A Wal Wal couple has had to host an impromptu wedding ceremony on Friday night, as Victoria entered a snap five-day lockdown.
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Hannah McCallum and Ty Maher had planned to tie the knot on Saturday, January 13, but their wedding plans were put on hold after the latest round of restrictions were announced.
Bride Hannah McCallum said she was in the final stages of organizing the wedding, which was to take place in Warrnambool when she heard the news.
"Me and my bridesmaids had driven down to Warrnambool the day before. We checked out our flowers and then went to the reception venue for lunch," Ms McCallum said.
Ms McCallum said the bridal group had found out about the restrictions just as her photographer had arrived to take photos, leaving them in a difficult situation.
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"We knew that there was going to be a press conference and we thought that it was surely only going to be in Melbourne," Ms McCallum said.
"We had just had lunch and we were sitting in my sister's car listening to the press conference. The photographer pulled up as we found out.
"It took us an hour of phone calls back and forth to figure out what we were going to do. Originally we were just going to get everybody down there but then realised nobody could stay the night so we raced back home."
Ms McCallum said the couple had already rescheduled their wedding ceremony once before, in October 2020, and couldn't fathom rescheduling it again.
The bridal party had called ahead and raced back to their Wal Wal farm, where groom Ty Maher had been busy organising the impromptu ceremony.
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"All of my hair and makeup, the celebrant, and the photographer we all locals. We managed to reschedule it and pulled it off at 8pm," Ms McCallum said.
Ms McCallum said organising the event on such short notice was a team effort.
"We had flowers hanging from our kids swing set, as a make-shift arbor," Ms McCallum said.
"My mother-in-law, because we are on a farm we are always fully prepared, so we had a freezer full of party pies, little quiches, and stuff.
"Some of mum's friends had stuff in the freezer. My aunty went to the supermarket and got some stuff that we could chuck in the oven.
"My brother-in-law went to the bottle-o and brought some slabs of beer. My hairdresser went to the supermarket and bought bottles of wine.
"Everybody just came together and it was amazing. Real community spirit."
Ms McCallum said while the couple isn't planning a honeymoon any time soon, due to uncertainty around what the next few months will look like, she was relieved they were finally able to complete the ceremony.
"I feel relieved now. Just so grateful that we were able to do it. So relieved," Ms McCallum said.
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