Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love, what is unique about you and your relationship:
Jake and I first met 4 and a half years ago at the restaurant I was working at part time. A little while later we randomly met at a local bar and then began dating. Soon after we moved in with each other and I got a job teaching at the local high school.
Jake has his own concreting company. Two years later we bought our dream house together where we both grew up in the Dandenong Ranges. Jake proposed on a beautiful Friday evening in November 2019 while we were outside enjoying the sunset.
We both love being outside, working on our house, going for day trips on the weekends, cooking together and spending lots of time with friends and family. Due to COVID we didn’t plan a honeymoon however we are hoping to get away to WA over the Easter holidays to see my family that couldn’t make it to the wedding and so Jake can finally go fishing again.
Tell us about your special day, was there a specific theme or style? Tell us a little about the setting, the styling and some of your favourite details:
Our wedding day was absolutely perfect! It was the best day of our lives. We didn’t have a specific theme we just knew we wanted a relaxed look and light/native colours to suit the time of the year. We wanted the ceremony and reception to be at the same venue so that everyone to be comfortable and make the most out of the day.
Because we don’t live far from the Yarra Valley we both decided on a winery as the setting and The Vines Of The Yarra Valley was perfect for us! The bridal room was the best I have seen and all of my bridesmaids, my mum and Jake’s mum spent the day getting ready there which also calmed my nerves! The ceremony space had a fantastic view, and the reception area was the perfect amount of space for our number of guests (100).
My favourite details were definitely how great the bridesmaids and groomsmen’s outfits went together with the olive silk, linen jackets, black pants and shoes; the flowers were better than I could have imagined; and of course my dress!!
Tell us about your main outfits:
My dress was by Maddi Lane Bridal from Luv Bridal and it took me about 5 minutes to decide to buy it after I tried it on. I loved the lace details on the top half and how it was so simple and elegant on the bottom. Jake decided on his outfit just as fast. He loved the linen jacket from YSG Tailors and thought it would be a bit lighter, perfect for a Summer wedding. All the groomsmen wore the same apart from the handkerchief which matched the bridesmaid’s dresses. The bridesmaid dresses were from Shona Joy and we all thought olive green silk would work perfectly with the beige, white and black tones. The boys all had matching Gucci shoes which stood out with their chino style pants. My bridesmaids any myself wanted our shoes to be super comfortable if we were going to be wearing them for so long! My shoes from Winsdor Smith were perfect with a low heel and the girls had matching black heels from Novo.
What were some of the most memorable/unique moments from the day:
Definitely getting ready with our closest friends and parents during the lead up the wedding. It was so much fun and helped calm the nerves. I had never had my hair or makeup done before so I felt super special! The best part of our day by far was the ceremony when we first saw each other at the aisle and shared our vows. It was so heart-warming and special for all the people that mean most to us to be there for that moment. The reception was also fantastic. After all of our nerves had gone it was amazing to celebrate and dance with everyone, we wish it could have gone longer! It was also great to get away with just the two of us when we got some of our photos done and just take a second to relax and take in the moment. Our photographer Matt Elliott and our videographer Ben Jones were just incredible, and we could not have chosen anyone better.
Any advice for other couples planning to spend the rest of their lives together:
Make sure you make the most of every moment and have a moment to yourselves because it goes so fast! We woke up the next day and could not believe how quickly the day went. We both decided to keep our vows a secret from each other until the ceremony and I think that made the moment so special and memorable. Try and see all the guests but if you don’t, don’t stress they are there to watch and celebrate you. They are all having a great time and will come up to you if they want to. We decided to have minimal speeches at the wedding because no one likes a long speech and everyone likes to dance! Last of all, don’t be worried about the events of the day, it all goes perfectly no matter what and it will be the best day of your life.
Photography: @mattelliottphotogragphy | Videography: Wildbird Films | Ceremony location: @vinesoftheyarravalley | Celebrant: @celebrations_by_rosalie | Bride’s gown: @luvbridal | Groom’s suit: @ysgtailors | Rings: @michaelhillj and @crookedhowlet_designs | Shoes: @windsorsmith and @gucci | Makeup: @makeupby.dani | Hair: @rae.hairstylist | Fragrance: @dolcegabbana | Bridesmaid’s attire: @shonajoy | Bridesmaid’s shoes: @novoshoes | Groomsmen’s attire: @ysgtailors | Groomsmen’s shoes: @gucci | Entertainment: @jammevents_au | Flora: @bytahls | Cake: @ministryofcakes
