Real wedding – Maddi & Daniel, Main Ridge VIC
Real wedding – Maddi & Daniel, Main Ridge VIC
Real wedding – Maddi & Daniel, Main Ridge VIC
Real wedding – Maddi & Daniel, Main Ridge VIC

Real wedding – Maddi & Daniel, Main Ridge VIC

A love of the great outdoors combined with a love of good old-fashion fun, set the tone for the wedding celebrations of Maddi and Daniel.

Mossy Willow Farm created the perfect backdrop for these two lovers as Daniel struggled to hold back tears watching the love of his life walk towards him. Using their natural flair for design, the couple added many personal and DIY touches to their day, that only added to the warmth and love that they radiated.

Beautifully captured by Nicole Williams Photography, Maddi and Daniel’s day is an absolute delight.

 

IN DANIEL AND MADDI’S WORDS…

The meeting.

We met at university but didn’t start seeing other each until our mutual interest in rock climbing brought us together

The one.

Pretty soon after we started seeing each other we knew we were serious. Having been friends for 4 years beforehand meant that we were quickly moving on to the next stage of our relationship.

The proposal.

We went on a hike called the Crosscut Saw, which is in the southern Victorian Alps. It is a ridge line that offers spectacular views of the Alps and so I thought it would be a great place to start the next chapter of our lives together. We made it a trip over the Easter weekend and went along with Maddi’s brother (Cameron). While on the walk Cameron and I had to plan how I would do it by typing messages on my phone to one another and passing it back and forward (no reception up there). I hadn’t had the chance to plan it beforehand because I wasn’t even sure if I’d have the ring as I had it custom made.  When we made it to the highest point on the ridge line Cameron held back making the excuse that he wanted to just take in the views from another peak (really to give us some space and then take some sneaky photos) whilst Maddi and I went on to the next one. Then I got down on one knee.

Planning process.

It all started happening quickly after the engagement with Maddi deciding on a dress within the week.

We wanted to try and have a wedding that suited us and would be a fitting start to our married lives together, so straight away we knew it was going to be outdoors. Maddi had a vision in her head right from the start and so it was just a matter of finding a magical venue to make it happen. We came across Mossy Willow Farm as a site for glamping that they offer on the Peninsula and decided to inquire as to whether they would be willing to do a wedding. Simon (Mossy Willow manager) was extremely helpful from the start and helped us bring to life our vision.

We decided to go barefoot for the bridal party because neither of us wear shoes anywhere except work, so we wanted to reflect ourselves in that aspect. It would have been weird for a lot of the people who know us to see us in shoes!

There were a few doubts along the way. We worried the hay bales were not going to be proper seating and that one teepee wasn’t going to be enough cover, but Maddi and I stuck to our guns and it all turned out well. To cut costs Maddi and I took to making a lot of the decorations ourselves. The month beforehand was busy with us making bow ties, trestle tables, lighting, bunting, platters, punches and garlands. Because we were providing a lot of the furniture and decorations it meant multiple trips with a trailer down to Mossy Willow to offload supplies. It was an amazing process to see Maddi’s ideas come to life on the day, although it meant a lot of work for her as she was consulted about every little detail as our families got together to set up.

Style inspiration.

We didn’t have a set style in the beginning but describing Maddi’s ideas to people was becoming hard so we decided that a relaxed ‘harvest festival’ style described what we wanted best. But mostly it was still just Maddi’s design eye that led us with a few inputs from myself (the ice cream truck and the soccer ball).

The dress.

I found my dress online within a few days of the proposal and knew straight away it was the one. It was more a matter of finding a stockist. With a bit of hunting around I found a Melbourne supplier and was able to arrange an appointment to try the dress on with one of my bridesmaids. Although the dress was swimming on me in the shop I knew that once it was made to measure it would be perfect on the day. We went home that day and I actually found the dress online in a bridal store (Primrose and Finch) in Auckland, New Zealand so I shot them an email asking whether they shipped internationally. Kerry wrote back and said yes they do and that they were currently having a sale with 20% off the “Eden” Jenny Packham dress. I quickly wrote back saying that I would take the dress and sent through my measurements for them to pass on to Jenny Packham in London.  Six months later the dress arrived at their Melbourne store for pick up.  When I tried it on in the store I was so surprised by how perfectly it fit, the beading was so intricate and it was just so well made.  The cut and fit of the dress was really comfortable and easy to move around in giving me plenty of freedom on the day.

Favourite moment.

Probably a cliché, but seeing Maddi walk down the aisle. I was feeling completely fine, not nervous at all and I was just having fun – but as soon as I saw Maddi I became completely overwhelmed with joy. As anybody who was at the wedding could attest – I was a mess. I blame my mother and her habit of crying at everything, for the ease with which the tears came to me but it was really just a show of how much Maddi means to me.
At the reception I just loved seeing everyone playing games, lining up to get ice-cream, sitting around the fire pits and just having fun. Fun is a big part of mine and Maddi’s life and seeing that reflected in our friends and family at a day celebrating our lives together was incredible.

Meaning of marriage.

To me marriage is a celebration of not only the life we are about to begin together but also the one we have already forged. Having already lived, traveled and worked together I didn’t think marriage was going to change our lives in a big way – but the celebration of our commitment to each other was what made this such a wonderful day for us.

Wedding soundtrack.

Aisle: Not fire, not ice – Ben Harper

First Dance: All I want is you – Louis Polisar

Father daughter dance: Rip it up – Little Richard

Funny stories (or near disasters).

Making the garlands. We had decided to decorate the inside of the tipi with garlands made up of native flora. So with the measurements we needed 10 garlands of 2.5 meters and we decided to make the garlands on the Sunday before the wedding. Only problem was, by the end of Sunday, we had only made 2 of the 10 garlands we needed. So the rest of the week was spent getting up at 6am, riding our bikes down to the park lands and collecting branches and leaves from anywhere within a 5 km radius to get enough leaves to fill these garlands. We didn’t end up finishing them until midnight the day before set up.

Words of wisdom.

Celebrate your wedding day the way you want to. Don’t get too caught up in tradition, if it’s not important to you. The day is a celebration of the life you are about to start together, so make it a reflection of your lives. That’s what made it so special for us.

 

 

MADDI AND DANIEL’S TRIBE…

Ceremony and reception venue: Mossy Willow Farm

Celebrant: Jessica Kerr

Photography: Nicole Williams Photography

Styling: Maddi Kriss

Florist: Jaclyn Roma

Hair and Make Up: Danté Amato

The Dress: “Eden” Jenny Packham purchased from Primrose and Finch Bridal Boutique

Head wear: Floral crown from Jaclyn Roma

Jewellery/Accessories: Gum nut necklaces – Wilkins and Kent

Rings: Ruby Tuesday Jewellery

Bridesmaids dresses: Free People

Groom and groomsmen shirts and vests – Oscar Hunt

Pants – Rod and Gunn

Bow ties: Handmade by Maddi and Daniel

Catering: Pot and Pan and Billy Van Creamy

Cake: Cake Red Hill

Stationery / Signage: Georgia Kriss (Maddi sister)

Entertainment: Matt McGill – DJ (friend)

Honeymoon: Misool Eco Resort

Preparation location/ wedding night accommodation: Hart’s Farm




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