Kayla also liked that it was a palindrome – when written in numerals, the date 12/2/21, is the same forwards as backwards.
The move proved to be a fortuitous one, with Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announcing a snap lockdown of the state on Friday to begin at midnight that night.
With weddings only allowed for the following five days on compassionate grounds, Kayla and Cameron were able to sneak theirs in in Shepparton just in time, only hours before the lockdown started.
“The fact we managed to squeeze in, we feel the universe was giving us something,” Kayla said.
It was the second time the Melbourne couple had attempted to get married, after the ‘ring of steel’ in place around Melbourne dashing their earlier plans to get married, on September 11 last year.
“Because of that lockdown we weren’t able to do it then,” Kayla said.
When that lockdown was initially announced it was supposed to end two days after their wedding date, but went for a lot longer.
While sad their initial wedding plans were dashed, Kayla said she would much prefer to have changed the date and have all their friends and family safe and healthy and able to join them another time.
Kayla said it was not until October or November that they chose their next wedding date.
“We knew that COVID-19 would still be around,” she said.
“We were very hopeful that by the time February rolled around we would have more freedom.”
When Friday rolled around, Kayla watched Daniel Andrews’ press conference.
With her wedding still able to go ahead, she was just glad she hadn’t bought bacon, eggs and sausages to feed the guests at a barbecue the following day.
Kayla, 26, and Cameron, 25, had 50 guests attend their wedding at Orrvale Wedding Shed, before going back to the Overlander Hotel for a meal together.
A few people were missing on the day, including two bridesmaids – from northern NSW and New Zealand – as well as family members from Tasmania who were worried about having to quarantine if they came for the wedding.
They were still included in the special day though, with the footage of the ceremony live-streamed to them from Kayla’s phone.
While the couple had initially planned to get married in the Shepparton backyard of Kayla’s parents, Roz and David Marshall, they changed the venue as restrictions on the number of attendees were put in place, and then changed.
“We had 50 people invited. That’s still too many for the 30 guests that had been allowed (at homes in the few weeks leading up to the wedding),” Kayla said.
So, they found Orrvale Wedding Shed for the wedding and then a spot for the reception.
“We figured we would book The Overlander and have it there. It was a case of making sure we could have a dinner,” Kayla said.
“We are very thankful we did because one-and-a-half weeks before the wedding it came down to 15 (guests allowed at a home).”
The day turned out to be a special one, with their Jack Russell, Bella, walking with Kayla down the aisle.
“When I walked in the doors of the shed and saw him (Cameron) there, it was all I’d waited for,” Kayla said.
“Everything was perfect, apart from the people who couldn’t be there.”
After dinner, some of the guests went back to Kayla’s parent’s home, with all leaving by 11.30 pm before the 11.59 pm lockdown started.
Because of the lockdown the pair had to cancel their honeymoon to Halls Gap, but are hoping to rebook it when lockdown is over and there is accommodation available again.
