She celebrated with family and friends as her wedding took out the Wedding of the Year title in front of a large crowd at the Lighthouse Theatre.

“I was in shock. It was so exciting and I didn’t expect to win,” Mrs Raftis said.

She left new husband Tom at home in Perth and flew in to Melbourne at midnight on Thursday to take part in the annual south-west event during her three-night stay.

Mrs Raftis said it felt lovely to wear the white gown she wore at her wedding just over five months ago and spend time doing her hair and make-up again.

The couple will return to Warrnambool in January for Mrs Raftis’ sister’s wedding and hope to make use of the accommodation package they received as one of their prizes.

Mr Raftis first met his bride-to-be, then Emily Verhoeff, when he was running short of money on a trip around Australia. 

He dropped in to stay with his grandmother in Koroit and successfully applied for a job as a plumber at Midfield Meat, were Mrs Raftis worked as a receptionist.

The couple fell in love and married on March 1 this year, before shifting to Perth, where Mr Raftis was originally based.

Their wedding was chosen from that of 20 couples who answered questions about how they met, their proposal and the style and success of their wedding in a detailed application process which included photos from their special day. 

The title of most unique wedding went to Brigid O’Connell and Hayden Lewis, who were married on New Year’s Eve at Point Ritchie, 11 years to the day since their first kiss. 

Their ceremony and reception featured many personal touches to ensure a special day for both them and their families and friends.

Most contemporary wedding was taken out by Kathryn Neale and Jonathan Emeny, who met when Jonathan came to lay carpet at Kathryn’s parents’ house. The pair did most of the preparation work for the wedding themselves and felt the day was individual and suited them as a couple. 

Romanian and Australian traditions combined in a winning way for Nicole Lane and Cristian Gaescu, who were awarded the most unique wedding title. 

The couple included their own customs and sentimental items into the ceremony held in Koroit. 

Most traditional wedding was won by Sarah Hearn and Dustin McCorkell, who were married in St Patrick’s Church in Port Fairy, where they were both baptised and both their parents were married. 

Kylie Middleton and Tim Lay won the people’s choice award, based on online voting by readers of The Standard.  

The Wedding of the Year was preceded by a free bridal party showcase, giving future brides a chance to view wedding ideas and trends.