Our Couples at RACV Torquay Resort

Their Day

Although the weather wasn’t on our side, there were many more stunning options to choose from to have our ceremony. The reception room was beautiful and the staff were extremely friendly and helpful. 

Their Story

From the first time we walked into RACV Torquay, we knew it was the place we wanted to get married. The stunning building, incredible staff and the relaxed vibe - we felt we just loved everything about it.

Throughout the planning stages it was so simple and easy to deal with RACV; the prompt service was really impressive. As for the Wedding Day we couldn’t have even dreamt how smoothly it ran and how organised, friendly and caring the staff were. All my guest commented on the stunning venue, delicious food and how lovely all the staff were.

We had the most amazing time and didn’t have to worry about a single thing, the set up was seamless and even down to the end of the night offering us all slippers when our feet were sore just toped it all off. I would recommend RACV to anyone and we look forward to visiting each year on our anniversary.

Their Story

Daniel and I met almost 7 years ago and both knew pretty quickly that it was something special.

I always dreamt of a March wedding and woke up on that Saturday to one of the warmest days in 2019, hitting a top of 41 degrees. The shade and breeze through the Geelong Botanic Garden provided the most beautiful ceremony experience, and our harpist created a stunning atmosphere playing throughout. We tied the knot at three thirty in the afternoon, spent an hour walking through the gardens getting photos and then the remainder of our time on the grounds of the RACV Torquay Resort.

The time between our ceremony and reception absolutely flew by and before I knew it we were joining our guests for a night of dancing, laughing and storytelling. Our day wouldn’t have come together the way it did without our beautiful families, supportive bride tribe, the exceptionally talented team at the RACV Resort and our wedding designer Anabel.

If I can offer future brides one piece of advice it would be this - I like many absolutely love a good wedding and I was totally caught up in the excitement and anticipation of the day. You’ll do this too, but remember to take time with your new husband throughout the day to come together, share a moment and take in what’s happening around you. Because before you know it it’s just wonderful memories. 

Their Story

Jordan and Stef are childhood sweethearts, meeting and falling in love in year 10. Jordan proposed to Stef on holiday in Palm Cove and they finally tied the knot in February - the weekend of their 10th anniversary.

Jordan and Stef have always had a love for Torquay and after initially viewing the resort, they knew it was the perfect place for their wedding. 

Both the ceremony and reception were held at the RACV resort and with onsite accommodation available it made the day very relaxed and practical for both the bridal party and guests - especially Jordan’s family who had travelled interstate.

The wedding was full of love, laughter, amazing food and lots of dancing with their closest family and friends. The amazing staff at RACV Torquay helped the day run so smoothly with a lovely relaxed feel. 

Their Story

Jarryd proposed to Natalie on the beach in Jan Juc, so it was important to them to celebrate their special day in the surrounds of the Great Ocean Road, where they have many fond memories. Natalie and Jarryd loved spending this day with their family and friends and felt overwhelmed with love and happiness. 

Their Story

Andrew surprised Martina on her first overseas trip to Hawaii and proposed to her on the beautiful Maui beach. Ever since this day Martina and Andrew always wanted to be married in Torquay as they call Torquay their second home, with the ceremony held at St Therese Church and the reception held in the stunning Ball Room at RACV Torquay Resort.

"Our wedding day reflected both of us which was sense of happiness, joy, elegance and extremely in love atmosphere."

Highlights from their special day was the wedding dance and Andrew doing his famous worm. And the speeches, certainly had the room in laughter. 

"Our advice to future engaged couples: Enjoy this special and magical time. Symone has a wealth of knowledge in weddings, so use her expertise and suggestions and your day will be a dream come true." 

Their Story

The most perfect day and one that we will never forget thanks to our amazing family & friends and the incredible team at RACV Torquay.

We cannot thank Symone enough for all that she did for us throughout the process; every detail was thought out and every dream we had come true, thanks to her.

The accommodation, food and venue were more than we could have hoped for and created the most magical experience when we added in our most loved ones.

Their Story

It was a spontaneous night out for both Sinead and Michael, when they met outside Lambys in 2014. When Michael got home, he woke up his mates to tell them he’d found ‘The One’, and he wasn’t wrong.  Michael proposed to Sinead in Dubrovnik, Croatia whilst travelling Europe in 2017.

Their wedding reflected one of Sinead’s regular sayings “simple but effective”.  Their main inclusions were fairy and festoon lights and tall flower centrepieces, while the beautiful view from the RACV ballroom spoke for itself.

Michael ensured the bridal party received the couple’s signature drink of choice, Espresso Martini, contributing to the energetic and positive vibes of the night.

Their Story

Sam proposed after a romantic picnic at the Palace of Versailles and we got married exactly two years later.

We loved having an extended engagement. It gave us time to think really carefully about what was most important to us on our wedding day. Our motto throughout the entire process was, ‘simple but significant’ and choosing the RACV Resort Torquay perfectly characterised that. 

We’re really proud to live on the Surf Coast and wanted to showcase the region to our guests as more than half were from interstate. The resort’s expansive views across Torquay/Jan Juc Beach and our local vendors allowed us to do that. We drew most of our styling inspiration from the colour palette around the resort and along the Great Ocean Road including the gourmet chocolate bars wrapped in hand-painted water colours of local scenery from GORCI and Ella’s sequinned gown and veil (which almost blew over the cliffs at Point Addis). The resort also provided our bridal party and guests with luxurious accommodation and acted as a central hub where we met for several events across the weekend.

Family was another really important focus for us. The pressed earth walls and diffused light in The Foyer helped to create a really special and intimate atmosphere for our ceremony and our reception was set up so that we could have as much interaction with everyone as possible. Symone (who we cannot thank enough) made every decision and every step of the process so easy and it felt like every single staff member had joined our family by the end of the night!

Now we’re looking forward to a belated honeymoon in Tasmania to celebrate 10 years together and 6 months of marriage. We even booked a couple of nights at the RACV Hobart Hotel.

Their Story

Craig chose his moment to propose on a busy weekend when Lana had dance commitments all day. He carefully prepared the house, dressed up in a suit and awaited Lana’s arrival home. When Lana called to say she was on her way home with a friend Craig almost ditched the whole plan, but some clever thinking and quick actions kept her friend at bay and made for a complete surprise proposal: one that Lana was definitely not expecting.

The ceremony

We have thrown many parties over the years but our wedding has to be the best one yet! From the 12-minute flash mob to Scottish karaoke, Craig and I had the most incredible day made possible by some amazing suppliers. In particular, our stylist Annabel from Belco who transformed an already beautiful setting into something magnificent. The day could not have gone any better

Craig and I wanted to have our wedding at RACV Torquay as it provides the perfect setting for everyone to celebrate in a style that best suits us. With a cracking party, loads of dancing and all our friends and family who mean the most to us

Their Story

A classic story of boy meets girl, except girl doesn't quite remember boy...

According to Matt, Jade and Matt first met at a mutual friend's birthday in 2012. Jade, however, can't quite remember this first encounter. It then took Matt a year to muster the courage to ask Jade out on a "date" - at least Matt thought it was a date. Jade, oblivious to Matt's intentions, met him at a bar with a friend. Matt moved quickly to clarify his intentions with a kiss on the dance floor. A week later in September 2013, they went on their first "formal" date and they have been going strong ever since.

Initially bonding over their mutual love for swimming, different cultures and advocacy work, Jade and Matt grew closer and closer. Eventually falling in love with each other, they have now built a home together in Richmond with Hugo (their cat!). They have always been there for each other through tough times, career changes and progressions, and have always been each other's biggest supporters.

Moving together to Geneva in 2017 was the catalyst for Matt to get his act together and propose to Jade. A "stress free" and "seamlessly" executed trip to Cinque Terre, Italy was arranged by Matt and at exactly 7pm on 5th August, as Italian church bells chimed in the distance, Matt ensured no confusion was met, when he lowered to one knee and asked the love of his life, Jade, to marry him.

Their Story

Dale proposed to Sarah on a surprise trip to Tasmania after hiking into Wineglass Bay carrying a picnic lunch, a scrapbook he had made outlining their time together, a beautiful ring and a bottle of champagne.

Sarah and Dale initially connected over their love of the beach, and spend as much time as they can in Torquay. The gorgeous view from the RACV Torquay Resort was the perfect setting for their wedding reception.

Their wedding was a true reflection of their characters – meticulously organised prior to the event, but relaxed and full of laughter and smiles on the day, as they celebrated with close friends and family. Highlights were the hilarious, yet sentimental speeches and the delicious wedding cake – a team effort by the Groom and the Mother of the Bride!

Sarah and Dale loved working with Symone and her fantastic team at RACV Torquay to create their perfect day.

Their Story

We had our first date Valentines’ Day in 2015 and have been together happily ever since. 

We chose The RACV Springs Creek Retreat Room for its beautiful views and because it was the perfect size for an intimate family wedding - whatever the weather.  It was the perfect one-stop-shop for ceremony, reception and wedding night accommodation.

The reception and experience was more than we could have imagined thanks to the first class venue that is the RACV Torquay.

My family and I stayed the night before and the night of the wedding and could not fault our rooms, service and food.

We have such happy memories of this amazing experience we hope to return and stay for our one-year anniversary.

Their Story

When we first met all those years ago, who could have known where we would end up. What a rollercoaster of ups and downs it has been! But we made it, and no one can take that away from us.

We wanted to spend our day surrounded by the people who know and love us. Our wedding was a true reflection of our relationship: full of laughter and big smiles. There was never a dull moment and we got to share it with our 4 beautiful children and family and friends.

Their Story

Natalie & Lachlan met in High School and a friendship blossomed when Natalie was the only girl in Graphics class! The proposal was a complete surprise to Natalie and took place at Split Point Lighthouse, Arieys Inlet, where Lachlan’s family have a holiday house nearby.  The next day, all of their families and friends joined them for lunch at the holiday house which was very special.

The search for the ‘perfect dress’ was something that made Natalie feel quite anxious but thankfully on only her second outing she found the perfect dress at Mariana Hardwick, feminine but sleek, simple but a touch of bling, a silhouette with clean straight lines and a simple V neck with a split.  It was simply breathtaking. She kept an eye out for things after trying this dress, but nothing could come close to comparing how comfortable she felt in that dress.

Both the ceremony and reception were held at RACV Torquay Resort. Natalie & Lachlan both instantly felt a sense of calm and relief after their first visit there and were happy to do the whole thing at RACV. The plan was to have our ceremony on the terrace, but due to rainy and unpredictable weather, the night before we made the call to proceed with plan B, having the ceremony in the foyer indoors. And we don’t think anyone has ever had a more successful plan B than them! The foyer was stunning, and the sleek architecture of the interior was the perfect backdrop for their ceremony styling, and they felt so comfortable knowing they didn’t have to worry about rain, wind, cold or heat.

What’s your advice for brides-to-be?

“As much as I wanted to do everything myself, definitely outsource and get help! I realized closer to the day that I couldn’t do everything myself, and started getting specific task outsourced, but later than I should have.  Pick a few things that you really want to take care of yourself, and get the rest allocated to professionals as early as possible.”

Their Story

Once we were engaged, we knew the wedding would have to be in Torquay. We’d both been visiting all throughout our childhood, and my family bought a home here in 2012. We wanted to use as many local Torquay businesses as possible for the wedding, and we couldn’t believe the talent that was on offer. We also wanted to use our friends’ businesses for hair, make-up, the cake and the artwork - we always wanted our wedding to be as inclusive an affair as possible, with a real focus on our families and friends.

The Meeting

Sean and I met in 2009 when I started working for him at a frozen yoghurt store he opened in Melbourne. We were best friends before we were anything else, and whilst it was probably love at first sight, we weren’t officially a couple until 2013.

The Proposal

Sean proposed to me at the Moulin Rouge in Paris. He waited until the show was over, and we were alone, and popped the question. It was a total surprise. We’d been travelling around Europe for three weeks before then and lost our luggage twice whilst flying so it was a miracle he still had a ring.

Favourite Moment

I’m glad there’s not just one, there’s so many things that made this the best day of our lives. Being able to handcraft the wedding to how we wanted it, walking down the aisle with both our parents, having flowerboys, and page-girls, a first dance where we both could lead. Just seeing how the guests responded to the whole day with so much love being shared around the room was my favourite part.

Words of Wisdom

Think first and foremost about who you are as people, and have your wedding reflect that. There’s no right way or wrong way to have a wedding. Make it weird if you’re weird, a big party, relaxed, or a serious time to commit to one-another - make it a celebration of love and life and make it uniquely you – that’s what the guests respond best to.

Funny/Disasters

Flipping a coin 30-minutes before the ceremony to work out whether we’d do it inside or outside. Fate made the right decision.

Anything Else

Sean and I are so grateful for how our wedding was received by not only our friends and family, but also all the businesses that played such a huge role in making the day happen. We understand not everyone chooses to celebrate the love that we have, but being able to be married in our own country, in a place that means so much to us, amongst those closest to us, made the day even more special.

Their Story

Maggie & Daniel are High School sweethearts.  After meeting and falling in love in Year 12, the two have been inseparable ever since.  Daniel surprised Maggie with a heartfelt proposal after a beautiful weekend away in Melbourne.

Their wedding day was a classical and elegant event which was 8 years in the making.  Bringing together family and friends for a whole lot of fun!!  It was important that the day reflected them both as a couple which included a phantom race call by Ric McIntosh, a first dance remix of all of their favourite songs and good quality food and wine shared with those they love most.

The Ceremony was held at the impressive St Mary of the Angels Basilica, Geelong and Maggie was driven there by her proud Grandfather Stan, in his Mercedes E350. The reception was in the Ballroom of RACV Torquay Resort and with black Tiffany chairs from Memphis Hire adding a charming point of difference.

Words of Wisdom for other couples, “Throughout the fast paced day, take a moment to step back and take it all in”.

Their Story

Jaimie & Shaun’s easy going, loving nature was evident throughout their wedding day – and it’s one of the things they love most about each other. They met at a fun dress up function in 2011, and Shaun proposed in New Zealand while they were taking photos with friends.

Their outdoor wedding ceremony was held on Torquay Common (with RACV Torquay Resort in the background).  They ensured their day was full of personal touches, by making their own chair sashes and arranging the table centrepieces.

The one thing they both mention about the big day is to not stress, and to take time out during the night to take it all in!

Their Story

Marijana and Sam were both studying Law at Deakin University, but didn’t start dating until they finished uni - after a mutual friend got involved and forced each of them to ask the other out! Fast forward 10 years, and Sam found a picturesque location where they had fish and chips overlooking the beach and a special moment involving an engagement ring inside chocoholic Marijana’s dessert of Cadbury Favourites.

The couple gave everything a personal touch for their wedding, from making the hanging light features for the reception out of driftwood and glass terrariums with LED candles inside them to the bonbonniere of small jars of lemon curd homemade by the bride. Marijana even sang a song on stage at the end of the night! Marijana’s father and Sam’s mother made a standing sign for the ballroom, and Marijana’s family worked hard the previous day to bake the traditional and elaborately decorated Ukrainian wedding cake called the “Korovaj.” The highlight of the night was seeing both of their grandparents attend the day - especially watching the bride’s 89 year old grandmother dance with her walker at the reception and the grooms 92 year old grandfather enjoying himself!

Their Story

Georgia and Daniel were married at her family’s home in Jan Juc, a place that is special to them as they both met and now live in the area. Their laidback style was evident in both their ceremony as well as their reception in the Great Ocean Ballroom at RACV Torquay resort – they enlisted the help of Daisy from As Daisy Does to transform the versatile space with gorgeous hanging floral statement pieces, along with beautiful hardwood long timber tables.

They made sure to take some time to themselves on the day, and headed out to the golf course at sunset with their photographer to catch some special moments. The pair shared their dream day with 72 of their friends and family, and kept it simply casual, with no wedding cake, bonbonniere and the bridesmaids selecting their own dresses.