then on, the rest is history. MJ spent the summer showing me all that Revelstoke has to offer and a love of outdoor life was renewed in me. The following winter while I was spending a few months in Australia, we realised it was close to impossible to be apart and our future together was clear.”

Now, about that avalanche beacon. When Alicia returned to Revelstoke toward the end of that winter, on a beautiful blue-sky day with loads of fresh powdery snow, MJ took her out snowmobiling.

She says, “Under the guise of testing my avalanche beacon he had bought be for Christmas, I was told to turn away while he buried his beacon with the ring attached. I was then sent on a mission to find his beacon with mine, all the while he was filming me on his helmet cam.

Upon uncovering his beacon I turned around and MJ was on one knee asking me to marry him. I was shocked and ecstatically happy! And the video of these moments is the favourite of our lives so far; such raw, honest emotion."

With their closest friends and family present, Alicia and MJ held an intimate, romantic, vineyard wedding back in Australia, at Vines of Red Hill, Victoria, with amazing photos captured by Michelle Pragt of In Photography.

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"I love how MJ continues to surprise me with them most romantic, dreamy gestures," says Alicia, "yet he is the ultimate manly man."

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"When our flowers arrived on our wedding day, they were so beautiful that I cried right away!" says the bride. The gorgeous bouquets were by Hello Blossoms.

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Alicia & MJ's vineyard wedding was officiated by Koren Harvey, who was "the ultimate friendly and warm professional and I would recommend her to anyone," praises Alicia.

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The boys looked casual and cool in white open collar shirts, taupe pants and straw fedora hats. The bridesmaids wore beautiful lace dresses from Review whose muted amethyst colour provided the perfect backdrop to the pretty lilac bouquets.

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"My dress was a classic situation of love at first sight!" says Alicia. "At the first store I went to, I tried on one huge puffy dress for laughs and while dancing around in it, I saw a store attendant walk across the room with 'my dress'. My friend and I looked at each other and knew it was the one!"

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The wedding would not have gone so smoothly if it weren't for the bride's talented sister, who made the flowergirl outfits, organised the bridesmaids dresses and shoes, and made this impressive white chocolate cake. "Transporting it was terrifying," says Alicia, "but she did that too, with ease."

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If you've ever tasted S'mores - the Canadian campfire treat of toasted marshmallow and melted chocolate sandwiched between sweet biscuits - then you'd know how jealous I was that they were on the dessert buffet at this gorgeous wedding. Yuuumm!

Photos courtesy of In Photography.


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Tags: in photography, purple wedding, romantic wedding, vineyard wedding

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