Real Wedding – Rachael and Darcy, Marlo VIC

When choosing a venue, it was a no brainer for Rachael and Darcy to choose the Marlo Hotel as it was the very place they first met!

With it’s beautiful decking and incredible views, they enlisted the help of Pollen and Patina to transform the space into a tropical dream. Using bright flowers, lush greenery, festoon lighting and custom signage, their guests were spoiled with an incredible sunset as they partied the night away. There to capture the whole shebang was Nicole of Light and Type Photography.

In Rachael’s words…

The meeting.

Darcy and I met in Marlo in 2009. I grew up in Marlo and Darcy had been holidaying there every summer, we had probably crossed paths 100 times but it wasn’t until that night at the pub that we finally met.

The proposal.

Darcy proposed in the kitchen of the house we have spent 3 years renovating in September 2015. We had been to Europe and trekked in Nepal that year so I was quite surprised to find Darc on one knee in the kitchen!

Venue.
Darcy and I met at the hotel and I spent my teenage years working there on the weekends. You can’t beat watching the sunset on the huge decked area and I knew it would make for the perfect wedding venue.

The day.  

Our ceremony was set underneath “the wedding tree” on the grounds of the hotel lawn. Pollen and Patina styled the ceremony backdrop with greenery, bright blooms and custom signage. Darcy and I wanted a simple ceremony without too much fuss. We wrote our own vows and Gina our celebrant kept things lighthearted and fun which set the scene for a fun filled celebration!

We then had a cocktail hour to entertain guests whilst we went off to have our photos taken nearby. A signature cocktail and a ploughman’s station welcomed the guests to the back deck of the hotel with acoustic music. Guests then moved onto the front deck to welcome the bridal party to the reception. The Deck was styled beautifully with greenery, bright flowers, festoon lighting with rattan lampshades filled with foliage and flowers and “all you need is love” custom sign over the seating area. As the weather was so perfect, guests spent the night on the deck watching the sunset. After we cut the cake one of Darcy’s friends surprised us with fireworks which was really special.

Style inspiration.

We wanted a relaxed cocktail style wedding that allowed our guest to mingle and enjoy the night. We were married in the grounds of the Marlo Hotel and our reception was on the huge deck that overlooks the ocean. I didn’t want to over complicate the already beautiful surrounds. Katie from Pollen and Patina helped transform the hotel, styling the ceremony and reception areas with bright flowers and greenery, festoon lighting and custom signage.

The dress.

I love all of Jane Hill’s gowns and fell in love with the Sage dress as soon as I tried it on.

Traditions.

The bride’s father was re-married under the same tree.

Funny stories (near disasters).

A month before the wedding we were told there was a planned power outage in Marlo for the whole weekend. Despite that, we had the most stress-free day and everything went perfectly!

Words of wisdom.

Make the time to take a breath and take everything in. It goes very fast and you will wish you can do it over again in no time. Remember what the day is about. Ours was such a great celebration of our relationship and commitment to each other and remembering what you are there for helps take all the stress away.

Rachael and Darcy’s Tribe.

Photography: Nicole Peterson Light and Type. Nic captured our day perfectly and I am so happy to have photos that are a constant reminder of how much fun we had celebrating our marriage.

Signage: Light and Type

Styling / Planning / Floral: Katie at Pollen and Patina did an incredible job, the deck was styled beautifully with greenery, bright flowers, festoon lighting with rattan lampshades filled with foliage and flowers and and “all you need is love” custom sign over the seating area. As the weather was so perfect guests spent the night on the deck watching the sunset.

Dress: Jane Hill

Earrings: Samantha Wills

Bridesmaids: Zimmerman & Tony Bianco Shoes

Suits: Peter Jackson

Celebrant: Gina Brakey

Venue: Marlo Hotel

Cake / Sweets: Jemma Louise Cakes