For Maddie, marriage means that “Ryan finally has to start putting down the toilet seat and cleaning the house. But in all seriousness, loving each other, looking after each other always and being besties for life.” Um, we love that, folks – as much as we love their flippin’ stunning nups at Redleaf Wollombi!
“Redleaf is so stunning, there really isn’t much you have to do,” says the bride – but by the time super stylist Ashdown & Bee and fab florist Clementine Posy had worked their magic, the venue was more incredible than Maddie and Ryan could’ve ever imagined. Oh and speaking of incredible, would you get a load of the heckin’ stunning Karen Willis Holmes train Maddie attached to her gown? Phenom.
Our mate Ben Sowry Photo caught all the best bits on camera, from the exchange of rings (love that brushed gold Meg Maskell Fine Jewellery groom’s band!) to the whole crew letting loose on the dance floor. Yep, this big day was a whole vibe.
THE VENUE “Redleaf Wollombi is the most stunning venue we have ever seen. Prior to COVID, we wanted to have a wedding in Italy. When Redleaf popped up on Instagram, we couldn’t believe it was only two hours away from Sydney. It looks like a Tuscan villa! From that point, it was really our one and only. We also wanted to feel like we were somewhere far away from Sydney. We didn’t have to do much – Redleaf, with its Tuscan feel and incredible beauty did that all for us.”
THE THEME “The most important thing to us was we wanted it to be fun with plenty of food and drinks flowing. I think we managed to nail that aspect.”
FAVE DETAILS “We knew we wanted a beautiful floral set up on the tables with candles and festoon lights to give that romantic feel, and we got it. The table arrangement (by Clementine Posy) was so breathtakingly stunning. It felt magical. We also had scented candles made by my Aunty Lisa of Lisoire, who made a bespoke wedding candle for us and our guests on the day.”
THE DRESS “I was looking high and low for ‘the dress’. When I thought I’d lost all hope after purchasing 15 dresses from all over Australia, we managed to find one three days before the wedding. At that moment, all the stress and disappointment were worth it. We celebrated with a glass of champagne. We just couldn’t believe it. Everything was meant to happen the way it did!”
REFERENCES “We would have to say the biggest help was the Hello May website and Instagram. Once you get into that rabbit hole, it’s amazing how much you can find in both these spaces.”
MEMORABLE MOMENT “Our favourite moment of the day would have to be when everyone was on the dance floor. We took a moment to stop and look at all our friends and family dancing and singing with a smile on their faces. Seeing my 86-year-old nan, Barbie, dancing away to Dancing Queen by Abba and all our friends dancing with her would have to be the cherry on top. Barb was a hit!”
WORD OF ADVICE “We proved that a wedding can be organised in six weeks… But we’d suggest giving the wedding prep a little more time than this! Strike a good balance between many, many months of planning and what we did!”
STANDOUT VENDORS “Ben Sowry Photo, our photographer, was the calm we needed in all the (wonderful) chaos. He is a chiller and honestly the loveliest guy. He made us feel so comfortable and takes the most magical photos. Peter Bray Celebrant – absolutely love him. He made the ceremony so special. And we wouldn’t have been able to do it without our caterer, Pete and his team at Mason Rose. He went above and beyond, helping with a lot of aspects of the wedding. An absolute life saver.”
With only six weeks to plan, Maddie and Ryan pulled together a team of some of the best in the biz, and we can personally recommend this bunch. Visit our directory to get in touch with the talented Ben Sowry Photo, super stylist Ashdown & Bee, queen of flowers Clementine Posy, gown designer extraordinaire Karen Willis Holmes (that train! Lush!) and jewellery pro Meg Maskell Fine Jewellery.
Photographer Ben Sowry Photo Stylist, Stationery & Signage Ashdown & Bee Florist Clementine Posy Ceremony & Reception Redleaf Wollombi Catering Mason Rose Hire Items & Lighting Hire Beavis Sound Hire & Entertainment Time Of Our Lives Celebrant Peter Bray Celebrant Rings Bert Jewellery (bride), Meg Maskell Fine Jewellery (groom) Transport Peaks Mini Bus Hire Bespoke Scented Candles Lisoire THE BRIDE Gown Rachel Gilbert Train Karen Willis Holmes Robes Tree of Life (bride), Le Rose (bridesmaids) Accessories Mezi Hair & Makeup Tanya Artistry Bridesmaid dresses Bec & Bridge Bridesmaid gifts Lisoire, Hills & West THE GROOM Suit & Shirt Woolcott Street Suspenders Bowtie & Arrow Shoes Aquila Barber Groom & Style Groomsmen suits Woolcott Street Groomsmen gifts Aquila