Wedding day hack: Bride wears sneakers under her wedding dress

Weddings can be stressful occasions but one bride has used a bizarre hack to take some of the heat out of the big day.

Talei Kohlhase and George Storey’s wedding. Picture: Richard from Say Milk Photography

An unexpected surprise had Talei Kohlhase and George Storey rushing to bring their wedding forward three months, giving their guests only weeks’ notice for their new date.

The Brisbane couple found out they were expecting a baby so brought forward their original September wedding to June 11 this year, with their baby expected in December.

But despite a dress debacle for Talei, who is originally from New Zealand, and a rushed change of plans and last-minute invites, their low-key celebrations were just as they had hoped.

The pair tied the knot with a ceremony at Redland Bay Golf Club before 20 guests and continued the celebrations with no official reception but an after-party with close family friends at Lonelys Bar in West End.

From the relationship’s early days to hacks on the big day, this is their story >>>

How did you meet?Talei: We met in Fortitude Valley in 2020 while I was working as the venue manager of Laruche and George was working in security next door at Suzie Wongs bar. We both knew each other by name and had a couple of the same friends but had never spoken much. George and I had a few interactions during the two to three years we worked right next to each other but only started seeing each other in 2021. We had a connection immediately and couldn’t believe we had been right next door to each other for years and only just meeting when we did.

The proposal? George asked my father’s permission not long before he had asked me to marry him. George got on one knee while we were on our first holiday in Bali in our villa.

Talei Kohlhase and George Storey’s wedding. Picture: Richard from Say Milk Photography

How did you choose your wedding venue? Redland Bay Golf Club was one of the only venues that offered a ceremony only, which was what we were going for. I had previously attended a beautiful wedding there. George grew up in the Redlands so we thought it would be the perfect place to have our wedding.

What was the wedding budget? $10-15k

What would you spend more or less on? I would spend less on flowers as the bouquet can be easily made DIY at home.

How did you choose your wedding dress? I had originally found a lady to design my dress. But after about five months of contact, a couple of fittings for fabric and style, I was then told my dress would not be ready in time for the new date. I had to find a new dress with three weeks to spare, it was very stressful. But I did not give up as I had always had a vision of my dream dress since I was a little girl. Luckily, I found Two Hearts Bridal Studio in Newstead. I had sent an email to the studio explaining my situation and Anna was able to offer a perfect solution and somehow everything worked out the exact way it was meant to. Anna offered to sell me the Lolita sample dress. I was pretty lucky to get this dress as usually they take anywhere from four to six months. The Lolita dress was my perfect size with only a few alterations about a week out from the wedding. Anna saved my entire day by being so generous. I am so grateful I was still able to walk down the aisle in my dream dress and still look quite small – I was 10 weeks’ pregnant.

What was the most stressful part of wedding planning? I never realised how much planning went on behind the scenes. Even for a small wedding there are so many things to tick off.

Talei Kohlhase and George Storey’s wedding. Picture: Richard from Say Milk Photography

Any unique or surprising details about your wedding? Aside from being 10 weeks’ pregnant, I actually wore Nike Air Max trainers under my white dress. Makes for a lot more comfort and easier to walk down the aisle.

What was the standout moment of the day? It is always the bride and groom meeting for the first time and when the bride walks down the aisle. There were a lot of nerves and excitement leading up to this moment.

What would you do differently? I’d give everyone a bit more notice next time. As we found out we were expecting we basically had to just send out a three to four week notice of our changed wedding date. We were lucky to have family from New Zealand and family attend the date. Given my slight hiccup with my dress I would also plan a backup dress.

Top wedding hack? Research saved a lot of time and planning, finding the cheapest for everything is a must if you are trying to stick to a budget. A lot of places will add on just because of the event being a wedding. There are definitely reasonable prices out there if you just look in the right places.

Best advice for other couples planning a wedding? Don’t rush planning your special day but don’t be afraid to just take the leap and lock in the date. Locking in the date is the first step to your forever, the sooner you start planning the easier it is to budget and lock in your perfect wedding day. Also to research and find an amazing photographer/videographer as the pictures are ones you’ll keep forever. We had Richard from Say Milk who was so easy to work with; he captured all of our special moments on the day and was just perfect.

The Bride

Talei Kohlhase, 24

Profession Private security

Parents Natasha and Wayne Kohlhase

Dress Lolita by Two Hearts Bridal Studio Newstead

Hair and Make-up Make-up by Charlotte at Coco and Pastel. Lash extensions by Elle at Pretty Love Club.

Flowers Perrotts Florist

Engagement ring Michael Hill, oval solitaire diamond

Wedding stylist
Miss Weddings. Our wedding decorations were included in our ceremony package
with Redland Bay
Golf Club.

Talei Kohlhase and George Storey’s wedding. Picture: Richard from Say Milk Photography

The Groom

George Storey, 23

Profession Private security

Parents Evelyn and John Storey

Suit Politix

Videographer Say Milk

Celebrant Jamie Eastgate from Brisbane City Celebrants

Cake Cakes and Shit. Our cake was simple but elegant. We had a white, heart-shaped cake with “Just Married” in black on the front. The cake was beautifully decorated with edible pearls and had a white chocolate flavour. It was not expensive at all.

Originally published as Wedding day hack: Bride wears sneakers under her wedding dress