Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love, what is unique about you and your relationship…
Matt and I met through a mutual friend and pretty much fell in love from our first date!
We met at a gin bar in the city, followed by a whole lot of dumplings and as corny as it sounds, knew we had finally met our soulmate. We had only been together just over a year when we got engaged but to us, it couldn’t have been more right! Matt’s a high school teacher, specialising in P.E, Health and student management and I’m in Digital Marketing in the fashion industry.
We love good food, good wine and going on adventures together! Whether it’s outdoorsy, indoorsy, travelling or just a trip to the market, we are forever being silly and cracking each other up.
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…
We wanted our wedding day to be relaxed, fun and just full of good food, great drinks and an epic dance-floor. We stretched it out to be a full wedding weekend and rented an incredible property in Nagambie that housed the entire bridal party, their partners and some special friends that had flown in from New York. The wedding festivities started the night before with a relaxed dinner with all our family and bridal party, the perfect chance to have a few drinks and get excited for the next day! We spent the morning of the wedding getting ready separately, admiring the perfect sunny weather and before we knew it, it was time to see each other for the first time! We decided to do most of our photos prior to the ceremony so we didn’t have to miss out on any of the fun and boy are we so glad we did! It was so fun to spend the morning with our closest friends and family!
Our wedding was at Byrchendale, a beautiful property in the Goulburn Valley of Victoria. The property comprises of an open-air chapel and barn, surrounded by luscious gardens! The chapel was so beautifully simple with grapevines creeping up creating the ‘walls’ making it this glorious little greenhouse! The talented florists at Superbloom by The Style Co. installed beautiful roses & orchids as the ceremony backdrop which I made sure to take the time to admire on the day! After the ceremony, we had drinks and canapés on the lawn including the most delicious margaritas, our fave! After Matt & I snuck off for a few photos at sunset, guests moved inside the barn where there were long tables draped in soft linen with blush and gold tableware and stunning floral arrangements in shades of whites and blushes. The barn was lit up with candles and each place-card had a different personalised note from Matt & I which our guests absolutely loved!
My mum has a catering business so of course she did all the food and drink at the wedding and it did not disappoint! We wanted the dinner to be relaxed and family style, so guests feasted on shared plates of delicious rustic food. After dinner it was definitely time to party! We had espresso martinis & fireball shots flowing and the outdoor dance-floor full of friends and family! The DJ was amazing at reading the crowd and played the best music that everyone got down to until the last song! Our friends had Matt & I up on their shoulders for the last few songs (poor guys!) which really topped off an epic day!
Tell us about your main outfits:
Matt originally tried on a formal suit but quickly decided it didn’t feel right so we went with what suited our wedding vibe and what he’s most comfortable in, chinos and a blazer.
We found a really nice navy linen blazer with a faint brown check through it, which he paired with cream chinos and chocolate brown leather boots and belt. He also wore a navy polka dot tie which was the point of difference from the groomsmen, gosh they looked dapper! I always knew I wanted something long sleeve and non-traditional so when I came across the Nala gown at One Day Bridal, it ticked all the right boxes and I immediately fell in love!
I chose a full-length tan slip to go under the sheer overlay which showed off the beading detail perfectly! We were so lucky with the amazing weather and the sunshine shone through the dress making it sparkle all day long! I’m quite a minimalist when it comes to jewellery so I just wore statement pearl earrings by Isabella May and sensible block heels from Gucci which ended up black by the end of the night, oops! I briefly wore a simple teardrop shaped veil from One Day Bridal which I quickly ditched after everyone was accidentally standing on it!
What were some of the most memorable/unique moments from the day?
Oh goodness, where do we start?! Can we just say the entire day?!
– Seeing each other before the ceremony was very important to us both. We instantly calm each other and we also just wanted to spend as much time together on the day as possible! We loved having a special moment for just us to enjoy (and cry of course!) and maximise the party time with our guests!
– Matt’s Dad, John, is a retired minister so as soon as we got engaged, we knew we’d love to have him marry us. It was so special to have someone that knows us and our relationship so well to officiate everything, so we felt very honoured that he did that for us.
– Having the Hops & Harvest caravan bar outside was perfect for our pre-dinner drinks on the lawn. Matt and I wanted a great drinks selection so to be able to enjoy that with all our friends and family whilst the sun went down was the perfect chance to relax and really let our hair down!
– We snuck away for half an hour with our photographer and videographers (who are absolute legends) and headed into a nearby paddock and just danced and frolicked through knee deep dry grass. It created an epic back drop for our photos and video. It was also so nice to stop and take it all in together!
– My Dad is a big friendly giant and can often be mistaken for a quiet & intimidating man so when I surprised him with our favourite song (Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond), and broke out into the most amazing unrehearsed dance, everyone got so into it and loved it! I’ve watched the footage of it about a million times and it still makes me happy cry each time!
– The speeches were so hilarious, emotional and heartfelt but my favourite was Matt’s by a mile! I’m sure the solid 10 minutes of Matt telling everyone why he loves me wore off on our guests, but I absolutely loved it! I love that he’s not afraid to profess his love and shout it from the rooftops!
– Last but not least has to be the dance-floor – the music, the drinks and the dance moves were all in full swing and we were so happy to see everyone get so involved! It really was the best way to end what was the best day of our lives!
Any advice for other couples planning to spend the rest of their lives together?
Every relationship is different, however there’s a few core things that Matt & I stick to which makes our relationship totally effortless!
1. Don’t take life too seriously! There’s a lot of stressful things that can pop up in our day-to-day lives, but at the end of the day, life’s short and laughing makes EVERYTHING better! We try to make the small mundane things in life fun, even if it means totally embarrassing each other!
2. Communication – Probably the most important thing in any relationship! Matt & I talk about absolutely everything (good & bad) and always discuss how we’re feeling – it’s the best way to make sure nothing’s ever bottled up and we are forever learning new things about each other!
3. Don’t hold back on smothering each other in love! Some days even we think we’re grossly in love but that doesn’t stop us – there’s no reason why the ‘honeymoon’ period should ever stop! (I mean, maybe check back in with us in 10 years!!)
Photography: Mitch Pohl | Ceremony and Reception location: Byrchendale | Videographer: Humdrum Films | Celebrant: Groom’s Dad – John | Bride’s gown: One Day Bridal | Groom’s blazer: M.J. Bale | Groom’s chino: French Connection | Rings: JMS Diamonds | Shoes: Bride- Gucci, Groom- Florsheim | Bride’s earrings: Isabella May | Makeup and Hair: Eleni Milionis | Fragrance: Custom | Bridesmaid’s dresses: Everlane | Groomsmen: Blazer- M.J. Bale, Chino’s- French Connection | Entertainment: Rutherford Entertainment | Hire: The Small Things Co. & GV Party Hire | Flora: Superbloom By The Style Co. | Catering and beverages: Wood & Spoon– Caravan Bar: Hops & Harvest | Cake: Burch & Purchese
