Doing less for maximum elegance — Abbey and Lachlan’s Scrub Hill wedding
Abbey and Lachlan proved that understated can be every bit as unforgettable. Choosing a celebration that was subtle, sophisticated and completely true to them, their day unfolded at the beautiful Scrub Hill – a setting that perfectly reflected the relaxed elegance they were hoping to create. Filled with thoughtful details and genuine moments from beginning to end, every element felt intentional.
Led by the talented Love Jane Celebrant, their heartfelt ceremony struck the perfect balance between joyful and tender, beautifully accompanied by the sounds of a live string quartet. Abbey looked effortlessly elegant in an off-the-shoulder gown with a statement split, while her sleek hairstyle completed the timeless look. Her bridesmaids were equally striking in matching black gowns, perfectly complementing Lachlan’s sharp black suit by Institchu.
With sweeping countryside views, Scrub Hill’s glasshouse marquee provided the perfect setting to celebrate long into the evening. A fresh palette of blue, white and green florals added a refined touch throughout the day, while golden hour delivered one final magical moment. Captured by Ivory Tribe favourite Smith & Archer, the sunset portraits are simply breathtaking. This is one celebration you’ll want to see for yourself.
The meeting.
We met ten years ago. A friend invited us over to her holiday house for a weekend away, we didn’t know each other at the time. A few weeks before the trip we happened to bump into each other on a night out and officially met. We went away together with the group a few weeks later and the rest was history.
The proposal.
We both had busy schedules each weekend with football and netball, but one weekend our bye rounds aligned so we made the most of it by planning a spur of the moment weekend away in Anglesea. We rented a very nice Airbnb with a gorgeous view over the water. On Saturday morning, before a planned lunch at Totti’s in Lorne, Lachlan proposed on the balcony of the Airbnb. I like to tell people I knew it was coming, but it was definitely a surprise and a weekend I’ll never forget.
Planning process.
It was quite straightforward; we both knew we didn’t want anything too flashy but wanted all our friends and family to have a great day! Everything we planned was to ensure our guests had a seamless day and didn’t have to worry about anything. Everything we planned was intentional and for a purpose. We wanted to make sure we had a great day without going over budget.
Style inspiration.
Our inspiration was to keep things simple, classy and ultimately us. We are not over the top people, so we didn’t want anything super flashy.
The ceremony.
We decided to have a string quartet for the ceremony and cocktail hour, and it was amazing! The live music gave the ceremony a grand feel. Ultimately, finally being married was the part that felt most special. After being together for ten years, it was nice to make it official.
The outfits.
I tried on a few dresses and liked a couple of styles, but hadn’t found the perfect one. I saw a post from Kyha about their new drop coming soon and instantly knew it was the dress. I booked in to try it on immediately, and it was perfect.
Favourite moment.
Our favourite moment was our first dance. We specifically picked a song that had a good build so everyone could join us. We danced to Sweet Disposition by The Temper Trap. When everyone joined us on the dancefloor after about one minute it was electric, everyone was up and dancing and it was all our favourite people dancing together.
Another favourite was the final song, Beautiful Day by U2. It was the perfect end to a perfect day! Everyone was up and about celebrating. It’s a memory a lot of our friends have brought up since the wedding.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: To Build a Home – The Cinematic Orchestra (on Strings)
Recession: Viva La Vida – Coldplay (on Strings)
Reception entry: Hey Baby – DJ Otzi
First dance: Sweet Disposition – The Temper Trap
Final song: Beautiful Day – U2
Funny stories (or near disasters).
The only hurdle we faced was the bus company calling us the day before the wedding to say they were not sending buses for our guests. Lachlan made a few calls and sorted it out, and everything ran smoothly on the day!
Words of wisdom.
Everyone seems to talk about how stressful it is, but it is fine as long as you stick to what you like and want.
Abbey and Lachlan’s Vendors
Ceremony and reception location: Scrub Hill. Jente and Emily were unbelievable, setting up everything and very friendly and accommodating with all our requests. Couldn’t recommend Scrub Hill more – we would get married there again in a heartbeat!
Celebrant: Love Jane Celebrant was amazing, had everything handled and made the day so seamless!
Photography: Smith & Archer. Ali was so unbelievable! She was so on top of things on the day and was available to answer any question in the lead up to the wedding!
Videography: Wildbird Films. Ben was incredible! He was such a lovely person and wanted to ensure he captured every moment of the day!
Florist: Larkspur Flowers. Elissa was fantastic, we gave her creative freedom with the florals (we wanted to trust the experts) and she did an unbelievable job!
Hair: Karlose James. Sarah was incredible, not only during my trial but on the day, she was so calm and we had so comments on our hair all day! Karlose James Salon is my regular hair salon and so I couldn’t trust anyone else to do my hair!
Make-up: Makeup by Alex Haines was so professional and I LOVED my makeup! She did an amazing job on all the bridesmaids, mums and myself!
The dress: Kyha Studios & Rat & Boa
Veil: Kyha
Shoes: Billini
Rings: Micheli Jewellery
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Henne
Suits: Institchu
Catering: The Surly Goat – David and the team from the Surly Goat were incredible, the food was delicious, and no one went hungry all night!
Cake: Aviv Cakes
Stationery / Signage: Self made
Entertainment: Behind the Veil Music
