At WedVibes, we’re always drawn to the stories behind the aesthetics—the vision boards, voice notes, and late-night Pinterest scrolls that quietly shape iconic wedding moments. So, we did what we do best: reached out to real brides who are planning weddings their way. From spontaneous proposals to guest lists made on Google Docs, these brides are rewriting the rules and curating celebrations that feel less like tradition and more like self-expression.
In this series, they open up about the moodboards they can’t stop tweaking, the TikTok trends they’re into, and the vendors who just get it. Expect real love stories, real planning highs (and lows), and plenty of inspiration for your own “main character” moment.
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Meet The Couple
Kyle recently moved to Atlanta from Newcastle, Australia, to be with Victoria, closing out two years of a nine-thousand-mile-long distance relationship. He comes from a construction background, and outside of the jobsite, he stays active at the gym, watches live sports, and likes grabbing coffee or a beer with friends on the weekend. Victoria has been back in Atlanta for four years now, after finishing school and residency in New York City, and until Kyle arrived a month ago, she’d been living there with her Shih Tzu, Gordon, and her parents just ten minutes away. She works as a dentist at a clinic just outside the city, and outside of work, she’s usually at the gym, walking Gordon, or spending time with friends and family.
How did you meet?
Kyle was in NYC for rugby in 2015, and Victoria was at NYU studying to become a dentist. A teammate on Kyle’s rugby team also attended NYU and was dating a good friend of Victoria’s – he had suggested they would be a great match for one another, and soon enough they had messaged each other on social media. Having not been able to make it work time-wise to meet up before Kyle had to depart back to Australia, they missed out on the opportunity to go on a date. After going on different paths from 2016-2024, they followed each other’s journeys from afar on social media until one day in 2024, when Kyle reached out to Victoria to see if she was still residing in NYC, as he had a big trip around the USA coming up in December. They had exchanged messages again leading up to Kyle’s departure in December, and they had arranged to meet in Miami for a drink (as Victoria had moved to Atlanta and Miami was closer than NYC).
On December 10th they finally came together in Miami and sparks flew instantly, after waiting 9 years to have that drink together, they both felt how worth the long journey to finally connect was and have been in love ever since that fateful day.
The Proposal
Meeting up for a week in Waikiki, Hawaii, during their long-distance stage, Kyle brought an engagement ring on this trip and planned to pop the question. On night 5 of their one-week vacation, Kyle and Victoria had been listening to live music and drinking cocktails while the sun was setting over the Pacific Ocean. The live band had started to play Can’t Help Falling In Love by Elvis (which was also being performed by a live music artist in Miami when they had their very first date) and was a sign right there and then for Kyle to drop to one knee while Victoria was filming the performance, as she turned back around Kyle was waiting asking her to marry him.
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The Wedding Vision
1. When and where is your wedding taking place?
Our wedding is taking place at Lanikuhonua Cultural Institute, Ko Olina, in November 2026.
2. Describe your wedding in 3 words.
Intimate, Romantic & One hell of a party!
3. What are three non-negotiable elements for your big day?
- Our guests experience is such a core element. We want our friends and family to have such an amazing weekend celebrating and partying with us!
- Tying in the beautiful Hawaiian landscape to our wedding weekend design, creativity and overall layout.
- Having the perfect mix of American/Australian wedding traditions during our weekend.
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Planning Process
1. What’s been the highlight of your planning process so far?
Creating this amazing weekend together as a couple, bringing our visions of what we exactly want to life. Also, how many friends and family are willing to travel so far to be with us.
2. What’s surprised you most about wedding planning?
How many people are involved in putting together such an amazing event, there are so many moving parts and smaller details that you never realize until it’s your turn to plan a wedding!
3. Is there an Instagram account, TikTok trend, or aesthetic you’re secretly loving right now?
Anything coastal or tropical wedding-related has caught our eye over the last 12 months. Whenever we see a couple getting married in Hawaii or at a tropical destination, we always send it to each other on IG for inspo.
4. What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone just starting their planning journey?
One piece of advice would we would give is to find out what elements are most important to you and then expand on those too create a day or weekend that is special and unique to you and your partner.
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