PRESS RELEASE

Invitation to the Australian Bridal Industry Awards2018

CONGRATULATIONS KOMBIS I DO……… You have been nominated for an award in the Category for BEST Wedding Transport and we would be honoured if you and your partner will attend our special evening at the Crown Casino Ballroom in Melbourne on Saturday August 25th at 7pm.

Australian Wedding&White Magazine written by Carrie Bradshaw ( The best at all things Love and Weddings!)

It was the night of nights in the world of everything weddings and I had come as a special guest to experience for myself the glitz and the glamour and all the beautiful moments that is wrapped up in this important night!

As I exited this stunning white, stretch limo with comfortable black leather seats, a mini bar and some seriously cool tunes playing through the speakers that would get anyone in the party mood. I was greeted with all the sparkles and lights from this amazing building that was the Crown Casino in Melbourne City Business District otherwise know as the CBD. There were neon lights everywhere I looked, so bright that when I looked away it left a few spots in my vision, that faded a few seconds after.

As I was walking in I could see so many people arriving on the red carpet and being interviewed by other reporters, who were all trying to catch all the latest gossip within the Industry.  We were being led to the prestigious ballroom for the nights events to take place. There were so many dresses that I just would of loved to have been proud to wear, the glitter, the shine, the frills and embellishments were just out of this world gorgeous, there were many dresses, long gowns that flowed like they were brides themselves and then short styles that showed off their sexy legs and stilettos.This kind of left my black, off the shoulder Chanel number for dust. The men looked dapper and very slick, there really was not an ounce of unusual fashion in sight, you could see that this was a very sophisticated function with extremely professional business people.

When I walked into the room that the awards were to be held in that night, it was so overwhelmingly beautiful with hundreds of round tables and chairs all in white and the backs of the chairs had the most amazing organza gold ribbons shimmering in the lights. The ballroom looked fit for a Queen and believe me there were many here that could take that crown.

I was not there to just have the time of my life. It was a job. I was actually working at this time as I was invited to report on the events of the evening and secure what interviews I could with the nominees and winners and get that published in Australia’s most popular Bridal Magazine.

I managed to interview quite a few companies and ask a heap of questions about themselves and their business etc but there was only one winner that stood out for me the most so I would like to share this interview with you and explain who “Kombis I Do” are and its owners.

Kombis I do won the “BEST WEDDING TRANSPORT IN AUSTRALIA” very well deserved and I got the chance to speak to one of the owners Lana Williams and find out how her husband Pete and herself came to have this wonderful award wining wedding cars.

CB: “Hello, Congratulations this is a very exciting achievement for you both!”

LW: “Well thank you so much, it is much appreciated. Yes indeed it is so amazing to be part of this wonderful night and be a nominee but to win it had blown us away!”

CB: “Would you mind sharing with us all how you started your business Kombis I Do?”

LW: “No not at all, it is pretty simple really. My husband Pete and I wanted to create a home based business that would help us leave our 9 to 5 corporate jobs, so we dreamed together and came up with the idea of converting a classic old vehicle into a wedding vehicle. Of course we had to have something different and unique to bring to the market or there was not point in starting.”

CB: “So why a Volkswagen Kombis and Beetles?”

LW :” Well why not? they are just the most amazing make of vehicles, so much style and a cute classic look and almost everyone loves them!”

CB: “How did you start, what did you start with?”

LW: “We started with purchasing a Kombi Microbus 1977 that was in very good condition on the outside, all straight panels and bumpers etc but the interior has seen the day and needed to come out, so we completely gutted it and started again. I custom designed the interior with a motor trimmer and he made restored all the seats and door cards for the van. I then went on to create the outside look of the vinyl wrap and wanted the 2 tone colours to make us stand out from the other VW wedding vehicles already out there.”

CB:” wow so how long did the restoration take?”

LW: “Oh it was a long 9 months of blood, sweat and tears along with a heap of money that went into our Kombi, affectionately known as Jazzy.”

CB: “Jazzy? why did you call it that. do other VW enthusiasts name their cars? ”

LW: “Absolutely, they are like our kids lol and they all need a name, it is a term of endearment and makes them that much more special.  The inspiration for that name is because we have 2 little dogs and the dark one is Jazzy and the other Molly, so our next vehicle got named Molly, that is a Beetle convertible 1969.”

CB:” Oh I have to say that I love that idea!”

CB:” So when did you start and how did you launch Kombis I Do?” “What have you loved about your business so far?”

LW: “Oh we started at our 1st Bridal Expo 5 years ago and had a couple of bookings from that, then I used the platform of social media to promote the Kombi and our services, this generated some interest, people, liking and sharing my post. We designed a website with a brilliant Website developer, Jamie from Astral Design and he was able to bring our vision to life. Before we knew it we were booked out our very 1st wedding season which ran September through to April the following year. As we did more Bridal expos and more advertising on social media we found ourselves quoting for the end of that year and into the next, it was so exciting for us!”  It was then we knew that our ideas were working and that we were gaining traction in being the Best VW wedding cars available in Melbourne!”

LW: “what I have loved about what we do so far is that, it is thrilling getting to be a part of a couple special day. It is our pleasure to help them live out their dream wedding by assisting them with their transport and creating lasting memories with the wonderful experience they have by riding in our vehicles. Our customer service is awesome, we love all our Brides and Grooms, their families and friends who are their guests in the cars. WE have so much fun connecting with them for quotes and enquiries and then finally meeting them on their wedding day and providing a luxurious service to them. Life is all about service and giving back to make a difference and we feel that we are a huge part of that by bringing the fun with our VWs and ourselves to share in their dreams.!”

CB:” That is so amazing and great to hear, do you ever have any transport disasters happen, like breaking down on the way?”

LW:” lol well they are classic cars as old as 40plus years, things can go wrong, they have in the 2 years, nothing major but I would think the worst time was when a Bride had booked both the Kombi and the Beetle and it was winter, cold and wet, our Molly just didn’t want to move from the driveway of our HQ at home, lol. OHHH not an ideal situation but one that was not in out control, she has a few issues with the cold so we could not use her. The bride was understanding and luckily was able to get a family member with a nice car to step in and help. These things are rare but it is expected with such old cars.”

CB:” Gee that would of been tough to inform the Bride, sounds like a very good outcome!”

LW: “Yes it was, all our customers have been awesome over the years, we can not complain”

CB: “So fast forward to now and how many vehicles do you have now in operation?”

LW :” Um gee let me think. I have lost count lol, we have really grown and expanded over the last few years, its was out dream to have a fleet in each State and be running the business full time and quit our  day jobs. So this eventually came true and we achieved this 1 year ago in. We have 6 Kombis and 4 Beetles available for wedding and event hire in Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide and in Victoria our home state we have concentrated on being a bigger fleet and have 10 Kombis and 8 Beetles for all areas.  With this company growth and success I am are able to provide an amazing lifestyle to my family, we live in a beautiful beach house, can relax and go on holidays and adventures that make us happy, we could never afford that when we were working for someone else. We are financially free and do a lot of charity work and volunteer to help our community and reach across the states. I I have true health and I enjoy helping others now that it is possible with my success.

CB :” That is fantastic, you must be so proud and thrilled to win this award tonight making you the BEST Wedding transport Australia Wide? Can you tell us a little bit about how you are feeling and what it means to you and your husband?”

LW:”Oh wow well it means the world to be recognised for our beautiful fleet of VWs across the country! It is a dream come true, the emotions are high right now and I feel ecstatic, excited and full of absolute joy to receive this award. Pete and I had this crazy vision with our business 5 years ago and always wanted to have our own fleet of stunning wedding vehicles but it certainly didn’t happen overnight, there was hard work and dedication applied to create our success and this also involved,fixing our mindsets in the very beginning that we deserve the success and we can create it and have everything we dreamed. So it is a huge achievement. I am extremely grateful and we want to thank each and everyone of our Brides/Grooms that voted for us and made this possible tonight, THANK YOU SO MUCH WE LOVE YOU ALL!”

CB :”Well on that note Lana that is something very special to finish this interview on. I thank you for your time that you spent speaking with me tonight. I will let you get back to the celebrations with all the winners backstage and have a wonderful time at the after party. Also all the best with your business now and in the future, you deserve this guys. Bye!”

LW: “Thank you Carrie, all the best too and we appreciate you taking the time to hear our story and I am looking forward to your write up in the best Bridal Magazine!! Enjoy your night, bye for now!”

It was thrilling to be able to speak with the owner director of Kombis I Do as it was clear it was very special for this family, that began as a little home based business in their loungeroom to the garage could be this expanded company across the country helping couples live out their wedding day dreams.

It was getting to the end of the evening, some winners I had interviewed but it was etched in my mind that heartfelt and genuine emotion that came from Lana as a winner on the night, no other person equalled her elation, joy and gratitude, so that is how I decided to use her story as my top article and put Kombis I Do on the front cover  the following edition in 2 weeks time.

I decided to give the after party a miss I was so tired and just emotionally exhausted and to be honest my feet were swelling in my shoes, a woman knows these things, blisters from dancing is never a good thing and we know when to quit, so this was my que to get ot of there and go home and the next day focus on creating a smashing article on Lana and Kombis I Do, the Winners of the BEST Wedding Transport in Australia!!

Written By Carrie Bradshaw