Burgundy, candlelight and the year’s last red leaves

For Bryony and Jake, the brief was simple: timeless, romantic and elevated. Set on the stunning grounds of Euroa Butter Factory, their wedding brought together rich burgundy tones, crisp whites, candlelight and considered details, creating a celebration that felt refined without ever feeling overdone.

The season itself became part of the styling. Bryony had her eye firmly on the venue’s signature red autumn leaves, researching previous years’ galleries and tracking their arrival with the dedication of both an Instagram sleuth and amateur weather scientist. When the leaves turned, they provided the perfect backdrop to the day’s deep autumnal palette.

At the centre of the day was Bryony’s gorgeous gown, a heavily beaded, fitted silhouette that delivered all the glamour she hadn’t expected to find. Detachable sleeves offered a second iteration of the look for the reception, while Swarovski studs, ivory heels and a signature burgundy-red manicure completed the ensemble. Beside her, Jake kept things classic in a perfectly tailored black tuxedo – an understated counterpoint to Bryony’s statement gown.

Captured beautifully by Tess Follett, the day unfolded with the same considered elegance as its styling. From the ceremony, deliberately crafted to be as memorable as the reception, to the final details of the day, Bryony and Jake created a celebration that felt polished, personal and distinctly their own.

The meeting.

J – We met on Hinge in late December 2021, I sent the first message wishing Bryony a “belated Merry Christmas” little did I know how much Christmas meant to Bryony, so I stood out like a sore thumb.

B – Christmas is without a doubt my favourite holiday, and it wasn’t even that seasonal of a message, but it sealed the deal. My little festive heart squealed. Our first date was spent walking around a garden in the  Yarra Ranges. On this date, I broke one of my parents’ number one rules…never get in a stranger’s car. But getting in a stranger’s car changed my life. The date ended with me having an extremely sunburnt scalp, and also meeting Jake’s dad mid-date because his car needed a jump star.

The way our celebrant described it was glorious. “Their story starts back in 2021, where quiet evenings for singles were often spent doing some window shopping on apps like Hinge.”

The one.

B – There was a comfortability in Jake from the very first moment we met. It’s a friendliness he offers every person he comes across. Plus, a sweetness I found rare and very attractive. I felt like I could tell him about every and any thought I’d ever had. My fears, my dreams.

Another excerpt from our ceremony – “They fell in love hard and fast and without ever second guessing it, and while all these feelings progressed quickly, it never felt rushed. Being together is like being in the homeliest place you could ever imagine finding yourself and knowing that you can exhale there.”

J – I knew very early on that Bryony was the one. Her unparalleled kindness, incredible sense of humour, and drive to see and do everything she possibly can inspires me like nothing else. I could see the life that we would have together and knew it was worth chasing with everything I had. She brings out the best in me without even having to try and is the person I want to share everything in life with.

The proposal.

J – Bryony was overseas for work, so I scouted out some gardens, found Alowyn Gardens and knew it was the place for it. I spoke with the owner and managed to section off an area for the day for our use, and had rose petals, a charcuterie board, wine and the big “will you marry me” letters set up. I took Bryony there under the guise of a “date day” because of how long she’d been gone. I led her through the gardens to our spot, and proposed once she turned the corner and saw the letters.

B – It was the Grand Final public holiday of the September long weekend in 2023. I thought it was the sweetest, to have a surprise date planned for me! Jake was so antsy that morning! When we arrived at the gardens, I thought it was a little strange (it had JUST opened), but I was delighted to be first through the gates – the opportunity for photos and selfies without the crowd amongst the stunning greenery! He kept rushing me though! When we rounded the corner into the hedged-off “private event space”, I stopped dead in my tracks and whipped around at lightning speed. I naturally started bawling my eyes out, and when Jake hadn’t said anything, I asked him if he was going to, to which he replied, “I’m waiting for you to stop crying”… practical man. The rest of the day was spent in our bubble. We spent the night in the city, went to one of our favourite restaurants, and celebrated us.

Planning process.

B – Filled with a whole lotta ‘to-do’ lists. There is nothing that I can’t do when I have a few to-do lists on the go. We wanted to make sure we took time with the planning process. We’d visited the Euroa Butter Factory two years in advance of our ideal date. We knew we wanted an autumn wedding, so we made sure that our first site visit was during the autumn of 2024. A big part of the planning process was scoping out previous galleries, Instagram highlights, posts and tagged stories that featured the beautiful red leaves that frame the outdoor area. It’s like I had it down to an art form. We were desperate for those red leaves!

For the remainder of the planning, we were very intentional on ticking the big things off early. Photography, video, styling, celebrant, venue. For the remaining, it felt right to group things as we went. We booked so far in advance (locked in the venue 18 months prior when bookings opened) that we were able to take our time. We decided on a balance of DIY and outsourcing too – which helped with two things: keeping costs down in some areas, but then keeping stress levels down when it came to others. As a self-diagnosed perfectionist, this came in handy!

Style inspiration.

B – Timeless, romance, elevated. They were the words I used to describe our wedding to our vendors and when curating the ‘vibe’ of the day. I’d had a running Pinterest board for 10+ years of things, and these three things were a constant when putting together that vibe.

We wanted details to be intentional and minimal. Not over the top. Almost a light sprinkle of love and magic. Whether it was our cat’s faces on our cocktail napkins or our “Just Married” sign on our seats, it was all about a sprinkle of us.

We both are also suckers for a good love story. More so me, with Disney, but Jake doesn’t stray from a good rom-com. Because of that, we included little touches of ‘magic’ too. Sparkles on stationery, a graphic from Cinderella “and they lived happily ever after”. My vows also included a nod to Evangeline and Ray from Princess and the Frog – Jake’s favourite Disney movie.

Hand in hand with the romance and the autumn day came the colour red. We both loved the depth and moodiness of the deep burgundy we went with as our colour theming. Having touches of red truly felt so romantic. Mixing it with crisp whites made it feel timeless. We knew we didn’t want to go overboard with the red though – so we used a mix of slightly pink-toned candles with burgundy, and opted for white linens. We loved the freshness of using red, white and green through the florals too. Given that the leaves turned red on the vines at the venue, this added to the beautiful hues that showed up.

The ceremony.

B – I’d known for a long time that I wanted Sheridan to be our celebrant. Long before Jake came along. Luckily, when we met Sheridan for the first time, he agreed wholeheartedly! We wanted something a little non-traditional. A ceremony with a lot of laughs, something that makes you tear up, something that makes you want to audibly “aw” – but most of all, something that oozes love. Sheridan does just that – she even says on her website, “zero sh*t bits”, and I couldn’t agree more. We wanted our guests to walk away saying it was not only a great reception, but a great ceremony too. No snoozefests. Hearing our love story through the words of someone else is such a surreal thing. But Sheridan does it justice. I couldn’t have imagined it with anyone else.

We had done paper scissor rocks in private to see who did their vows first, and Jake lost that battle. But really, I should have gone first. Hearing Jake’s vows, from someone who is quite soft-spoken, absolutely destroyed me. They were perfect.

My favourite part of Jake’s vows: “And so I promise you that. I promise you “always”. I will always be there for you. I will always support you. I will always crack jokes to make you smile, and refill your water bottle at night before bed. I will always make sure that your light never goes out, and I will try my very best to brighten it with my own. And above all, I will always love you with everything that I have, from this day, until my last.”

The outfits.

J – I knew I wanted something classic and timeless, so a tux was the obvious choice. I had a different shirt and shoes to the groomsmen for that extra touch and to stand out a little more. One of my groomsmen said to me later “that is the best we will ever look” and I find it hard to argue with that!

B – I always saw myself wearing something princess-y. I truly thought I was going to get something with more of a skirt, train and all of the princess aspects. I saw flowy and romantic. I went dress shopping with my bridesmaids (sister and two best friends), plus my mum, one day in June of 2025. We started at Luv Bridal, where I’d submitted some shortlisted gowns and they picked an additional one for me.

After trying on four dresses, each felt like there was something missing. Then I put on the Emerald Dress by Milla Nova, and I knew it was the one. Seeing the look on my mum’s face sealed the deal. I felt glamorous and so beautiful. I loved the sparkle, the detailing and the intricacies of the beads and sequins. It sparkled, which is very me.

The sleeves were also one of my favourite details. I ended up making these detachable with my seamstress, which I’m so glad I did. I loved the way they sat across my wrist and my hand, and having them detachable gave me a way to mix things up for the reception too.

The dress was also so far from what I ever pictured myself wearing, which made it feel even more special. It was unique too – I was the first person to try it on in the store, the first person to buy it from them, and I still haven’t seen it worn!

Because my dress was such a statement, I didn’t pursue a second dress option. I paired it with some ivory Bared heels with a diamante ankle strap, some Swarovski studs, and my classic red nail. The nails were a very key detail. I’d always known a pale pink, French tip or natural nail wasn’t for me – I always feel the most me with a true red nail. So, of course, I wanted to honour that on the day, and after many trials with Jayde (@gelbyjade), we landed on the perfect burgundy red.

Favourite moment.

J – Of course, seeing Bryony at the end of the aisle was my favourite moment. I hadn’t seen any spoilers for what her dress was, and tried not to ask too many questions about it, and she blew me away – if you couldn’t already tell from the photos of my reaction.

Our first dance was also my favourite. Of all the parts of the wedding ceremony and reception, the dancing was the part I was the least nervous about, which is saying something when you consider how appalling my dancing ability is. We had been practising a routine made just for us, and it went perfectly! The encouraging cheers from our guests at every dip and lift was the cherry on top, and it felt so incredible having another moment with all eyes on us, even though Bryony’s were the only ones I could see.

B – I’d have to agree that seeing Jake was my favourite moment. Everything had built up to that moment. I was so nervous and so excited. When I was hiding inside the Butter Factory before heading to walk, I could hear Jake’s entrance song, and it just gave me this huge wave of emotion knowing he was right there! So much anticipation had led to that moment. Hearing Sheridan speak about our love story, and then Jake’s vows too. Nothing will ever top that. Seeing his face. Seeing him in his tux.

I think the other ‘moment’ was seeing it all come together. Months and months of planning the details, seeing that vision come to life was unreal. It left me speechless. I didn’t want it to end!

Meaning of marriage.

B – Marriage is creating a life together where the moments feel special, and the hard moments feel lighter. It’s about having someone who will watch your comfort movie with you for the 10 millionth time. Someone who will dredge through the mundane parts but also make them more exciting. There’s nothing I love more than cooking dinner with Jake at the end of the day, then intertwining my (cold) feet with his (very warm) feet as I read something on my kindle, and he watches TV.

J – Marriage means being able to call the most important person in my life “wife”. It means having someone next to me through everything life throws at us, and someone who I can strive to uphold the vows I made every day for the rest of my life for. Marriage is the ultimate comfort, encouragement, and foundation for the perfect future with the woman I love with all my heart.

Wedding soundtrack.

Groom + Groomsmen: Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma – Luke Combs

Processional: You Are In Love – Taylor Swift – very specifically instrumental until 3:08, then the vocals came in as I walked down from the base of the aisle to Jake.

Signing: You’re Still The One – Teddy Swims

Recessional: You Are The Best Thing – Ray LaMontagne

Reception entry: Accidentally in Love – Counting Crows (with sax)

Father/daughter dance: Butterfly Kisses – Bob Carlisle

First dance: Turning Page – Sleeping at Last

Cake cutting: You Make My Dreams (Come True) – Darryl Hall & John Oates

Dance floor opener: Jubel on Sax

Last dance: Love Story – Taylor Swift

Funny stories (or near disasters).

B – It was a near disaster in my eyes – but when we realised the bulk fabric we’d bought for the welcome sign, wishing well, and draping was a slightly different colour red to everything else… I thought it was the end of the world. Plot twist: it was not. No one noticed. Not even me in the end!

Another one was a hair trial mishap. I won’t go into the details, but it involved the cutting of my front pieces of hair with no warning, and way too short, so much so that my hairdresser had to fix it a week before my hens party. I cannot stress how crucial having a trial is. And if you have the time, have the trial BEFORE paying the deposit to secure the date. It all worked out for the better, as Shaylee made my hair look UNREAL, and it was pure perfection *chef’s kiss*.

Words of wisdom.

B – People say it’s a given, but sometimes it’s hard not to get caught up in other people’s thoughts and opinions. You and your partner, and celebrating your love, is the only thing that matters. Whether you do or don’t want to do certain things that “make a wedding” is completely up to you. Red leaves mattered to us, so I became an Instagram stalker and weather scientist to figure out the window of red leaves. What matters to you is the most important thing!!

J – The biggest piece of wisdom I can impart on any couple looking to get married is that if it’s in the budget, hire stylists/planners! Knowing that you have a team dedicated to making sure every moment and every piece of the puzzle fits perfectly on the day of your wedding lifts such a burden from your shoulders. The last thing you want to be doing on the day of your wedding is running around before the ceremony begins, putting out fires or making sure flowers, chairs, accent pieces, etc. are all in the perfect spot, stressing out the whole time. You have enough to worry about already!

The Spare Pair were instrumental in ensuring our day went off without a hitch. They know exactly what they’re doing; they make sure that they get to know you as a couple, what your every desire and wish of the day is, so that they can do all of the running around and worrying instead of you. Most importantly, they are on your side! They help communicate with every other vendor on your behalf if you need them to, and will do everything in their power to help you and your guests throughout the entire day!

Stylists literally save the day! Get them if you can! And get Lisa and Jen!

Bryony and Jake’s Vendors

Ceremony and reception location: Euroa Butter Factory was the only venue we toured. There were a few things that were a must for us.

• A versatile indoor and outdoor ceremony/reception option.
• Outdoor lighting
• Gardens over a winery

We knew we wanted to try to have as much of the evening outdoors at what the weather would allow. It was our dream to have our ceremony outdoors, and our first dance under the festoon lights. We were able to do just that. The day we got married dropped to about 5-7 degrees celsius once the sun went down. We ended up having entrees, mains, speeches, father-daughter dance and our first dance outside, and moved inside for dessert and dancing.

Celebrant: Wed with Sheridan. I’ve shared my adoration for Sheridan above, but I couldn’t recommend her more. Throughout the planning process, Sheridan was always there to help. Whether it was helping put me in touch with a DJ to help perfect the timing of my aisle song, or helping us work through our vows, she was always a text message away. Then the big day came, and Sheridan created for us pure magic, oozing with love.

Photography: Tess Follett. I’d stumbled across Tess’ work a few years ago, having worked in the industry previously, but when it came to choosing a photographer, as soon as Tess resurfaced when I was browsing Ivory Tribe, we were instantly drawn in.  I knew we were in safe hands when we chose Tess to be our photographer, but when we received our selects, we knew it was going to be on another level. Then we received our full gallery, and our minds were blown even further. Tess captured love, elation, and pure magic in a way that we couldn’t have even dreamed of. The photos are something we, and our families, will treasure forever. The light, the colours, the detail, everything!! It was so timeless and captured so naturally. The sunset on the day was something else, and the way Tess captured it was an art form. She also made the process super easy. Jake was nervous about being in front of the camera and he was a complete natural under Tess’ guidance. We were both so comfortable; it felt so easy!

Videography: Annette and Dani. Cinematic storytelling at its finest. We fell in love with the way Annette and Dani told stories. A wedding video is one thing, but overlaying a story over the top is a whole other ball game, and they smash it out of the park. We spent a few nights sitting in bed watching other people’s wedding videos to find the videographer for us, and it was when I was crying over a film put together by Annette and Dani that we knew they were the ones for us. We also loved being able to see videos of other couples who had also been married at EBF. When we got our teaser video back, it felt like that was the final cut, THAT is how good it was. It truly felt like a cinematic trailer. At the time of writing this, we are yet to see our wedding film. Emphasis on the film, because we know it’s going to be on that level. We cannot wait to see the final cut, and then watch it for many years to come.

Styling and Coordination: The Spare Pair. Stylists, planners but SO much more. We stumbled across The Spare Pair when I was going through the tagged photos at Euroa Butter Factory. They’d done a wedding in one of the years prior. Having someone designated for the coordination, planning and styling was a must for us, as the venue provides light touch here. I didn’t want to give the responsibility to my family or bridal party either – especially as I was getting ready offsite and Jake was staying at EBF the night prior. And to thank our lucky stars, we found TWO someones, in Lisa and Jen. We truly could not have done it without them. Lisa and her fierce organisation, and Jen and her stylistic fairy godmother touches. They were always in our court, supporting what we wanted and ensuring we were bringing our fairytale dreams to life. They gave advice when we asked for it, they gave suggestions where we needed it, and shared ideas when I was stuck in decision paralysis. On the day, they were like a coordinated synchronised dance team with choreography they perfected. They fixed the shoes of the Mother of the Groom, they powdered my face, fixed my shapewear, helped with my veil, got everyone from a-b. They coordinated with our vendors, making sure everything went seamlessly, and hey made sure everything was taken care of!

Florist: Twig and Hynes. Cathy was so easy to work with – and another vendor that we stumbled upon from looking at the tagged photos at EBF. What was even better was that Lisa and Jen (TSP) recommended her work. All I did was say romantic reds and whites, maybe some roses, and she recreated the rest. The concept board was exactly what we wanted (without even knowing what we wanted). The florals were a beautiful touch that truly elevated the natural beauty of the day.

Hair: Shaylee Batholomeusz had done my and my sisters hair for her wedding in 2020 – so it only felt right after a hairtrial mishap to reach out to Shaylee with an SOS only two months prior to the wedding. Luckily she was just coming back from maternity leave, so had the availability on short notice. I count my lucky starts she did. The hairstyles she created for myself and my bridesmaids were perfection – they held up, and looked classic and timeless. I knew that with my dress being the feature, I wanted hair that felt ‘me’ and she nailed that brief.

Make-up: Tonic Agency / Steph Ke. I was so grateful to have been paired with Steph for my wedding make up. She made us all look and feel like goddesses. She treated my mum, my three bridesmaids and I with such care, and took her time to make sure the make up was just right.

The dress and veil: Emerald by Mila Nova at Luv Bridal. An absolute show stopper gown. Luv Bridal made it so easy to find the perfect gown for me.

Shoes: Bared Footwear

Rings: Evan Hiscock Jewellery. For the rings, we already knew we wanted to go to Evan Hiscock jewellery in Bayswater. Jake had already used his services to design and make Bryony’s engagement ring, and the quality of his work speaks for itself. Evan was great to brainstorm ring ideas with. Sending inspiration pictures and working through the exact specifications of what we wanted our rings to look like was such a breeze. Evan 3d prints example rings with your designs for you to try on before the final product is complete, which is a brilliant touch to really help you visualise how the rings will look in person. Needless to say we were both stunned when we saw the finished rings for the first time. We couldn’t have asked for anything more and would recommend his services to anyone.

Bridesmaid’s dresses: Mix and match black dresses

Suits & Bow ties: Ferrari Formalwear. We used Ferrari Formalwear in Mitcham for the groom and groomsmans’ suits. We decided to hire, and the process couldn’t have been simpler and easier. From the moment we walked in and said what we needed, the expertise of the staff was immediately apparent. They helped pick out some key details to help Jake stand out a little more from the other groomsman; a nicer black buttoned shirt and glossy shoes, and were quick with all the appropriate measuring and sizing for everyone. All the accessories were included in the hire – bow ties, pocket squares, and cufflinks for if they hadn’t brought their own. Jake and the groomsmen returned the week before the wedding to collect the suits, and they were all a perfect fit. Upon returning the suits after the wedding, the staff were so eager to see photos, and showed genuine care in the process and results.

Favours: Handmade match boxes by the Groom

Cake: Cooloobalah Kitchen

Stationery / Signage: Blaze Displays and Vanessa Ondrade

First Dance Choreography: Dance in HD. Holly and David were phenomenal dance coaches. Jake had zero dancing experience in the leadup to the wedding, but he was the one who really pushed to make sure that we had a routine for the day. Bryony found Holly & David on instagram and when we enlisted their help for our big day they pulled out all the stops. They designed a custom routine based on the song we chose for our dance, and over the course of only 3 lessons, they showed us our routine, guided us through each and every step, repeated sections as many times as we needed to, and showed real care and commitment to making sure we were as comfortable with the routine as we possibly could. They were always on hand to provide helpful tips, show us any moves we were interested in, all to ensure our dance on the day went as smoothly as possible. It was really easy to learn the routine which is a testament to their choreography skills and coaching ability, and it created another memory on the day that we will never forget.

Tan: Donna at Studio 28 Tanning. I’ve seen Donna for special events since 2020 – my sister’s wedding, our engagement party and my hens, so it felt natural to go back to Donna for the big day. One of the best things about seeing Donna, is you only have to leave the tan on for 45 minutes and it’s the perfect colour. Donna makes you feel so comfortable, and gives the best advice to avoid any tan mishaps on the day.

Nails: Jayde @gelbyjade. She helped me find the perfect red nails!

DJ / Sax: Melbourne Entertainment Co

Honeymoon: Minimoon in Daylesford, Honeymoon in Japan