Hitched at Scrub Hill, nestled between Daylesford and Ballarat, Sarah and Jonathan describe their wedding day with words like moody, romantic, warm and a little editorial. A recipe for something magical, don’t you agree? In setting the tone, the couple explain that their venue did much of the heavy lifting. “This beautiful old bluestone chapel immediately gave us forest greens, earthy neutrals, soft afternoon light, that quiet old world feeling.”
Add feasting cooked over fire, an outdoor cinema, an ice cream truck, beloved pets and a top notch kids’ area, and this celebration was always going to be a banger. But for Sarah and Jonathan, their ceremony was really the heart of the day. Led by The Poetic Celebrant (“so helpful, so kind, and genuinely empowered us to make the ceremony our own”), the moment featured Indonesian traditions honouring the bride’s background, all while the couple’s darling toddler cuddled up in their arms, singing in their ears. Too cute.
One of our favourite local photographers, Georgia Verrells, was in situ snapping all the mems. “She gets it,” these newlyweds declare. “She has this way of being completely present without ever being in the way and the images she captured feel like the day actually felt, not just how it looked.”
Scroll on to see more goodness from the day Sarah and Jonathan wed, including the bride’s ethereal frock (procured at The Bridal Curator boutique), wise advice and aesthetically pleasing decor elements.
A MOODY, EARTHY VICTORIA VENUE OUTSIDE MELBOURNE | GETTING MARRIED AT SCRUB HILL
“Scrub Hill had this perfect mix of special and earthy, old and new, with a wide-open landscape that just made us feel happy the moment we got there…”
HONOURING FAMILY & PUTTING A MODERN SPIN ON WEDDING TRADITIONS
“We wove two Indonesian traditions into our ceremony to honour my heritage, which I’m deeply proud of. The first was Kalung Melati – a jasmine garland ritual, where my mum Janthy placed the garland over Jonathan… The second was a modern version of Sungkeman, traditionally a moment where the bride and groom kneel before their parents to ask for blessing and give thanks. We extended ours to include our sisters, dearest friends, and the people who’ve helped shape us. Our celebrant read personalised thank-yous on our behalf, one by one. We took our time on purpose. We wanted every person we love to know exactly why they matter to us, out loud, in front of everyone. We also took a moment at the start of the ceremony to acknowledge family who’d travelled from Indonesia, the UK, and Thailand to be there – my Indonesian and British family especially, who’ve shaped so much of who I am. We held a small space at the wedding for the people we love who couldn’t be there – our grandparents, and my aunt Jane.”
SCULPTURAL WEDDING FLOWERS, SCRUMPTIOUS FOOD, FOUR-LEGGED FRIENDS AND MORE FAVE ELEMENTS
“The flowers from Handpicked Floristry. Ali just got what we were after. Sculptural, moody, completely us. The food from Yona’s Kitchen was cooked over fire and you could smell it before you saw it, which set the whole tone – earthy and warm. The handwritten signage from Fielding Milligan was probably my most-loved detail. We wanted something whimsical and creative – that handmade, hand-drawn typeface look, nothing too structured. It felt organic and warm and exactly the right kind of imperfect. But our absolute favourite was the ceremony itself. The Sungkeman, the thank-yous, all of it. A bit chaotic, deeply emotional, exactly what we wanted.”
THE BRIDE ON DISCOVERING HER DRESS WITH THE BRIDAL CURATOR
“My dress was made by mother-and-daughter duo Divine Atelier, found through The Bridal Curator here in Australia. We planned our whole wedding in just a couple of months, so I literally had a day to find a dress and only tried a handful. Mine was the last one I put on, and it ticked all the boxes for me – beautiful silk that felt incredible, a vintage Vivienne Westwood-inspired feel, handmade silk flowers, boning that gave it this gorgeous structure and crucially they could make it in time. I added a neck scarf and sleeves to lean further into the romantic vibe I was chasing. I didn’t go in with a super clear vision – it built itself as I tried things on and started visualising how it would sit inside the rest of the day. By the end, it felt right.”
Wedding planning advice: planning quickly and hiring a day-of coordinator
“Plan the wedding you want, not the one you think you’re supposed to throw. We planned ours in just a couple of months, leaned hard into what felt like us and let go of anything that felt performative. It all goes so fast, make sure it feels like you and that you take the time to feel it. Also: hire a planner for the day even if you’ve handled the rest yourself. Bonnie and Kara from Gathered Events gave us back our day.”
MORE GOOD STUFF
If you’re loving this wedding album there’s a lot more where that came from. Visit the directory to explore more beautiful images from Georgia Verrells’ lens. Then, check out details on Scrub Hill’s wedding offerings. To connect with The Poetic Celebrant tap this way or get more info on bridal boutique, The Bridal Curator.
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Georgia Verrells Photography Cinematographer By Tilda Weddings On-The-Day Planner Gathered Events Florist Handpicked Floristry Venue Scrub Hill Catering Yona’s Kitchen Food Trucks or Carts Ice Cream Republic Cake Maker Mignone Cakes Other Desserts Daylesford Grazing Catering Hire Items Ballarat Event Hire, Wedding Decor For Hire Lighting Hire Hueseeka Signage Fielding Milligan Entertainment Hey Jack Celebrant The Poetic Celebrant Rings Hollie Bloss Transport Whitmore Bus Group Outdoor Cinema Front Yard Flicks Pet Sitter The Wedding Sitter Nanny Service Bridal Bliss Nannies Custom Artwork Natabarra Studio via Etsy THE BRIDE Bridal Gown Designer Divine Atelier Bridal Boutique The Bridal Curator Veil Harriett Falvey Shoes LMS Hair Hair by Karren Makeup Ashley Morales Makeup THE GROOM Suit Oscar Hunt
