“It’s a pretty simple girl meets boy story,” admits the bride, of the way this cute couple met. Mutual friends at a Melbourne pub introduced them in front of an AFL game and they hit it off immediately. “We spent the rest of the night bar-hopping through the streets of Richmond and we have been together ever since.” See, we told you they were cute. On the night of the wedding, “instead of favours, we had a round of tequila shots bought on to the dance floor for everyone and let’s just say things got a little wild after that…” So you can add fun to their description, too. Scroll down for all the pics by our friend and HM directory vendor, Georgia Verrells Photography…
THE VENUE “We wanted a venue that we could hire for the entire weekend, where all of our friends and family could stay on site with us. We wanted it to be in the country with lots of space and no curfew so we could party all night. We had been to a similar wedding in NSW and love it, so I started searching for the same sort of venue near Melbourne. We fell in love with Camp Sunnystones the first time we visited. Luckily, the vendors Kate and Matt are very easy going and didn’t mind us constantly wanting to visit the venue!”
THE THEME “I used the term ‘modern Australiana’ to explain the look. I wanted some colour, but to keep it subtle to work back with the natural beauty of the venue and the amazing Tipi from TipiKata. We used light timber furniture and fresh and contemporary flowers with lots of native greenery, hessian rugs and painted, seagrass baskets. Hints of pink, orange and dark blue created the colour palette and this theme was carried throughout the styling to the custom designs used on the invitations and signage throughout the wedding. We wanted to keep the entire weekend as informal as possible without taking away too many of the ‘special’ things that make it a wedding. It was a tricky balance, but I think we pulled it off.”
FAVOURITE DETAILS “My flower crown was absolutely perfect it was the final touch that tied my look together- my friend Julia Osburn and the girls did such an amazing job arranging all the flowers the morning of the wedding. The confetti was also a highlight- I loved the excitement and fun it created walking back up the aisle and it looks great in the photos!”
DIY “I had a clear vision of how I wanted the wedding styled and with a huge amount of help from some super talented and creative friends, almost all elements were DIY. Jake and I were so lucky to have a big group of mates and family spend the day before the wedding at the venue with us setting up everything from the festoon lights, to furniture, foraging olive branches and gum leaves to create a chandelier, styling and dressing tables. Jake made the bar out of an old door. We built the signing table and chairs and pallets were painted and turned into tables. I painted the baskets and made the table runners, cushions and the bar staff’s aprons as well as the 10 meters of bunting. All the flowers including the bouquets and my flower crown were done on the morning of the wedding by a group of very talented girlfriends. Our friend and graphic designer, Maddie, really went above and beyond- we couldn’t have done it with our her.”
THE DRESS “I knew from the start I didn’t want a traditional wedding dress. I wanted something fun, comfortable and affordable. I also knew that I wasn’t going to spend hours trying on dresses in bridal boutiques. So I decided to have a skirt and top custom made, but around six weeks before the wedding, Stevie May released a limited edition bridal range with ASOS. I fell in love with one of the dresses and ordered the last size online- it fit like a glove and I felt amazing in it!”
STANDOUT VENDORS “All of our vendors were fabulous and really easy to work, with but our photographer Georgia Verrells Photography was a standout. We honestly felt like we were hanging out with an old friend. She made us feel so comfortable and relaxed in front of the camera, we knew our photos would be amazing! We would highly recommend doing first look photos Jake and I loved having the time together before the ceremony and all the craziness of the day.”
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Georgia Verrells Photography Event Planner & Stylist Polly Gregory Printer Moo Ceremony & Reception Camp Sunnystones Catering Spitting Image Catering Cake Jolly Miller Cafe & Patisserie Hire Items & Sound Melton Party Hire Tipi TipiKata Celebrant Savvy Celebrant Rings Arbor Brunswick Confetti Bio Confetti BRIDE Bridal Gown Stevie May via ASOS Shoes Jo Mercer Hair The Brazen Fox Bridesmaid Shoes Rubi Shoes GROOM Shirt, Pants & Shoes Aquila Bow Tie OTAA via Etsy Watch Mr Simple Grooming Room 53 Groomsmen Shirt & Pants Aquila
