Laura and Jakub said ‘I do’ at picturesque Victorian venue, Lake House Daylesford. “We’d been for lunch before and we loved it, and both sets of parents independently suggested it – so it felt right for us to all be excited about it,” shares the bride. “Jakub’s family live near Daylesford, and we had memories of strolling around the Lake early in our relationship.”
Although a theme wasn’t formally set, a bright, colourful garden-party style organically bloomed, in tune with the lush natural surrounds. Reflecting on the day, the groom says he’s glad they ventured out from their home base of Melbourne. “There was something really special about having our friends and family make a trip, albeit a small one, to celebrate with us.”
They also told us that their day followed not far after that of Jakub’s sister’s. Planning-wise this presented certain perks. “We immediately poached their florist, hair stylist and makeup artist. Their photographer recommended the amazing Elsa Campbell for photos, and we used Hello May to find the rest!” No wonder Laura and Jakub’s team is make up of so many of our faves, like Little Wolf Entertainment, Amélie George bridal accessories, and M.J. Bale.
Colourful wedding flowers and a seriously good wedding cake
“I sent Ali from Handpicked Ethical Floristry a Pinterest board with only five inspiration photos, and gave her maximum autonomy and flexibility. When I saw the bouquets and the ceremony arrangement I was completely blown away. Somehow, with barely any direction, she created the most beautiful arrangements I could have imagined. The cake was also completely delicious. So many people warned that because we were serving dessert, the cake would go uneaten. I was almost disappointed to find out the day after the wedding that there was none left over to take home!”
Finding the dress at Georgia Young in Brunswick
“I found my dress in Georgia Young Couture’s studio in Brunswick about two hours into the dress shopping journey, at only the second place we visited. Coming immediately from a big, hectic boutique on Sydney Road, Georgia’s studio felt like a beautiful and calm oasis. I’d saved some screenshots of her dresses on my phone, and was feeling quietly confident that I’d find my dress there. When I tried on The One there were a few tears spilled all around. I did go back by myself the next week just to double check we hadn’t got carried away by the emotion – but I loved it just as much when it was just me.”
The groom’s M.J. Bale wedding tuxedo
“My suit was from M.J. Bale. The experience was great and pretty familiar – most of my suits for work are from there. I was pretty set on a tuxedo from the start, and I’m really happy with how it came together. Maybe a little bit crazily, I bought my jacket in two different sizes – not knowing the size I’d be until a bit closer to the date. M.J. Bale was great with indulging me and allowing me to return the unused size!”
The wedding vows that had everyone in tears
“My favourite moment was our vows. We agreed with each other that we’ll keep them short, but I knew that Jakub is an amazing writer and that I’d have to lift my game. They really brought us into the moment, serving as a central reminder of what it was all about, and allowed us to say all the things we might not usually say to each other on a day-to-day basis. When we looked out into the audience and saw so many people in tears, the moment felt really special (and cute!)”
The Victorian wedding suppliers who nailed every detail
“Everybody completely knocked it out of the park. Elsa, our photographer, was a massive help in structuring our itinerary and helping keep us on track – she was a font of knowledge that helped us far beyond taking beautiful photos. Our florist Ali stuck around after the ceremony to personally ensure she could reuse all the arrangements and position them optimally in the reception space. Our DJ James from Little Wolf Entertainment brought his record collection, took requests from guests, played percussion as he was DJing, and kept everyone on the dance floor the whole time. We really couldn’t have asked for more.”
More garden party wedding inspiration and suppliers
Based in Melbourne but capturing love stories throughout Aus (digital and film too), check out Elsa Campbell’s work if you’re on the hunt for your dream photographer. While you’re on our handy wedding suppliers directory, give Little Wolf Entertainment a suss (acoustic ensembles, DJs, sax, live bands — they’ve got all of the above), explore chic bridal accessories from Amélie George or timeless suiting options at M.J. Bale. After more planning ideas? Visit the blog for real garden party-style nuptials stacked with inspo.
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS
Photographer Elsa Campbell Florist Handpicked Ethical Floristry Stationery & Signage Lake House Venue Lake House Daylesford Cake Maker Mignone Cakes Entertainment Little Wolf Entertainment Celebrant Ruth Bakogianis Rings Frank Darkling, Fedele Jewelworks Choreography I Am Dance THE BRIDE Bridal Gown Designer Georgia Young Couture Veil Calily Hair Piece Tania Maras Second Look Leo Lin via Depop Getting Ready Peter Alexander Shoes Jimmy Choo Accessories Amélie George Hair Taouk Salon Makeup Tonic Agency Fragrance Floris Bridesmaid Dresses Zimmermann, Phase Eight Bridesmaid Shoes Wittner Bridesmaid Gifts Artocracy THE GROOM Suit, Cufflinks & Tie M.J. Bale Shoes Aquila Watch Longine Grooming Barber Jan
