Real Weddings

Article by

Tess McIntosh

Posted on

19/02/2024

Posted in

Real Weddings

Together for four years, Christine met Greg when she was looking for a share house and stumbled across his listing. At first, Christine was adamant to not start dating a ‘housemate’, but eventually couldn’t deny the “spark growing between them.” And thank goodness for that, because this pair’s colourful Victorian wedding, shot by the oh-so-fab Georgia Verrells, brings a whole heap of joy. We mean, just look at that colourful gown, which the bride says became the “centrepoint for the theme. We always knew we wanted a relaxed, fun, but elegant wedding, and once I chose my dress it was obvious that the colours would need to be woven throughout the day.” Greg’s M.J. Bale suit and their stunning Grew & Co rings were just the cherry on top. That’s enough from us, dive into the details below…

THE VENUE “Willow and Stone Estate was so breathtaking, and the owners Leisha and Carlos Watcher were so friendly and down-to-earth that we knew it was the one! Walking though, it was so peaceful and calm with stunning gardens, it was obvious that the team loved their venue as much as their couples.”

FAVE DEETS “It had to be the flowers and our beautiful invites and signage from Studio Blaque. With the help of our amazing stylist, The Small Thing Co, she blended in elements of our theme to create the lilac letterpress invites and signage. Holly our florist is so talented, and with very little direction from me, created colourful and vibrant bouquets, decorations and a ceiling installation. The colours brought so much joy to the day, and our family and friends were talking about the arrangements for weeks after. Greg donated the flowers to a local aged care home afterwards, so they kept spreading the joy beyond the wedding.”

THE DRESS “I tried on over 60 dresses. My amazing bridal party were so supportive (and cheekily honest!) throughout the scouting trips – I don’t know what I would have done without them. I wanted a dress that was colourful and reflected not only my personality, bright and cheeky, but also how I felt about Greg and our love – brimming with joy. However the coloured dresses I was finding were blush pinks, soft tans, ivories, definitely not what I had in mind. I still had a niggling feeling after tentatively deciding on a dress that it really wasn’t what I wanted. I decided to make one last trip to Melbourne to Suzanne Harward. I met with Tina, their couture bridal dressmaker, and tried on their Havana gown and immediately burst into (very happy!) tears. It felt like me! The best thing was finding my purple heels from Bared Footwear that matched my dress – so much colour!”

STANDOUT VENDORS Our photographer Georgia Verrells was incredible, warm, kind and very talented. She somehow blended in seamlessly to get the perfect shots. She helped us feel comfortable, and we were blown away when we received our beautiful photos. She perfectly captured the joy of the day, and we loved the unposed and natural portraits.”

MARRIAGE MEANS “Committing to the person who you love to laugh with most, the person who holds you accountable in the gentlest way (that you can actually hear and grow from), in all the weathers of life – not just those sunny moments (and let’s be real, we all have our days!).”

MEMORABLE MOMENT “The first dance was such a highlight for us. We had such a lovely time practising with our dance instructor Shelley Ross (the best!). If you ever want an insight into your relationship, go do dance lessons! I eventually learnt how to let Greg take the lead, and although nervous in the lead up, on the night Greg whisked me around the dance floor, so relaxed, and it was so much fun.”

Loving these snaps as much as we are? Head to our directory to shoot off an enquiry to the lovely Georgia Verrells. Or if suits are what you’re after, check out a bunch more grooms wearing M.J. Bale here, not to mention ring masterminds Grew & Co here.