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Born and bred in Mount Gambier, Ashlee (Nobes) built her reputation growing up as a supreme netballer and basketballer, before heading to Adelaide after finishing school to study graphic design. She stretched her wings even further moving to London when she turned 21 only returning home when her visa ran out. But the travel bug was still biting and she headed to Vancouver, Canada and that’s where things changed forever. That’s when Ashlee went with a friend to an Emirates Airlines open day and made her way right through the flight attendant selection process and moved to Dubai to a life like nothing she had experienced before. It’s also where she met her now husband Ali Kalantarian. “I was meeting a good friend for lunch and she was heading to the airline open day and
just asked me to go with her so I did,” Ashlee said. “I’d never even heard of the airline and I had no intention of being a flight attendant but we both got through what was a long process and before I knew it we were flying to Dubai.” They were taken to a brand new furnished apartment when they arrived, given $5000 to get them through until their first pay packet in what was the start to an amazing experience.
After five weeks training she started flying. “We would stay in down town Manhattan in New York in a five star hotel and go to shows
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and it was amazing,” she said. “It was hard work though but you can’t complain when you get treated as well as we were treated and when you literally get to see the world.” That somewhat surreal experience lasted three years before Ali and Ashlee moved, first to Melbourne and then eventually home to Mount Gambier. “I decided I had had enough of travelling and thought it was time to get back to the real world,” Ashlee said. “It was a tough decision for Ali to leave his family but when I found out I was pregnant it seemed the right time to come home and be around my family and have that support.” He now works at Carlin & Gazzard and has settled nicely into life in Mount Gambier – a world away from his life in Dubai where he helped run the family car part business.
It was her own wedding that in the end saw her now thriving business – Ashlee Lauren – to emerge. She created a brooch bouquet for her Mount Gambier nuptials and soon friends and friends of friends were asking for their own unique jewelled accessories and Ashlee had almost stumbled on the perfect opportunity – a business that she could run from home and work around looking after her young son Zac, as well as a way to tap into her creative side and make use of her
graphic design skills and training. “I had always wanted to have my own business but I had certainly never done anything to do with weddings before,” Ashlee said. “But once I started to design and create the brooch bouquets and other accessories on request I realised it could really develop into something.” So the trained graphic designer created her own logo, business cards and set up her website, literally building every aspect of the business as word of mouth saw the customers also build. Ali & Ash Kalantarian on their own wedding day.
The braines behind Ashlee Lauren - Ashlee Kalantarian.
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As it turns out, being part of the wedding industry indeed runs in Ashlee’s family. Her grandmother used to make wedding cakes and wedding dresses. “She helped with my own wedding and encouraged me to get into the business,” Ashlee said. “It really started as a hobby and it has surprised me how it has grown and grown.” It is still a part time business for the working mother, who also works two days a week with employment consultancy Gramac. “What I love is every wedding I have been involved in are very different,” Ashlee said. “Some people come in and know exactly what they want, some bring in pictures and want me to recreate a certain look and others leave it totally up to me and test my creative limits.” With a strong online presence, Ashlee’s customers hail from across Australia and internationally, including a strong market in the United States. ‘It’s interesting working with people and creating pieces for people that you have never met,” Ashlee said. “I send off a list of questions to those customers and try and work out what their personality is like and a bit about the couple to help design a piece that best suits.” While online is her major presence, Ashlee heads to a variety of bridal expos to market her accessories operation and she has recently set up a showroom at her home so she can take appointments at home and have some of her work right at her fingertips to show prospective clients. Ashlee has just come off a really busy wedding season and while things slow down over winter, that just gives her a chance to continue working on designs and also sourcing the unique vintage style brooches and jewels to help make up her jewelled bouquets and other spectacular accessories. “I am starting to work on creating more jewellery now as girls have started approaching me for things for their deb ball or school formal,” Ashlee said. And there is also the hair accessories – the stunning pieces Ashlee creates for both brides and the young debutante. “It has been a natural change to make sure I can offer a one stop shop for all the accessories,” Ashlee said. “It just makes it easier for the customer to be able to just deal with one person.” And while being a wife and mother is her most important role, Ashlee is passionate about her business and keen to see just how far she can take it. “I just love it and I just need to keep an eye on how much I take on,” she said. “But to have the opportunity to be creative every day and to use the skills from my graphic design studies almost a decade a go is amazing.” Ashlee sources much of her supplies online and looks to try and use Australian suppliers wherever possible. “My work is part planning and part trial and error as I look to create each piece,” Ashlee said. She has also teamed with former local photographer Jess Pettingill for a couple of shoots to showcase her work, keeping as much of her business not just as Australia as possible but as local as possible.
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& Alex Bell & Chris Williams exchanged vows, surrounded by family and friends, on December 14 last year. In Alex’s case that meant the fashionistas from Redgum Country and the dancing queens from Hype Dance and in Chris’ case, the boys from Inter Soccer and South Gambier Football Clubs. The Barn Palais hosted both the ceremony and reception. Alex was attended by matron of honour Katie Fox and bridesmaids Kim Cella, Amy-Kate McBain, Penny Creek and Kate Rowley, while Chris was attended by best man Nick Williams and groomsmen Wade Ryan, Chayce Fox, Christian Cella and Dante Bonner.
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& It was on a holiday in Lorne in November 2012 when Tyson Proud got down on one knee at a lookout and proposed to Hannah Thorpe. It was just over a year later on December 21 that the couple tied the knot in the tea rooms at Aberfoyle Garden because it rained all day and their planned garden wedding just wasn’t going to happen. Her veil even fell in a puddle but the couple still describe it as the happiest day of their lives. The couple met three years ago in a chance meeting at the South Aussie Hotel and celebrated their engagement there and had some of their wedding photos at the scene of their first meeting as well. Hannah was attended by her best friend and matron of honour Annie Sapiatzer, maid of honour and older sister Tamara Thorpe, her best friend Karen Bowman and younger sister Fiona Thorpe. Tyson was attended by best man Aaron Heemskerk and groomsmen Shane Knight, Garry Halleday and Caolan Buckley.
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& Kingsley Clark and Tess Andrews were married on January 25 at the beautiful Sheriffmuir Gardens. Tess’s bridesmaids were Beck Gilbertson, Kate Wilson and Kaitlyn Case, and Kingsleys groomsmen were Scott Hadnum, Adam Flett, Leith Dwyer and Kevin Bowering. The ceremony was beautiful, and the handsome page boys Alex, Zach, Tobi and Noah along with the adorable flower girl Isla were the stars of the show. The bridal party was driven in a Chrysler 300c limousine, before joining their closest friends and family at Commodore on the Park for the reception.
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“Did we have any relatives die in the First World War?” Forensic Anthropologist Kat Kelso’s innocent question begins the unravelling of a hundred years of family history, lies and secrets. In 1916 twin brothers Denny and Connor Ronan are eager to get to the war before it’s all over; Bridie O’Malley, their childhood friend and the woman they both love, watches them leave, understanding too late that war is about more than heroes and handsome boys in uniform. Nearly a century on from the disastrous battle of Fromelles, Kat Kelso, Bridie’s great granddaughter, is on site in France identifying the recovered bodies of lost Australian soldiers. The discovery of her own relative amongst the dead men brings Kat, her mother Fiona and great-aunt Hattie, far more questions than answers. The wounds of love and war have devastating consequences that ripple across time. Joanne van Os was born in Sydney and raised in Melbourne, the eldest of six children. Her first book, Outback Heart, was published in 2005, and followed by children’s novels Brumby Plains, Castaway and The Secret of the Lonely Isles. She lives in Darwin with her husband Lex Silvester on their boat. Ronan’s Echo is her fifth book.
She’s jinxed when it comes to relationships. That’s what Hope believes as she ends another engagement. Travelling to Australia for a fashion shoot is just the break she needs-even if it means getting up close and very personal with former flame, Oliver. For Oliver, a sailing trip in a tropical paradise is the opportunity to convince the woman he loves to give him a second chance. But when Hope and Oliver are stranded on a desert island, they are soon battling the elements, and their passion for each other. Shannon Curtis has worked as an office admin manager, customer service rep, logistics supervisor, dangerous goods handler, event planner, ‘switch bitch’ and betting agent. She loved reading from an early age and decided to combine her passion for action and romance by penning a novel. Her first two books were shortlisted for Favourite Romantic Suspense for 2012 & 2013 by the Australian Romance Readers Association. She is also the author of Collision Course, one of the first titles published with The Bold and the Beautiful. She lives in Sydney with her family and various pets, and dreams of one day having a library like the one in Beauty and the Beast (as long as she doesn’t have to clean it).
In the dazzling summer of 1926, Ernest Hemingway and his wife Hadley travel from their home in Paris to a villa in the south of France. They swim, play bridge, drink gin, have parties - and everywhere they go they are accompanied by the glamorous, irrepressible Fife. She is Ernest’s lover. Hadley is the first Mrs Hemingway, but neither she nor Fife will be the last. Over the ensuing decades, Ernest’s literary career will blaze a trail but threaten to overpower him, and his marriages will be ignited by desire and deceit. Four extraordinary women will learn what it means to love the most famous writer of his generation. Each will see him as no other has before and be forced to ask herself how far she would go to remain his wife... Naomi Wood was born in 1983 and lives in London. She studied at Cambridge and at UEA for her MA in Creative Writing. Originally from York, she has lived in Hong Kong, Paris and Washington DC, and her research for Mrs Hemingway took her from the British Library to the Hemingway archives at universities in Boston and Yale, and to the Hemingway heritage homes in Chicago, Florida and Cuba.
Disillusioned actress Eden Riley leaves a life of Hollywood glamour, and a broken marriage, to return to her mother’s childhood home in rural Virginia. Eden is full of questions about her mother, a famous children’s author who died when Eden was very young. On her search for answers, Eden meets the handsome, yet mysterious, Ben Alexander, an archaeologist and friend of her uncle. But Ben has his own demons, and a secret that threatens to destroy their newfound happiness. Eden must make a heart-breaking decision, as she struggles to lay the ghosts of the past to rest and come to terms with her own future. Diane Chamberlain is the bestselling author of twenty-three novels. Her storylines are often a combination of romance, family drama, intrigue and suspense. She lives in Northern Carolina with her partner, photographer John Pagliuca, and her shelties, Keeper and Cole. Visit dianechamberlain.com
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& Alyce Alexander and Leon Haskas have known each other since they were really young and for the past seven years that friendship developed into romance, culminating at Bailey’s Rocks, at Dergholm, with a proposal to the strains of bagpipes. The traditional Greek wedding was on February 8 this year and while the day included Greek dancing and plate smashing, it also had glimpses of the couples’ personalities - entering their reception to the Star Wars theme and leaving to the Raiders of the Lost Ark theme. Stefan Millard was the best man, with Tim Ackland, Tim McGregor and Tyson Megaw as the groomsmen, while Evi Ackland was the matron of honour, with her sisters Lee-anne Alexander, Sharni Alexander and Rebecca Smith taking on the bridesmaid roles.
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If you change your surname get ready for the paperwork - you’ll need to change your name officially on a number of critical documents.
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Photo courtesy of Sonya Francis Photography
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& They met the night before a wedding they were both attending in Adelaide at Glenelg’s Grand Hotel in October 2010 and while nothing eventuated then, Mark Carrison contacted Kirby Wilson about a fortnight later and on New Year’s Eve, Kirby made her first visit to Port MacDonnell. “We hit it off, fell in love and couldn’t live without each other,” Kirby said. “I then made the huge decision to pack up my things in Adelaide and move to Port MacDonnell to be with Mark.” That was in April 2011 and on September 29, 2012, the proposal came. It was AFL grand final day and Mark was acting strangely. He was playing their favourite song (Big Jet Plane) and wanted to dance. “Which was weird,” Kirby said. “Because we don’t dance.” Her sister popped in and quickly got shooed away and then the ring was produced and the all important question was asked, down on one knee, of course. The couple officially tied the knot on March 8 this year.
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An interesting hybrid of popular film genres, Ghost showcases the talents of its entire cast. While out on the town one evening, New York couple Sam (Patrick Swayze) and Molly (Demi Moore) are confronted by a mugger. After submitting to his demands, Sam is murdered anyway. He then finds himself a disembodied spirit, invisible to the living world, wandering without hope until he finds a spiteful spirit aboard the subway (Vincent Schiavelli) who gives him some helpful pointers on how to co-exist. Soon Sam comes back into contact with those he knew in life, and he begins to learn piece-by-piece of his close friend and co-worker Carl’s (Tony Goldwyn) embezzling plot which caused his death; the apparent mugging was, in fact, a premeditated murder. In the meantime, Carl has designs on Molly, and Sam is determined to extract revenge. He contacts a psychic (Whoopi Goldberg), and together, the two set out to serve justice and stop the maniacal Carl from getting to Molly. Blending comedy, romance, action, and horror, Ghost was a box-office smash and managed to garner five Academy Award nominations, including “Best Picture,” “Best Supporting Actress” (Goldberg), “Best Original Screenplay,” “Best Editing,” and “Best Score”; Goldberg won her first Oscar.
In a gender-reversed version of his previous hit Pretty in Pink, John Hughes retreads all-too- familiar ground in Some Kind of Wonderful, the story of a sensitive, young would-be artist, Keith (Eric Stoltz), who vies for the affection of his high school’s popularity queen, Amanda (Lea Thompson), seemingly out of some deep-rooted insecurity regarding his social ineptitude. He enlists the help of his butch best friend and fellow misfit, Watts (Mary Stuart Masterson), unaware that she secretly pines for him. While she goads him to give up his pointless pursuit of Amanda, he encounters one other small obstacle -- Amanda’s rich bully of a boyfriend, Hardy (Craig Sheffer), who threatens Keith with a face rearrangement. Undeterred, Keith decides he will, by any means necessary, escort his dream girl to the prom -- but not before he buys her expensive jewellery with the money from his college fund in order to impress her.
In suburban Chicago, teenagers Jade Butterfield (Brooke Shields) and David Axelrod (Martin Hewitt) fall in love after they are introduced by Jade’s brother Keith (James Spader). Jade’s family is known in their community for a bohemian lifestyle, allowing them to develop an all-consuming and passionate relationship; including allowing the two to make love in Jade’s bedroom. In contrast to the openness of her family, David’s home life is dull; his parents are wealthy political activists who are not actively involved in his life. It is your classic forbidden love story of two teenagers from completely different world. The screenplay by Judith Rascoe was adapted from the novel by Scott Spencer. The original music score was composed by Jonathan Tunick.
Audrey Hepburn became a star with this film, in which she played Princess Anne, weary of protocol and anxious to have some fun before she is mummified by “affairs of state.” On a diplomatic visit to Rome, Anne escapes her royal retainers and scampers incognito through the Eternal City. She happens to meet American journalist Joe Bradley (Gregory Peck), who, recognizing a hot news story, pretends that he doesn’t recognize her and offers to give her a guided tour of Rome. Naturally, Joe hopes to get an exclusive interview, while his photographer pal Irving (Eddie Albert) attempts to sneak a photo. And just as naturally, Joe falls in love with her. Filmed on location in Rome, Roman Holiday garnered an Academy Award for the 24-year-old Hepburn; another Oscar went to the screenplay, credited to Ian McLellan Hunter and John Dighton but actually co-written by the blacklisted Dalton Trumbo
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When it comes to the time and place Melena Strigg & James Roughana met, the official transcript will read November 2011 at her cousin Sam Kavanagh’s engagement party. But unofficially it seems James, who was a friend of Sam’s brother Levi, had been at a few family functions and noticed the Strigg sister and had even earlier had met her just before she headed overseas as a 25 year old. “I really don’t remember that,” Melena said. But she does remember the engagement party meeting and while things got off to a slow start even after that, once the duo got to know each other better it was very much game over – they were smitten. The initial introduction at the engagement party didn’t see the sparks flying - Melena recognised it as somewhat of a set-up but hours later, when Melena was downstairs at the hotel with feet sore from hours in uncomfortable heels, the two bumped into each other and again and ended up talking for a couple of hours. “I was actually a real whinger about my sore feet but we did talk for about two hours,” Melena said. James offered to walk her to the elevator but the independent 20-something was happy to find her own way and despite that possible setback, James decided to pursue Melena. “I thought we got along pretty well and thought she was really nice once I started to get to know her,” he said. After a series of text messages were exchanged before a face to face date was actually locked in. “Even after we met I was too scared to talk to her so we did just text message for a while,” James said. “Eventually we organised to meet for dinner at the Commodore.” cont. page 26
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That was followed by a walk around the Blue Lake; a humble meal cooked by James a couple of nights later and then the daunting task of meeting all Melena’s then colleagues and family at the Giannis Christmas Show. “We were having fun and he was getting rave reviews from everyone but I admit I still wasn’t 100 percent,” Melena said. But that didn’t take long to change after a holiday to Robe. “We had a big talk and I realised he was this amazing person that I could talk to about anything and he was definitely a keeper,” Melena said. And so, after the slow start to the romance, things started to move at a rapid pace, the couple moving in together in February. “Once I got over my doubts I honestly didn’t want to spend any more time apart,” she said. “We make each other laugh and have so much fun together.” While both describe moving in together as basically smooth sailing, a Michael Jordan print didn’t have the couple seeing eye to eye. “It’s art,” James said. Melena not so sure but eventually the iconic pose has
went into overdrive with the couple enjoying a stunning party at Mount Gambier’s Main Corner. “We had a fairly big engagement party because our plan was always to have a small, intimate wedding,” Melena said. And because James and Melena both had a love of travelling, they chose a destination wedding. Hawaii was chosen, giving the Strigg family an excuse to also visit Aleathia, Travis and their three children in the US at the same time. Melena organised a wedding planner in Hawaii and then concentrated on organising her gown and the holiday details. “The wedding planners were amazing people to deal with organising the make-up artist, the videographer, the photographer – everything,” Melena said. And in the end, having all those details locked in was just as well, as the couple experienced a memorable trip for their wedding that had twists and turns that you couldn’t make up if you tried. The plan was simple really – head to the States early and spend time with Aleathia and her family before meeting the rest of their family and friends in Hawaii for the wedding and then heading off on a honeymoon. And at the start it all went to script with the couple enjoying catching up with Aleathia, Travis and the kids and seeing their new home and finding out about their new life. And then came the backyard
found its way onto the wall, in the entrance hall no less. The proposal was at Robe on the beach with the all important question spelt out on the sand in rose petals. He knelt on one knee and while the ring box was upside down and Melena couldn’t see the ring, the answer was never in doubt. The couple took a photo of the elaborate proposal setting. “I just wanted to remember it at the time but we did use it for our engagement invitations,” Melena said. Melena had barely uttered the word “yes” than the close knit Strigg family went into overdrive. A new dress was unveiled as Melena was pampered with a full hair and make-up makeover at her place of work, Giannis, before dinner with both families at The Oak Room at The Barn. And the pace of the romance continued with Melena pulling together the engagement with the help of her family in just 10 days. Her sister Aleathia and her family were moving to the US and so the whole family could celebrate the engagement, the party planning
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kick to kick of the football when in a seemingly innocuous incident, James somehow managed to break his ankle, throwing the wedding plans in the week leading into the nuptials into chaos. Melena was out when the accident happened and she certainly didn’t believe Travis when he called her to meet them at the hospital. “I honestly thought he was just playing around and being stupid and in the end he asked me to put Aleathia on the phone so he could get us to understand James really had hurt himself,” Melena said. Hopes it was just a painful sprain soon dissipated – it was a serious break that would require surgery and suddenly even being able to get to Hawaii on time let alone have the wedding go ahead was looking shaky. “My heart sank and her heart sank and we both thought ‘this can’t be happening’,” James said. Just scheduling the surgery was going to be a drama and even if they could, flying to Hawaii was looking out of the question because of the danger of deep vein thrombosis. “To be honest it was scary to be in another country in a hospital system we’re not familiar with,” Melena said. “I just wanted James to be alright – he was in so much pain.” But what this experience did show them was the best of humankind – the people who don’t know you and are willing to go that extra mile. cont. opp. page.
“A surgeon heading off duty heard our story and offered to stay and do James’ surgery,” Melena said. “That was just the start of people doing really nice things for us and if that surgeon hadn’t have stayed we could never have got to Hawaii on time.” Even little things like people watching a struggling Melena try and manoeuvre her incapacitated fiancée and their luggage through the airport and quickly abandoning their own things and helping the Aussie tourists. Amazingly James was given the all clear to fly just in time to make the Hawaiian ceremony and while it meant Melena missed the lead up days of pampering and time with her sisters in the lead up to the wedding, the main thing was James was OK and they could still exchange vows as planned. And James was as determined as anyone that the day would go ahead unhindered by his injury, standing at the altar with a walking cane to say his vows and only giving in to the wheelchair when
things just got too much later in the day. He even made sure he was standing to go through with the first dance at the reception. Little did he know at this stage he had developed an infection and the battle to recover was only just beginning and would take many months. But despite the less than ideal lead up to the wedding and James’ injury, both have fond memories of a day spent with 50 family and friends to celebrate a relationship a long time in the starting but a short time in the cementing. “Our wedding was probably more special because of the circumstances, because of the way we were supporting each other to still make it the best we could,” Melena said. James and Melena are now expecting their first child. More photos page 28.
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She didn’t expect to run into her first love...or to fall back in love with him. At the age of eighteen, Julia Jones left her hometown — the small beachside town of Middle Point — with a head full of grand plans. Plans for an exciting life in a town that didn’t involve a main street with only one pub or a particular boy named Ryan Blackburn. But fifteen years and a lifetime later, Julia’s forced to put her career and big-city life on hold when she returns home to finalise her mother’s estate. Which is exactly where she runs smack-bang into the town’s hero, Ry. As in Ryan Blackburn! The sensible thing to do? Stay the hell away from him and head back to Melbourne as fast as her stilettos can carry her! But instead, Julia finds his offer of a helping hand and a hot body too delicious to refuse. Soon, she’s ignoring her better judgement and diving into an ‘I’ll think about it tomorrow’ fling with Ry. But what she doesn’t realise is that tomorrow has a way of sneaking up on you...and that saying goodbye to her hometown — and to Ry — is so much harder the second time around.
From the bestselling author of Red Dust comes the inspirational story of a young woman battling to save the family farm no matter what it takes ...In the tradition of Rachael Treasure and from the bestselling author of Red Dust, Blue Skies tells the inspirational story of a young woman battling to save the family farm no matter what it takes. Armed with an honours degree in Agribusiness, Amanda Greenfield dreams of employing all the skills she’s learnt at college to help her father turn the family farm from a debt-ridden, run-down basket case into a thriving enterprise. Then tragedy strikes with the death of Amanda’s mother in a car accident. Wracked by grief and guilt, and wearied by the long struggle to keep Kyleena a going concern, Amanda’s father argues that they should sell up and get on with their lives away from the vagaries of drought and fluctuating stock and crop yields. Having inherited half the farm from her beloved mother, whom she also grieves for, Amanda determines to summon all her strength, grit and know how to save Kyleena. Along the way she faces mixed fortunes in both love and life ... Fleur McDonald grew up in Orrorroo, South Australia but completed her secondary education in Adelaide.
In this poignant and insightful new novel, the acclaimed author of The Good Life delves beneath the shimmering surface of one couple’s evolving marriage . . .Karen Spears and Bob Parsons meet in college and embark upon the kind of enviable, pictureperfect relationship featured in romantic movies. Bob is ambitious and adoring; Karen is bright and beautiful. And nothing seems more natural to them than getting married right after Karen’s graduation. Newlywed life meets all of Karen’s expectations. Bob’s career is soaring and Karen has a fulfilling job of her own—one that’s put on hold when she becomes pregnant. But their caring partnership begins to slip away as Bob’s single-minded pursuit of the next promotion blinds him to how overwhelmed Karen feels as a stayat-home mom. When resentment and disenchantment build on both sides, Karen finds herself at a crossroads. What happens when reality erodes your ideal relationship? How do you know when to stay and when to go? And how much can any marriage endure before it becomes just another statistic? Profoundly honest and revealing, A Changing Marriage is a vivid portrait of relationships at their most intricate—and most familiar.
A moving love story from the bestselling author of Promises and Heart of the Valley. When Callie Reynolds arrives at Glenmore, the property she’s recently inherited, the last thing she wants is to be saddled with a horse, a neighbour and a mad goose. Haunted by her sister’s death and her fractured family, all she wants is freedom. But Callie hasn’t counted on falling for Matt Hawkins, an ex-soldier determined to fulfil his own dream of land and family. Nor could she predict the way the land, animals and people of Glenmore will capture her heart. Callie is faced with impossible choices. But she must find the courage to decide where her future lies, even if it costs her everything she holds dear. Cathryn Hein was born in South Australia’s rural south-east. With three generations of jockeys in the family it was little wonder she grew up horse-mad, finally obtaining her first horse at age 10. So began years of pony club, eventing, dressage and showjumping until university beckoned. Armed with a Bachelor of Applied Science (Agriculture), she moved to Melbourne and later Newcastle, working in the agricultural and turf seeds industry. Her partner’s posting to France took Cathryn overseas for three years where she finally gave in to her life-long desire to write.
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It is the unveiling of the new season looks, it is a chance for Australian designers to showcase their talents to a captive local audience and it is a week long party for the actors, sports stars, musicians and other fashionistas that converge on Sydney for the fashion and social event of the season. And right in the middle of the who’s who of the Australian A listers was Mount Gambier hair
stylist Jess Brill. The Giannis & The Body Retreat stylist earned a spot backstage as part of the Goldwell team that worked with many of the top designers to create the looks for the 2014 runway shows. Following in the footsteps of her former boss and mentor Katina Sims, Jess was selected to be part of the Goldwell styling team after her work was put forward by new salon owner Ben Gow.
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“I was talking to a couple of girls that had done a couple of the previous Fashion Week shows and often you get a day to practice the looks and rehearse the best way to achieve them,” Jess said. But in 2014 for the strateas.carlucci show, the young Mount Gambier stylist was thrown in the deep end. “The styles were put up on a board and you had to follow the step by step instructions – and all without pictures, which is also unusual,” Jess said. “So it was full on but just so much fun and so amazing to be working with so many amazing stylists from around Australia and to get the experience of working with models for such an important event.” And Jess said you also did get a real sense of achievement after creating the perfect look, as envisioned by the designers whose clothes were set to be showcased, under the pressure of the deadline of a live runway show.
She worked on the strateas.carlucci show as the stylists were put into groups of two and three to create looks on around seven female and a handful of male models. It was a surreal experience for the talented young stylist. Not just because she was creating looks for the premier fashion show in Australia, but because it was working sight unseen on already selected styles, like a chef cooking a new recipe for the first time.
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“It was also a great feeling to work in a team of people you’ve never met before and get the job done,” she said. “It was pretty full on with people running around everywhere but it was also calm, in that everyone was just getting everything finished off and looking as good as possible.” To see the looks she helped create step out onto the Sydney runway was a thrill for Jess and just another wonderful opportunity afforded her during her career at Giannis & The Body Retreat. “I have had some great experiences like this through Katina and now Ben and I am really grateful,” Jess said. “You don’t expect to work in Mount Gambier and get the chance to do things like Fashion Week.” Jess did her share of celebrity spotting during her day at the premier event, laying eyes on Ruby Rose, Jesinta Campbell, minus Buddy Franklin, and Timomatic. “Next year it would be good to go again,” Jess said. “Even if I didn’t get to be part of a styling team, just to be there and see the latest looks and trends in hairdressing, as well as fashion, would be amazing.” Jess has also done her share of styling in the past year, working alongside former local designer Megan Caldersmith and former local photographer Jess Pettingill, for a special bridal shoot in the middle of last year. “That was a great experience too, to work with local talent and to come up with the looks and ideas ourselves.” Those shoots were at Struan House and Nangwarry Homestead and gave Jess a chance to be the creative brains behind the hair and make up. “It is great to do those different creative things because you can then bring some of those ideas and things you’ve tried back to your clients,” Jess said.
www.itsacelebration.com.au |
- IT’S A Celebration Mount Gambier SA | Ph 08 8723 1988
A single woman who has served as a bridesmaid a shocking 27 times wrestles with the prospect of supporting her sister at the altar on number 28, despite having fallen helplessly in love with her smitten sibling’s handsome husband-to-be. Jane (Katherine Heigl) has the kind of altruistic traits that everyone looks for in a friend, yet lately the perennial bridesmaid has begun to feel as if something is missing in her life. One night, local newspaper reporter Kevin (James Marsden) spots the devoted bridal attendant racing between receptions in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and quickly surmises that her quirky tale may be just the story to get him off the bridal beat and into the big time. Immediately suspicious of the cynical reporter’s motivations, Jane butts heads with Kevin just as her younger sister Tess (Malin Akerman) shows up in town. While Jane has always put the needs of friends and family before her own wants and desires, she’s suddenly prompted to reevaluate her priorities when her boss -- with whom she is secretly in love -- falls for her younger sister Tess. When Tess and Jane’s boss George (Edward Burns) make plans to marry, the smitten younger sibling mistakenly assumes that her lovelorn older sibling will be happy to take part in the wedding. Now, as Jane finally comes to terms with her true feelings, her life begins to change in ways she never expected.
Nancy Meyers’ romantic comedy Holiday stars Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet as two women who exchange houses in order to get a new lease on life. After each suffers her fair share of romantic disappointments, Englishwoman Iris (Winslet) and L.A. woman Amanda (Diaz) meet on-line at a website devoted to helping people exchange houses for vacations. Each agrees to spend the Christmas holiday at the other’s home. While each suffers from a minor case of culture shock, both women also end up becoming involved with a man. Iris makes the acquaintance of an upbeat everyman played by Jack Black, while Amanda spends time with a handsome Brit played by Jude Law. Both women must decide what to do with these new relationships as their pre-arranged house switch is scheduled to last less than two weeks.
Sam Baldwin, a Chicago architect, loses his wife Maggie to cancer. He and his young son Jonah start anew in Seattle, Washington, but Sam continues to grieve.A year and a half later, on Christmas Eve 1992, Jonah—who wants his father to find a new wife—calls in to a talk radio show. Jonah persuades Sam to go on the air to talk about how much he misses Maggie. Hundreds of women from around the country hear the program and, touched by the story, write to Sam. One of the listeners is Annie Reed, a Baltimore Sun reporter. She is engaged to Walter but feels there is something missing from their relationship. After watching the film An Affair to Remember, Annie impulsively writes a letter suggesting that Sam meet her on top of the Empire State Building on Valentine’s Day. She does not intend to mail it, but her friend and editor Becky does it for her and agrees to send Annie to Seattle to “look into doing a story on those radio shows.” This Tom HanksMeg Ryan offering borrows from An Affair To Remember as viewers can’t wait to find out if the two protagonists will find love.
Rob Reiner’s romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally stars Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan as the title pair. The film opens with the two strangers, both newly graduated from the University of Chicago, share a car trip from Chicago to New York, where they are both going to make their way. During the trip, they discuss aspects of their characters and their lives, eventually deciding it is impossible for men and women to be “just friends.” They arrive in New York and go their separate ways. They meet a few years later on an airplane and Harry reveals he is married. They meet again at a bookstore a few years after that where Harry reveals he is now divorced. From that point on, the two form a friendship. Eventually their closeness results in their respective best friends (played by Carrie Fisher and Bruno Kirby) meeting and falling in love with each other. At a New Year’s Eve party Harry and Sally confront the complex tangle of emotions they feel for each other.
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- Seats 140 comfortably - Dance floor - Licensed & fully staffed bar - Hire Charge includes full kitchen facilities - Catering packages available
For bookings and further information call 08 8725 7739 or email: admin@mtgambiergc.com.au
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& It was a simple proposal when Jack Burns asked Sian Hembury to be his wife. After retuning from working near the Moomba gas mines, Jack picked up a proposal ring from Pure Envy, in Adelaide, before heading home to prepare a romantic dinner at home in Frances where he popped the question. The couple returned together to select the actual engagement ring. It was all about intimacy on their Australia Day ceremony, with only 45 guests joining them at the Glenroy Woolshed for the rustic, vintage style day. One of their friends bought the couple a star, while another made the cake topper, in two of the more personal, special touches on the day. Sian was attended by Leah Strother, Ebony Reilly, Di Sare and Carrie Rainsford, while Jack was attended by Paul Maduro, Jy Burns and Rick Wyszecki.
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Bridal suite plus wedding packages available with 18 rooms overlooking a picturesque garden ideal for photos or marquee. We are your ‘one spot’ wedding destination.
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Alexander Cameron Motel & Apartments 23 - 25 Church Street, Penola SA 5277 Toll Free: 1800 217 011 Telephone: 08 8737 2200 Facsimile: 08 8737 2210 Email: info@alexandercameronmotel.com.au
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Photos courtesy of Laura Thomas
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reputation as the man to capture your wedding and he is back with his camera to do just that again, relaunching his business RT Images and stepping back out on his own after a short stint working on corporate videos, commercials and sporting events for a small local media company. Add to that his experience in filming documentaries with local journalist Shelley Sharpe and his work with local film maker Brenton Manser and Robert Tremelling is the most experienced cameraman working in the Limestone Coast today. He has filmed and edited six documentaries with Shelley, usually centering on orphanages and their plight and has completed two films with Brenton, with a third to be released around the end of August this year. He has also worked
During a career spanning more than two decades, Robert shot countless commercials and hours and hours of news footage, when he worked for SES8 and WIN Television in Mount Gambier. From fires and car accidents to food and wine festivals and theatre productions, from visits from government dignitaries to the opening of an art exhibition, Robert Tremelling has shot the vision you saw to tell the story and he has captured almost every sporting event in this region over the past 20-plus years. And while he was gaining this experience, he was also plying his craft as a wedding videographer – a sideline business he started in his early years as a cameraman at the local TV station and work he has always enjoyed. Robert built a
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extensively with freelance journalist Gretel Sneath on promotional videos of this region, including the wine and fishing industries. Not a bad resume to offer a soon to be bride and groom as they decide who should capture the most special day of their lives together thus far – their wedding.
“I’ve been doing this since I left school when I was 16,” Robert said. “I was going to do Year 12 but then the job at the TV station came up and that’s pretty much what I’ve been doing ever since.” Robert got his foot in the door, helping out for the 12 months prior to being offered that job, with a travelling Old Time Music Hall style show SES8 used to be behind. “I did staging and lighting for that and so when a position came up at the station, I was the one they asked,” he said. Like all jobs, it was a case of starting at the bottom and then working his way up through the ranks, starting as a video tape operator, although on his second day on the job he did work on Woman’s World. “Back when I started we produced a lot of shows in the studio so you moved pretty quickly to studio camera work,” Robert said. “On The Ball, Voice of the Student, Ask The Girls – there were lots of programs and I got to work on them all.” There was no local news when Robert first started at SES8 but once that was established, it became the work he loved best. Even in the early days when they worked with cameras and long cables
still attached to capture the news footage. “I also started directing the news and Woman’s World and it was great to be back,” Robert said. He also worked as an on air coordinator and eventually secured the role of assistant production manager. Robert’s first stint at the local
TV station was a decade before he looked to spread his wings and went to Channel 10 in Adelaide, right when it transitioned to Channel 7, gaining more experience at a metropolitan station. “I worked on shows like Fat Cat and Wheel of Fortune,” Robert said.
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grooms, as well as ideography services. eeing people in love,” d. “I respect marriage a privilege to be part of
this incredible TV experience was the wedding videography – a business he went into with Ian Cooper called Classic Video. “We used to hire the camera equipment from the station and then head back and edit the wedding that night,” Robert said. “The couple had the video by the next day.” Eventually after Ian left and Robert returned from Adelaide, that was when he started RT Images and continued capturing the precious memories of local couples. And now Robert is back where it all started in a way, relaunching RT Images to a new generation
the day, what goes on behind the scenes, what happens behind the photographer’s lens is what the video tries to capture.” Basically Robert wants to
capture the emotion of the day, the stolen moments, the personal touches that make the wedding unique. In fact Robert has been to so many weddings he could probably expand RT Images to a wedding planning company. “You do find people coming up to you and asking your advice as to when they should cut the cake or have the speeches or
such a special day and to make sure the footage you shoot really captures the day and reflects the couple and what they’re all about.” And while Robert said all weddings are the same in that you film them getting ready, getting married and then partying at the end, each wedding could not be more different as well. “I’m trying to capture the personal side of
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whatever,” Robert said. A wedding videographer is also a part time detective. “I do try and ask a few questions of the couple and then on the day, people like the MC, so you find out those little personal stories that you can use to make the wedding video even more special,” he said. “You want the wedding video to be a true representation of the day and of the couple.” And given so many people talk about how their wedding day was a blur and went so quickly, the wedding video becomes the best record of the day. “You do have couples say, ‘I can’t remember what I said’ or ‘I can’t remember what happened” and that’s why it’s so important to make sure you capture all the big and little moments of the day,” Robert said.
“The Western Tavern is committed to ensuring responsible service and promotion of alcohol & gambling in our venue�
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This is a special time in your life when lasting memories are made and you want them to be about planning and then enjoying a wonderful celebration of your love with family and friends. Whether it’s for 300 or 30, whether it rivals the royal wedding or whether it’s a backyard barbeque, whether you just decided to make it official one morning over breakfast or whether it was the grandest, most romantic proposal of all time, the planning still needs to meticulous. Paying attention to details in the lead up makes for a relaxing day when your wedding day finally arrives and if you have a clear picture in your mind as to what you want try and share the load with close, trusted friends and family so that you’re not too exhausted to enjoy the day when it rolls around. Be sure about what costs are involved and the most important advice is keep a paperwork trail – it can eliminate confusion about what’s been promised and just how much it’s going to cost. Photos courtesy of Kristen Bence.
If the proposal came with a ring then make sure it’s insured… If you’re picking out the ring together after, set the ground rules early on, budget and do your research Decide if you’re going to have an engagement party and set a date. Planning an engagement party is a nice rehearsal for your event management skills… Photo courtesy of Marcus Jones Set a date – factor in what time of the year you’d like to be married, how long you’ll need to save and plan, any special events you’d like to avoid and a realistic time to be away from work and able to take time off in the lead up and aftermath for a honeymoon… Photo courtesy of Penny Creek.
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ASAP you need to sit down together and work out an acceptable and REALISTIC budget – this might mean putting in place a savings schedule to make sure you easily cover the anticipated costs as well as hopefully having some money set aside for those unexpected costs that could crop up as the wedding draws closer… You also need to establish just who is paying for what and what financial involvement the parents are considering so you know exactly where every cent is coming from...Get the money chat out of the way early – it can be awkward but you don’t want to be haggling in the lead up to the big day…
Decide on just what kind of wedding and reception you want and how many guests you want to include… Locking in a reception venue as early as possible is critical. Try and organise a face to face consultation with a selection of different venues and caterers and ask plenty of questions so you know exactly what they’re offering and exactly what it’s going to cost. Photo courtesy of Ady Shane Photogrpahy.
If you have a preferred hair stylist and make-up artist for your wedding day then check out their availability as soon as possible and at least temporarily book their services… Start investigating photographers and/or videographers and lock your preferred option in… If you have a lot of guests coming from away or are planning a destination wedding, you’ll need to organise Save The Date notification and even check out potential special deals for guests at a particular accommodation facility…
Decide on a civil or religious ceremony and a venue for the ceremony and book Start getting paperwork together for all the legal requirements of marriage and check with your celebrant or priest just what you need to provide… Select your wedding party TOGETHER and then approach them about being involved… Photo courtesy of Sonya Francis
You’ll need to start deciding on dresses and suits and by association a colour scheme for the big day - while the guys will probably be easy fixed, you need to be realistic about settling on a colour and style of dress for your bridesmaids, giving you plenty of time for fittings and choice of accessories...This is even more critical if all your bridal party is not located where you live during the planning stages. Photos courtesy of Ady Shane Photography
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Start contemplating honeymoon destinations, factoring in budget, time you’ll be able to get off work and a location you’ll both enjoy given the time of the year you’ll be travelling. Once again research is the key to getting the best deal… You don’t have to rush out and buy every bridal magazine on the shelves but keep your eye out for different ideas and keep an ideas folder...
With most of the big picture elements to the wedding already locked in it’s time to start sweating the finer details of the day… Book a florist – once again some face to face consultations with a selection of florists and looking at examples of their previous work should help with the final decision…. Confirm your hair stylist and make up artist and book in any pre-wedding appointments like a tan, facial or manicure as well…You also might like to check if guests from away or close friends would like to use the same stylists and make sure they’re catered for as well… Photo courtesy of Gavin Male.
In a way it’s probably the biggest (and most discussed) decision the bride makes and you have to make it NOW – the dress. Whether you’re ordering it, getting it handmade or lucky enough to find one off the rack that fits, you need to tick this job off the to-do list NOW Plan a girls weekend when you can try on dresses and shoes and get those outfits locked in as well… Reconfirm ALL your reception details… Select and approach an MC for the reception… Photo courtesy of Kristen Bence
Time to book in the cars or make whatever transport arrangements you’re going to need.. Decide on any entertainment for the reception and book it in… If you’ve decided to have a gift registry you’ll need to select a location/s and start compiling a wishlist… Book your honeymoon and make sure you organise any visas or passports that might be needed… Confirm your photographer/videographer booking details… Photo courtesy of Myles Pedlar.
Plan your vows… If you have to or want to have pre-wedding counselling then now is the time… If you’ve planned an outdoor ceremony then make sure you have an alternate venue in the case of poor weather…
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Lock in the bridesmaids dresses, including shoes and accessories & the boys’ suits, including AARANDEE PARTNERS
shoes, shirts and ties…
17 Blume Terrace, Mount Gambier
Make sure your mother’s on
Ruth Cameron
We d d i n g s Commitments
track with her outfit and your
Registered Marriage Celebrant, A7123
dad’s not just dusting off a suit
17 B
from the 90s…
Email ruth
Photo courtesy of Frank Monger Order cake…. Order the rings.. Finalist the guest list and send out the invitations (and any relevant gift registry information)… If you’re putting together any reception decoration, placecards or bomboniere yourself it’s time to start those projects… Book wedding night accommodation and decide if you’re going to have any day after functions with family and/or friends, especially if people have travelled a long way and you’re not leaving on your honeymoon immediately… Photo courtesy of Frank Monger
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Namings R e n e w a l o f Vo w s Phone 08 8723 1063 Mobile 0418 842 357 Email ruthdarcameron@ozemail.com.au
g readings, ushers, musician.. ne one month and one day before your uest numbers, menu, beverages and seating plan,
Get your engagement ring cleaned so it’s looking its best on the big day… Confirm all details with florist... Confirm all details with photographer and/or videographer… Photo courtesy of Ady Shane Photography. Hair and make-up trials… Make sure your home insurance will cover the arrival of the gifts… Make sure you have everything that you need to provide for reception like placecards, centerpieces… Photo courtesy of Marcus Jones.
Wedding rehearsal… Confirm order of service and print booklets if required... Pick up rings… Photo courtesy of Kirsten Bence. Finalise wedding party gifts… Confirm florist and cake delivery details… Re-confirm any entertainment… Pack for wedding night and honeymoon… Photo courtesy of Myles Pedlar. The bottom line is enjoy not only the day but everything in the lead up to it. It won’t be stress-free – nothing important ever is. Stick to your budget and your to-do list and planning the day can still be relatively relaxing. Allow others (that you trust) to help – you don’t have to be a one man event coordination machine.
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MOUNT GAMBIER
Specialists in Mother of the Bride and Groom, Bridesmaids, special events, plus a fabulous range of fashion for you. Sizes 8 - 24
59 Commercial St East, Mount Gambier
Ph (08) 8723 2063
Greenery hire www.gardenarium.com.au
Tel: 08 8723 1325 Bay Road, Mount Gambier (1.3 Kms South of Blue Lake)
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Cover: Kingsley & Tess Clark Photo: Sonya Francis Photography
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speak louder than words...