Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love, what is unique about you and your relationship…
We met on Tinder four years ago and we hit it off instantly. We had our first date in the Dandenong Ranges where we had dinner and spent hours talking until the Restaurant told us to leave as they were closing.
We are both 31 years old and both come from European backgrounds where Joey is Polish and Dave is Dutch. We strongly value family and we are currently working hard toward buying our first home.
Joey is an Occupational Therapist and Dave is a Shopfitter. We both love to travel and have travelled to many countries together including US, Canada, Philippines, Bali. We both love AFL and have named our toy cavoodle after our favourite player – Dusty, who plays for Tigers our favourite team. We enjoy getting competitive in family board game nights and enjoy exploring hikes and the outdoors.
We are best friends and have complete trust in one another. We keep things honest and are both comfortable to communicate our thoughts and feelings without judgement. We never miss a birthday or Christmas card and we give each other tiny surprises randomly throughout the year.Â
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…
Specific theme or style; We had a rustic winery type theme. We wanted to create a fun and relaxed atmosphere where everyone could enjoy some drinks outside in a warm summer evening. We wanted the night to be remembered for great food and dancing!
A little bit about the setting; We had our Ceremony outside by the lake. We were surrounded by tall tangled trees and used rustic wine barrels to hold our flowers. We loved the flowers created by Poppy Culture. They were full of different textures and warm pastel colours. Our reception was in a cottage / rustic house with a warm wooden / brick interior. Our guests sat on long tables and had shared platters, so no one was left hungry. We created a romantic vibe using candles and warm lighting.
Tell us about your main outfits:
Joey wore a 2 piece Grace Loves Lace dress. I always wanted to wear something less traditional and a little unique, and something I could feel relaxed in when dancing. I loved the dress as it was simple, but still had beautiful detail in the lace. My shoes had a small wedge heel perfect for comfort and for walking on the lawn! Dave wore a blue suit by MJ bale, white shirt from Peter Jackson and matching tan shoes and belt. Dave chose to wear a navy blue bow tie to stand out from the groomsmen who wore navy blue ties.
What were some of the most memorable/unique moments from the day?
The Ceremony was the highlight of the day for both of us. We always imagined that we would want to skip the formalities to the dancing and drinking, but our Celebrant made it so special. She told our story perfectly and had us laughing the whole way through. It was the relaxed and non-posh Ceremony we always wanted. Other memorable moments were getting ready with our bridal party, speeches and drinking / dancing later in the night.
Any advice for other couples planning to spend the rest of their lives together?
Don’t sweat the small things leading to the wedding because they won’t matter on the day! Enjoy and try to take it all in because the day flies and you end up forgetting a lot of it. We are so thankful we got a Videographer so we could re live it all again. Make sure to make moments to spend the night together because it is easy to get distracted with guests and formalities.
Photography: Georgia Verells Wedding Photography | Videography: True Story Wedding Films | Ceremony and Reception location: Tanglewood Estate Winery | Celebrant: Wendy Does Weddings | Bride’s gown: Grace Loves Lace | Groom’s outfit: M.J Bale | Bride’s rings: SH Jewell (wedding ring) and Tiffany and Co (engagement ring) | Bride’s shoes: Novo Shoes | Groom’s shoes: Julius Marlow | Groom’s bowtie: Menz Mode | Groom’s shirt: Peter Jackson | Makeup: Janice Wu | Hair: A Hairstylist Secret | Groomsmen’s attire: Menz Mode and Peter Jackson | Bridesmaid’s attire: Esther & Co | Entertainment: Melbourne Entertainment Co | Flora: Poppy Culture | Beverages: Tanglewood Estate Winery | Catering: Moreish Catering | Cake: Bake My Day Cake Creations | Design: Design Mummy