Real Wedding – George & Jade, Dromana VIC
Jade and George’s wedding epitomises effortless elegance and timeless chic, punctuated with moments of unbridled joy and upbeat emotion. With a portfolio of ultra-talented vendors supporting them, Jade and George, along with their friends and family, were able to relax and enjoy an experience as aesthetically gorgeous as it was emotionally impactful.
Dreamy Tanglewood Estate set the scene for the celebration to unfold, beginning with a beautifully person and pitch-perfect ceremony by our very own Natalie Drum. Building on this incredible energy, the party simply continued to go from strength to strength, captured with deft artistry by the stellar Tess Follett.
Style wise, George and Jade leant into an expressive ethos for their theme; a classic, warmly romantic, light-hearted fairytale. And boy, did they nail it. A soft palette of creamy vanilla, shimmered beige and dusted blush against a backdrop of bold greenery enhanced the natural surrounds, while the couple looked a glowing vision of timeless style.
As golden hour descended, the party warmed up with Married to the Groove on the decks, and guests began to create an alternate memory capsule for the new Mr and Mrs via our friends at Off the Hook audio guestbooks.
Scroll on for the sweet meet cute behind this stunning union!
The meeting.
George and I first crossed paths in April 2017 at the most romantic of venues – the Corner Hotel in Richmond. I had just moved to Melbourne and was enjoying a few wines with my friends. George had just been to a soccer game and was enjoying a few beers with his mates. We bonded whilst watching the football on the big screen and talking about our careers. We have spoken every day since.
The ‘one’.
For George, there was not one particular moment. He says that the more time we spent together, the more he knew that this was it. For me, it took a little longer. Throughout our dating phase, I repeatedly told everyone that dating George was just good practice for when the real thing came along (soz George). However, after a few months of never-ending happiness and fun, I couldn’t imagine my life without him.
The proposal.
Whilst I knew that I would marry George one day, I had no idea that the proposal was coming when it did. It was 28 December 2021, and we had just bought our first home. As far as I was concerned, our savings had certainly dwindled. However, little did I know, George had a secret bank account, and had designed and bought my engagement ring about 11 months earlier!
We picked up the keys to our new home as we had planned to ‘camp’ there with no furniture whatsoever. George had arranged for his two best friends to sneak in whilst we were out for dinner. They had decorated our living room with all of my favourite things – flowers, fairy lights, candles, sparkling wine and chocolate. George had curated a playlist and bought two different shades of nail polish (in case my nails weren’t done). A neon sign that read, “Will you marry me?” sat in the middle of the room. I have never been asked an easier question (although my breathlessness and the shock made it a little difficult to say the word, “yes!”).
Planning process.
A year or two before meeting George, I stumbled across Tanglewood Estate on Instagram and knew that I would one day get married there. So, approximately three hours after George popped the question (and a few glasses of bubbles later), I fired off an email to Tanglewood to obtain their next available dates. Within one week we had the date secured.
Shortly thereafter, George and I spent a week in isolation with COVID-19. I made the most of the time, by researching, scrolling, and double tapping until my heart was content. Within the week, I had booked in almost every single vendor. We (or perhaps, I) enjoyed the planning process and the lead-up to our day so incredibly much (so much so that I considered a career in wedding planning once our day was over)!
Style inspiration.
A classic, warm (but soft), romantic and light-hearted fairytale. The day was very “us”. It was everything that we had dreamed of and more.
Whilst we (or, again, perhaps I) knew exactly what we wanted to create, Real Wedding blogs such as Ivory Tribe, were super helpful. Not only were the blogs wonderful for styling ideas, tips and tricks, but they also helped to provide us with referrals to various suppliers and vendors. We made a conscious effort to support small and/or local businesses wherever and whenever we could.
The ceremony.
Whilst it might sound incredibly cliché, I cannot find the words to describe our ceremony. It was a dream. The Chapel at Tanglewood felt charismatic, and the sun shone through the arched windows as we looked out at our loved ones. Our celebrant, Natalie, was like no other. She told our love story perfectly and created the most magical space. To have all of our favourite people in the one room was incredible. We could certainly feel the love in the air, and, to this day, thinking back to our ceremony makes us feel like the luckiest couple in the world.
The outfits.
I went dress shopping with my mum and my bridesmaids. Whilst the process was relatively overwhelming at times, it was lots of fun. It was made even more special as my best friend, Laura, had travelled all the way from London. We made a real day of it. We went shopping, had lunch, and had bubbles (which led to an afternoon of cocktails, which led to more bubbles at a wine bar, which led to a very severe hangover!).
Whilst I always thought that I would opt for a classic, white, satin dress, I made the decision to remain open-minded from the beginning, and to try on a broad variety of styles, cuts and materials. I knew I had found ‘the dress’ when tears streamed down Mum’s face, and I didn’t want to take the dress off! When I eventually took it off, I couldn’t wait to put it back on again. It was a very me dress and fitted our fairytale vibe perfectly.
To the contrary, George kept his suit process relatively short and sharp. He knew that he wanted to wear a tux and dived straight into the process. He is also a sucker for cufflinks, so he very much enjoyed the process of hunting down the perfect cufflinks to gift to his groomsmen.
Favourite moments.
The ceremony! The whole day was absolutely magic, but seeing each other for the first time that day, feeling the love, emotion and warmth in the air, and officially committing to one another for the rest of our lives, is something we will never forget.
Meaning of marriage.
A deep, unique, and forever type of love. It’s making a life-long commitment to one another, signing up for a never-ending supply of memories, saying yes to growing old with your best friend and creating a lifetime of adventure, happiness, and fun.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: Can’t Help Falling in Love by Haley Reinhart
Recession: This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) by Natalie Cole
Groomsmen entry: Man! I Feel Like A Woman! by Shania Twain
Bridesmaids entry: Higher Love by Kygo & Whitney Houston
Reception entry: Sweet Lovin’ by Sigala & Bryn Christopher
First Dance: Everything by Michael Buble
Funny stories or near disasters.
I started monitoring the weather approximately two months before the wedding. George experienced the challenge of trying to stop me from looking at my four different weather apps on an hourly basis during the lead-up to our day. In the end, we absolutely lucked out with the weather, so the stress was not required (although that’s much easier said than done, particularly with the benefit of hindsight!). Otherwise, there were no real disasters (for which we are very grateful!).
Planning surprises.
George would say how calm I was (save for in relation to the weather). He expected me to be a bit of a bridezilla, but I was focused on remaining calm, enjoying the lead-up, and looking forward to our day.
Words of wisdom.
Organisation is key! It will allow you to properly enjoy the lead-up and soak it all in. The day absolutely races by, so absorb every single second—it’s simply the best.
If you’re planning a wedding, you’ve undoubtedly come across the term “wedding tax”. We’re here to help unpack the smoke and mirrors behind this idea, so you can understand where your dollars are really going. Read on for our feature, here.
GEORGE & JADE’S VENDORS
Ceremony venue: The Chapel at Tanglewood Estate, Dromana. The most magical of venues. Donna and her team were beyond amazing. They were incredibly helpful, and no ask was ever too much. They played a huge role in making lead up to the day stress-free. Whilst our entire wedding was at the one venue, we loved that we could get married in the Chapel, have our cocktail and canape hour by the lake, and hold our reception in the Barn. It allowed for a seamless day in that no travel was involved, but each part of our wedding felt special and unique.
Reception venue: The Barn at Tanglewood Estate, Dromana. We loved the Barn at Tanglewood so much. We enjoyed the fact that it was a blank canvas, and that we could really make it our own. The view out to the vineyard was beautiful, and the dancefloor was the perfect size for partying the night away.
Celebrant: Natalie Drum. Nat is truly something else. Her talent, expertise, professionalism, kindness and charisma is like no other. George and I knew we were in the best of hands from the moment we met her, but my goodness, she absolutely exceeded our expectations over and beyond in the lead-up to our wedding and on the day. Nat told our love story in a way that we cannot even begin to describe, and the magic she helped us to create is a feeling that we will never forget. Nat’s guidance, support and care is something for which we will always be grateful.
Photography: Tess Follett. Tess is simply the best of the best. She worked absolute magic, and made the day so incredibly fun. Whilst an endless amount of photos were taken, Tess made us feel incredibly at ease. We are so grateful for the way in which she was able to capture all of the emotions of our day so perfectly and for the beautiful photos that we now have forever. Tess is a true talent in every way.
Videography: Annette & Dani. We also could not be more grateful for the beautiful work of Annette and Dani. Whilst trying to convince George in the lead-up to our day that a videographer was a ‘must’ and not an ‘option’, he quickly realised that I was right when he watched our wedding videos. Like Tess, Annette and Dani managed to capture our day and ‘fairytale’ perfectly, and we absolutely love that we can watch our day in motion (and cry, and laugh, and smile) again and again and again.
Florist: Millicent Green. Kate absolutely nailed the brief. We trusted her to make Tanglewood even more beautiful than it already is, and she did such a wonderful job. The colour scheme was perfect, and her bubbly personality and smile made our day even brighter.
Hair: Ash Jende
Make-up: Emma Rumian. Ash and Emma were the most amazing team. My bridesmaids, mum and I all got ready at Tanglewood on the morning of our wedding. Ash and Emma helped make the ‘getting ready’ process so much fun, and made us feel incredibly special. They are masters at what they do, and beyond talented.
The dress: Nicole Milano / Raffaele Ciuca Bridal
Veil: Raffaele Ciuca Bridal. The team at Raffaele Ciuca were absolutely fantastic. They made the dress hunt stress-free and seamless, and their knowledge was something else.
Shoes: Badgley Mischka. I am completely and utterly obsessed with pearls. So, when I found the shoes at Badgley Mischka, it was another very easy decision.
Rings: Kimberley Blair. Kim’s work is absolutely incredible. George worked with her to design and create my engagement ring, and he absolutely loved the process. Kim created our dream wedding rings, and did an amazing job at that!
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Hexie. My bridesmaids’ dresses were the perfect blend of simplicity and class. Whilst Laura, Harriet, Skyler and Amy are always simply stunning, they looked extra special on the day of our wedding.
Catering: Finesse Catering Group. I cannot recommend Finesse Catering Group more. In the lead-up to our wedding, George and I attended ‘taste testing’ lunches with our families, which was so incredibly fun. The team at Finesse were so wonderful to work with, and they went over and above to ensure that we were happy with our menu. They even created mini souvlakis as a ‘late night snack’, which was an absolute ‘must’ for George. To this day, our guests continue to rave about the food!
Favours: Three Foxes Distillery. We gifted our guests “Foxtails” from Three Foxes Distillery as our wedding favours. We were able to design the front of the cocktails, and the tasting process was lots of fun. We made an afternoon of it by inviting our parents to our house so that we could choose our favourite flavours. We then attached five sugar-coated almonds, and a personalised label to the cocktail, which explained the meaning behind the Greek tradition of the five sugar-coated almonds.
Stationery / Signage: Love Carli. Carli was an absolute dream to work with, and created the most beautiful invitations, stationery and signage for us. After just one brief discussion, she was able to develop an understanding of our vibe, create a mood board, and implement our paper dreams!
Entertainment: Sammy on Percussion & Josh at Married to the Groove. Sammy and Josh absolutely set fire to the dancefloor. As soon as they started playing together, our guests didn’t stop dancing (which is exactly what we wanted)! They were a dynamic duo, and if I was to host another event, I would book them again in a heartbeat – obsessed!
Transport: EV Tours & Charter. Given our ceremony and reception were both at Tanglewood Estate, George and I did not require transport on the day (as we were also lucky enough to stay the night at Tanglewood). We hired buses via EV Tours & Charters to transport guests home at the end of the night. The buses meant that our guests could properly enjoy themselves without the worry of planning how they would get home, and it made for a smooth end to the night.
Décor: Table Art & Millicent Green. Kate was an absolute gem when it came to our décor and table arrangements. She worked with Donna at Tanglewood to ensure that the Barn looked simply amazing. We also hired our table linen via Table Art, who were also wonderful.
Audio guest book: Off the Hook
Honeymoon: Hayman Island & Hamilton Island.
